HO SEA DUCKS. 



146. Aythya americana CA//O. HEDHEAD. Ad. s . Head and 

 thronl bright rufous; lowi-r lu-rk. hrea>t. hack f the neck, and upper hark 

 black ; rc.-<tof the back and scapulars finely barrel with wavy black and white 

 lines of equal width; wing-coverts brownish gray; upper tail-coverts black; 

 jijolly white, the lower belly more or less finely barred with black ; under tuil- 

 coverte black; sides like the back. Ad. 9. Upper parts dark grayish brown, 

 darker on the rump, the feather* m>re r less margined with butty or ashy ; 

 sides of the head lighter ; upper throat white ; neck butty oehraceous; breast 

 and sides grayish brown, more or leas washed or margined with bully or buffy 

 oehraceous; belly white; lower belly and under tail-coverts tinned with 

 ochraceous ; an indistinct bluish-gray band across the end of the bill. L., 

 19-00 ; W., 8-90 ; Tar., 1-55 ; B., 1-85. 



Remark*. This species is frequently confused with the Canvasback, from 

 which it may be distinguished by the characters tr'ivcn under that specie.-.. 



The female Redhead is much like the female Kin^-neck in coloration; the 

 latter is generally browner, but they can be distinguished with certainty only 

 by the difference in their size. 



it. North America; breeds from California and Minnesota north- 

 ward to the fur countries; rare on the North Atlantic ena>t. where it has been 

 found breeding only once (Calais, Me.); winters from Virginia southward to 

 Cuba and Jamaica. 



Washington, common W. V. Long Island, T. V. in irregular numbers, 

 Oct 1 to Apl. 15, few W. V. Sin^' Simr. common T. V., Apl. 1 to Apl. 24; 

 Oct. 12 to Oct. 28. Cambridge, casual ; one ii^tance, Oct. 



Sett, on the ground in grassy sloughs or marshy lake sides. E<]<J*, six to 

 twelve, bully white, ii-40 x 1-70. 



The Ducks of the genus Aythya possess to some extent the habits 

 of both the River Ducks and true Sea Ducks. They are divers in deep 

 water, but along the shores or in shallow water they are also "dab- 

 blers." On our coasts the Redhead is a Buy Duck, and feeds in salt 

 and brackish water. 



147. Aythya vallisneria < Wil*.\. CAXVASBACK. Ad. 6 .Head 

 and neck rufous-brown, the chin and crown generally blackish ; breast and 

 upper back black ; rest of the back and generally wing -coverts finely barred 

 with wavy lines of black and white, the white lines the wider; belly white.; 

 lower belly more or less finely barred with black ; upper and under tail-cov- 

 erts black; sides white, much lesx liyhtly barred with wavy black lines than 

 the back, or even entirely without bars. Ad. 9. Head. neck, upper breast, 

 and upper back cinnamon, the throat lighter, and, with the front parts of the 

 head, more or less washed with rufous: hack grayish brown, the feathers 

 more or less barred with wavy white lines; belly white or grayish white; 

 sides the same or grayish brown, generally marked like the back. L., 21-00 ; 

 W., 9-00; Tar., 1-60; B., 2-40. 



Remark*. This species is sometimes mistaken for the Redhead, to which 

 it bears a general resemblance. The males of the two species may be distin- 

 guished (1) by the color of the head and neck, which is rufous in the Ked- 



