DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 65 



and has doubtless come from its habit of feeding at the bottom of the 

 lake. Goss gives its food as seeds, roots, and plant stems, shellfish 

 and various forms of life found in both deep and shallow water. 

 He adds that when fat it is a good table duck. My own experience 

 is that, roasted Indian fashion in the fire with the feathers on, its 

 meat is juicy, tender, and of delicious flavor, particularly if you are 

 hungry! VEKNON BAILEY 



GENUS NOMONYX. 



[168.] Nomonyx dominions (Linn.). MASKED DUCK. 



Similar to the ruddy duck, but tail with 20 instead of 18 feathers, and 

 bill smaller with wider nail nail over .25 wide instead of .10 as in the 

 ruddy. Adult male : front of head black ; neck, sides, and back bright 

 chestnut, streaked on back with black ; wings black, with a large white 

 patch. Adult female : crown blackish ; side of head with two black and 

 two buff y stripes ; neck and sides dull brownish ; back dusky. Length : 

 12.00-14.50, wing about 5.50-5.75, tail 3.50-4.50, bill 1.30-1.37. 



Distribution. Tropical America and West Indies ; north on Gulf coast 

 to Lower Rio Grande ; accidental in eastern United States. 



GENUS CHEN. 



General Characters. Bill short and high at base, dull red, with whitish 

 tip ; feet dull red ; plumage of adults white, except for wing, which has a 

 black tip and adjoining gray patch. Young with head, neck, and upper 

 parts light gray ; rump, tail, and under parts white, feet and tail dusky. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Bill very stout, with black along edges. 



2. Adults mainly white hyperborea, p. 65. 



2'. Adults mainly gray caerulescens, p. 66. 



1'. Bill not very stout, without black on cutting edges ; wing 13.75-15.50. 



rossii, p. 66. 



169. Chen hyperborea (Pall.). LESSER SNOW GOOSE. 



Adults. A conspicuous hard, black plate along side of lower mandible ; 

 plumage pure white except for wing, which has black tip and gray patch ; 

 white of head and sometimes neck and breast washed or stained with 

 rusty orange. Length : 23-28, wing 14.50-17.00, bill 1.95-2.30. 



Distribution. Western North America, breeding in Alaska ; south in 

 winter to southern California, Gulf of Mexico, and east to Kansas and 

 southern Illinois. 



The snow geese, or white brant, are common in migration over the 

 western United States, wintering in California, southern Utah, Texas, 

 and Mexico. They are oftenest seen on the wing high overhead in 

 long diagonal lines or V-shaped flocks, flying rapidly and uttering a 

 chorus of shrill falsetto cries ; but not infrequently they are found in 

 some big marsh, on the open prairie, or in a field of grain, massed till 

 they look like a spring snow bank. Much of their food is gleaned 

 from the stubble fields during the fall migration and from fields of 



