ANATID.K — THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 157 



Subgenus Aythya Boie. 



Aiitliiia BoiE, Isis. 1822. 5(jl. Type, by olimination, Anas/erina LiNN. 



SuDGEN. C'HAK. Culmen longer than inner toe. with claw; bill not wider near end than 

 at base, much shorter than middle too without claw, its greatest width nearly hall the length 

 of the culmen, the end moderately depressed, and the nail decidedly hooked. A dult males 

 with the head and upper nock reddish. 



Only oue American .species, the common Red-head (A. amcri- 

 auiii), belongs to this subgenus. It is a near relative of, but 

 is decidedly distinct from, the Pochai-d, of Europe, A. f< riiia 

 (Linn.). 



Aythya americana (Eyt.) 



EED-HEAD. 

 Popular synomyms. Red-headed Duck ; American Pochard; Red-headed Broad-bill: Red- 

 headed Ratt Duck. 

 Anas ferina WiLS. Am. Orn. viii, 1811, 110, pi. 70 llg. fi (not Linn.). 

 Fuligula ferina BoNAP. Synop. 1828, S92.— 8w. & Rich. F. B.-A. ii, 1831, ■J52.— Nutt. Man. 

 ii. 1831. 43).— Aud. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 198, pi. 322; Synop. 1833, 287; B. Am. vl, 1813, 311, 

 pi. 396. 

 Fuligula americana Eyton. Mon. Anat. 1838. l.Vj. 

 Aythya ferina 6 americann BoNAP. Compt. Kend. xliii. Sept. 185fi. C51. 

 Aythya americana Baii;u, B. N. Am. 1«8, 793: fat. N. Am. B. IS-W, No. 591.— Rroow. 

 Orn. 40th Par. 1877, C21; Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 101.— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 116. 

 ^Elhyia americana ScL. & Sal,v. Nom. Nootr. 1873.— Eidgw. Nom. B. 1S81, No. CIS. 



— B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii. 1884, 36. 

 Aythya ferina, var. americana Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, 183. 

 Jiuligula ferina, var. americana CoUES. Key, 1872. 289; Check List, 1873, No. 503; B. N. 



W. 1871. 575.— Hknsh. Zool Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 480. 

 Fuligula ferina americana CouES, Check List. 2d ed. 1882. No. 723. 

 Aythya erylhrocephala BoNAP. Comp. List, 1838, 58. 



Had. The whole of North America, breeding from central California, Minnesota, nor- 

 thern Iowa. Wisconsin, Uichigan, and Maine, to the Fur Countries ; Bahamas, Central 

 America, etc.. In winter. 



8p. Cbab. Bill much shorter than the middle too (without claw), broad, the end mod- 

 erately depressed, and with the nail decidedly decurred, the culmen about two ami a half 

 times the Kroatest width of the maxilla, and decidedly concave. Adult male: Head and 

 upper half, or more, of the neek rich reddish chestnut, the latter glossed with reddish pur- 

 ple ; lower part of the neck, chest, anterior part of the back, lower part of the rump, upper 

 tall-eoverts, and crissum, black; back, scapulars, sides, and Hanks, densely vermiciiljited 

 with white and dusky in about eiiual proportion; anal region similarly, but more faintly, 

 marked; entire abdomen Immaculate white; wing-coverts do(l) plumbeou.s-grny, faintly 

 and minutely sprinkled with white; socondario.s ("speculum") pale bluish gray, the upper 

 feathers edged with black, the others narrowly tipped with white; primaries dusky, the In- 

 nc!r quills slate-gray.except at ends; tall dusky. Bill pale liluo, the end black; iris bright yel- 

 low; feet light gray. Aiiulljpmnlc: Uead and neck grayish brown. darkest above ;th ^interior 

 part of the head lighter, almost white on the ehin and upper part of the throat; chest, sides, 

 and Hanks <hill grayish brown, the feathers tippcil with fulvous; wings as in the male, but 

 the eovorti plala elato-color; back and scapulars grayish brown, the feathers with paler 



