MARECA AMERICANA I AMERICAN WIDGEON. 309 



AMERICAN WIDGEON ; BALDPATE. 

 MARECA AMERICANA (L.) Steph. 



Chars. Male : Bill shorter than head, grayish-blue like the feet ; 

 tail i4-i6-feathered, pointed, but hardly or not half as long as 

 the wing ; top of head white or nearly so, plain or speckled, its 

 sides, and the neck, more or less speckled ; fore breast light 

 brownish-red ; belly pure white ; crissum abruptly black ; middle 

 and greater coverts white, latter black-tipped ; speculum green, 

 black-bordered. Head and neck grayish-white, speckled with 

 dusky ; top of head white, in full plumage, its sides with a broad 

 green patch. Length, 20.00-22.00; wing, n.oo; tail, 5.00; bill, 

 1.33-1.50. Female recognizable by the wing-markings. 



One of the regularly migratory Ducks, occurring in 

 spring and fall, and also occasionally during 

 the winter months ; but it is not a com- 

 mon species. Mr. Brewster thought its 

 recent occurrence inland, about twenty 

 miles from the coast, worth a notice (Bull. 

 Nutt. Club, vii, 1882, p. 185). We have 

 no evidence that it breeds with us. The 

 eggs are eight to twelve in number, 

 measuring about 2.00 X 1.50, and of a dull 

 pale buff color. 



NOTE. The European Widgeon, Mareca penelope, has been found 

 casually along the Atlantic coast, and in localities it could hardly 

 have reached without visiting New England. But we have no 

 knowledge of its actual occurrence. It has however been taken 

 on Long Island. 



