ANATID.K— THE SWANS, GEESK, AND HUCKS. 175 



with light brown, the scapulars chiolly of this oolor. with I ho central portion dusky. "Bill 

 and feet dusky green: iris yellow" (AudubonI. younu: Somewhat similar to the winter 

 female, but much more uniform above, with scarcely any lighter borders to the scapulars, 

 the head ami neck light brownish gray, darker on the pileiim. and indistinctly whitish be- 

 fore and behind the eye. 



Downu iioiiiiij: Above, uniform dark hair-brown, relieved only on side of head by a 

 grayish white space on lower eyelid, a similar but smaller spot immediately above the eye, 

 ahght brownish gray loral stripe. and alight brownish gray postocular spot; brown on 

 side of head forming a broad stripe from the rictus back to occiput. Lower parts white, 

 interrupted by a distinct jugular collar of sooty hair-brown. Bill and feet dusky (in 

 dried skins). 



Adult mule: Total fcngth. about 23 inches; extent. 30.00; wing. 8.50-9.00; tail. 8.00-8.50; 

 culmen. 1.10; tarsus. 1.35; middle toe, 1.90. Female, smaller, the total length considerably 

 less, oiring chiolly to the abbreviation of the middle rectrices. 



The Old Squaw or South-Southerly is a winter visitant to 

 Illinois, its breedin<? ranjije being- far to the northward. Mr. Nel- 

 son found it to be an abundant winter resident on Lake Michi- 

 gan, where the first stragglers arrived about the last of Octo- 

 ber, the main bod}' arriving about a month later and depart- 

 ing about the first of April, a few lingering until about the last 

 of the month. Farther south it is of less regular occurrence as 

 well as less numerous, though doubtless occurring "off and on"' 

 through the winter on the larger rivers. 



In its habits there is nothing particularly distinctive of this 

 species, except the character of its notes, which are described as 

 being loud and somewhat musical. Dr. Brewer says that its 

 voice is one of its great peculiarities, and is very distinct from 

 that of any other of the ducks, being really musical when heard 

 from a distance, especially if there are a large number of indi- 

 viduals joining in th(! refrain. The words ,ioi/f/isoid/i-souf/ierli/, 

 which some have fancied to resemble its cry and which have 

 accordingly been used as one of its local names, did not, how- 

 ever, to his (;ar, in the least resemble (he sounds which the bird 

 makes; but he adds that the names ''Old Wives" and "Old 

 Sipiaws" as applied to the sjxHjies are not inappropriate, since 

 when many arc assembled their notes resemble a confused 

 gabble. 



Genus SOMATERIA Li:ai ii. 



Snmaleria I.1EACH. In Bos.s's Voy. Disc. ISIO. App. p. xlviil. Typo. Anas molli.inima LiNN. 

 Oen. Char. Bill about as long an the head. narrowiT than dec|i. the tip formed by the 

 very broad, large nail; feathers of the forehead advancing forward in a long narrow- 

 pointed strip, between two backward oxteoBlons of the maxilla, whieb, intervening between 



