134 AMERICAN WIDGEON. 



In the male, in adult plumage, the bill is 

 bluish-grey, black towards the tip, and having the 

 nail of that colour; the forehead and crown are 

 pale buff-orange, chin and throat black, while the 

 rest of the head and neck are rich orange-brown ; 

 breast purplish red, tinged with grey; belly and 

 vent pure white; the back, scapulars, sides, and 

 flanks are finely waved with irregular bars of black 

 and white; smaller wing-covers next the shoulders 

 grey, the others pure white, the greater covers with 

 black tips; the secondaries in the centre forming 

 the speculum glossy green, the base and tips of the 

 feathers black, quills hair-brown ; the tertials, which 

 are always conspicuous in this family, have their 

 inner webs grey, the outer ones velvet-black mar- 

 gined with pure white; tail brown, and rather 

 lengthened in form. In the female the head and 

 neck are yellowish-brown, thickly covered with 

 blackish- brown spots, upper parts greyish brown, 

 the feathers with paler margins ; breast, belly, and 

 vent white ; sides and flanks yellowish-brown, which 

 is often more or less spread over the under parts. 



THE AMERICAN WIDGEON, MARECA AMERICANA. 

 Anas Americana, Wils.,Aud., Nutt., &c. Mereca 

 Americana, Steph. and Faun. Bor.Amer. As a Bri- 

 tish bird, Blyih, Nat. iii. p. 41?. Yarr. B. Birds. 

 iii. p. 196. A single specimen of this species was 

 obtained in one of the London markets in the winter 

 of 1837-8 by Mr Bartlet, and communicated in a 



