162 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



2. A. affinis. Flanks vermiculated oi- zigzaeged with blackish. 



Similar to ^. ma>-i/a npacc^icn (including absence of distinct white spaces on six 

 inner quills), but black of head in male glossed with purplish, instead of green; 

 length 15.0O-l(i..50, oulmeii 1.58-1.00. 

 B. Speculum bluish gi'ay. 



3. A, collaris, 



Ay thy a marila nearctica vStejn. 



AMERICAN SCAUP DUCK. 

 Popular synonyms. Big BlacU-ln'ad; Big Blue-bill; Lake Blue-bill; Broad-bill; Bar 

 Broad-bill; Raft Duck (Virginia): Big Fall Duck (Huds. Bay Terr.); Shuffler; Bay 

 Shuffler; Troop Duck; Flock Duck (Maryland); Bull-neck. 

 "/Alias marila Villus. Am. Orn. viii. 1814, S4, pi. 69. fig. 3 (may be 7^. o.!S?ii.s). 

 Fuligula marila Sw. & KicH. P. B.-A. ii, 18:il, -153 (part; includes /•'. n/ffni.s-).— Nutt. Man. 

 ii, 1834, 437 (do.).— AuD. B. Am. vii, 1813, 355, pi. 498 (not of vi, 1843 316, pi. 397, nor of 

 his earlier works, which = F. afflnis).~GovES. Key, 1872, 289; Cheek List. 1873. No. 

 000; ed. 2, 1882, No. 720; B. N. W. 1874, 573.— Hensh. Zool. Wheeler's Exp. 1875. 479. 

 Fulixjnarila'BiaRii, B. N. Am. 18-58, 791; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. .588.— Ridgw. Orn. 

 40th Par. 1877, 625; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881. No. (JM.— B. B. & E. Water B. N. Am. u, 

 1884. 18. 

 Aythya marila nearriica SnEiHi. Orn. Expl Kamtsch. 1885, 161.— A. O. D. Cheek List. 

 1886, No. 148.— RtDGW. Man. N. Am. B. 1S87, 103. 



Hab. North America in general, breeding tar north; in winter, as far south as Central 

 America and the West Indies. 



Sp. Chak. Adult iiiale: Head, neck, and chest black, the first with a greenish gloss ; 

 back and scapulars white, irregularly waved or vermicul.ited with zigzag Unes of black; 

 wing-coverts du.sky, finely grizzled with grayish white ; secondaries white, tipped, and 

 sometimes narrowly edged, with black; tertials black, with a very faint bnttlo-green reflec- 

 tion; primary-coverts dusky black; primaries similar, but the inner uuills pale grayish 

 on outer web.s, except at ends, the gray growing whiter on the shorter feathor.s ; rump, upper 

 tail-coverts, tail, and crissum, dull black. Lower parts between the •he.-^t and crissum white, 

 the posterior portion (and sometimes the sides and flanks) zlgzaggi"! with dusky. Bill 

 pale blue (or bluish white) in life, the nail black; iris bright yellow; legs and feet pale slate. 

 A (tnltfemali': Head and neck sepia-brown, the anterior portion of the tormer,all round the 

 biise of the bill, white; chest, anal region, and crissum, pale grayish brown, fadingcradually 

 into the white of the breast and abdomen; sides and flanks deeper brown; above, brownish 

 dusky, the back and scapulars but faintly or not at all grizzled with white ; wings much as 

 in the male. 



Total length, about 18 to 20 inches; extent, 29.50 to 35.00; wing, 8.25-9.00; culmon, 1.S&- 

 2.20; width of bill near end, .85-1.05, at base, .70-.90; tarsus. 1.10-1.60; middle toe, 2.25-2.45. 



While usually, porliaji.'^, only a, transient mifirant, the Bij;- 

 Black-head not uufre(]uoutly ipas.sos the winter in Ihe southern 

 portions of Illinois, lis breetJiii^- ranjie extends from Manitoba 

 to the Arctic coast. 



Like the Canvas-back, the Black-head is very fond of the 

 roots of the "water celery" {Vallkncf/'n xp/r(t//x}, and, accord- 

 ing to Dr. Brewer, is one of the very few ducks that are able 

 to dive and inill uj) these roots. 



