Birds of IndjaiNA. 629 



24. (jbnus ERISMATHRA Ronapartk. 

 o^ Male, side of head below eyes white; feiuale, side of head an(i neck grayish- 

 white, with darker stripe from corner of mouth to ear coverts. 



E. rubidaiWils.). 50 



50. (1<)7). '^rismatura rubida (Wils.). 



Ruddy Duck. 

 Synonyms, ]>lack .Jack, Bkistlk-Tail, Fool Duck. 



Male in Fall riumajje. — Bill, ^^laty l)lue; the nail black; neck, all 

 around, and the upper parts, bright chestnut; the lower parts, silky- 

 white, watered with dusky; chin and sides of the head, white; the 

 crown and nape, black. Female. — Brown above, finely dotted and 

 waved with dusky; paler and duller below, with sometimes a slight 

 tawny tinge, which also occurs on the sides of the head. 



Length, about 13.50-16.00; wing, 5.75-6.00; bill, about 1.50-1.60. 

 Eange. — North America, in general south to West Indies and Co- 

 lombia; breeds throughout its range, from Granada and Guatemala 

 north, at least to Great Slave Lake. No American duck has so ex- 

 tensive a breeding range. 



Nesl, built to float like a Grebe's or else along the edge of reedy 

 stream or lake, or on drift. FJggs, 5-11; white or pale buffy; 2.42 by 

 1.75. Migrant, usually not common. 



Throughout the southern part of the State it appears to be rare. I 

 have one specimen taken near Brookville. Dr. F. Stein reports it 

 from the lower Wabash Valley. Prof. B. W. Evermann notes it as rare 

 in Monroe and Carroll counties. Mr. C. E. Aiken tells me he has seen 

 them abundant on the Calumet River in Indiana. 



Mr. Chas. Dury tells me they are known to the hunters at English 

 Lake as "Black-Jacks.^' 



Willi us they are usually round singly or in small groups by them- 

 selves or with the Coots. 



This is quite in contrai?t with their habits in the Southern States, 

 where they congregate in great flocks. They frequent the smaller 

 lakes and more sluggish water courses. 



They return from the south late in the spring, usually arriving the 

 latter part of March, and remain through the month. 



]\rr. II. I\. Coale noted two males and a female at Tolleston, Ind., 

 May 9, 1877, and Mr. Ruthven Deane found two males and a female 

 in the red spring plumage at English Lake May 11, 1890. 



The latter records indicate that they mate in threes. Is this a case 

 of polyandry? The Ruddy Duck may be found to breed among our 

 marshes. 



