ner, while that of the ring-neck has more of the sloping 

 character of the canvasback. 



Color Male Head and neck, black, showing a green 

 luster in the sun; back, gray, finely lined with black; 

 under parts, white; speculum, white. 



Female Head, dead brown, with a light gray patch 

 at the base of the bill blending into the brown of the 

 head; breast and back, dirty brown; under parts, white; 

 speculum, white; bill, bluish. 



Nest and Eggs The nest is a crude affair near the 

 water's edge, containing about ten pale olive-buff eggs. 



Measurements Total length, about 18 inches; wing, 

 8%, and bill, 1% inches. The females are but a trifle 

 smaller. 



THE LESSER SCAUP, OR 



LITTLE BLUE-BILL 



(Aythya affinis) 



The little blue-bill, or lesser scaup, like its larger 

 relative, is a cosmopolitan species, and commonly met 

 with in flocks of the other, which has led to the com- 

 mon error of classing the two together, the one as the 

 elder and the other as the younger birds. 



While in general color and markings they are very 

 similar, there is so much difference in their size that 

 they should be easily distinguished. With the males 

 this is very easy for the head of the larger species has 

 a green sheen, the head of the lesser has a purple sheen 

 as shown in the sun. The bill of this species is more 

 of a blue and mucn smaller, being not over 1% inches 

 in length. 



Color The color and markings are the same as the 

 American scaup, with the exception that the metallic 

 sheen of the head, as already mentioned, is purple. 



Nest and Eggs The same as the American scaup. 



Measurements Total length, about 16% inches; wing, 

 7%, and bill 1% inches. 



THE RING-NECK 

 (Aythya collaris) 



In the breeding season the ring-neck male has a dirty 

 orange ring around the neck which disappears wholly, 

 or nearly so, before the beginning of the hunting sea- 

 son. The ring-neck is generally more plentiful on the 

 fresh waters. I have seen great numbers of them at 

 the mouth of the Colorado river. In fact, both the ring- 

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