a bronze green; speculum, bluish purple, bordered with 

 black and white. 



Female The general plan of the markings of the 

 female is the same as that of the male, but the colors 

 are not so bright, nor the crest so long. The crest is 

 more of a brown, and the breast a pale brown, mottled 

 with dark spots. 



Nest and Eggs The nest is built in the hollow of a 

 tree or stump, and occasionally a considerable distance 

 above the ground. The eggs, which average about eight, 

 are of a pale brownish white. The young are taken 

 from the nest in the bill of the mother, and are often 

 seen perched on her back while she is swimming around 

 in search of food. 



Measurements Total length of the male, about 18 

 inches, with the female about an inch less; wing, 9*4 to 

 9V 2 ; bill 1% inches. 



THE FULVUS TREE DUCK 

 (Dendrocygna fulva) 



The fulvous tree-duck, commonly called the Mexican 

 tree-duck, and cavalier, as well as the black-bellied tree- 

 duck (Dendrosygna autumnalis), according to the classi- 

 fication of the ornithologist, belong to the subfamily, 

 Anserinae, the same family as the geese. The fact that 

 they have a bill more like that of the goose than any 

 other duck, a goose neck also, and that there is no dif- 

 ference in the sexes will show the reason for such classi- 

 fication. Their generic name, however, signifies tree- 

 swan. The fulvous tree-duck ranges on our hunting 

 grounds as far north as Sacramento, where occasional- 

 ly one is killed. They come here only to breed and, 

 therefore, late in the season. Quite a few are killed in 

 southern California, and from Arizona and Lower Cali- 

 fornia south they are very plentiful. The black-bellied 

 tree-duck is only met with as a straggler north of Chi- 

 huahua, Mexico. Another species of the same genus 

 (Dendrosygna elegans) is a still more southern bird, 

 seldom seen north of the state of Guerrero. 



Color Sides of head and neck and lower parts, buff; 

 top of head, back of neck and back, dark brown; wings, 

 dark brown; neck, long and slim; bill, resembles that 

 of a goose very much. Both sexes alike. 



Nest and Eggs The nests are generally built in a 

 hollow tree or stump. The eggs number from ten to 

 fifteen and are of an ochreous white. 



Measurements Wing, about 9 l / 2 ; bill, 1% inches. 

 72 



