184 PINTAILS AND WIDGEONS. 



parents, is covered with dry leaves and feathers. * 

 * * They lay from six to ten, or even twelve eggs, 

 and as soon as the young are hatched they withdraw from 

 the river to the small creeks and rivulets, where they remain 

 until the ducklings are fully able to fly, when all repair to 

 the great marshes, where, on the roots of the horse-tail 

 (Equisetum), they grow so fat that frequently they cannot 

 raise themselves above the water." 



It is further added, that "a nest-complement of seven 

 eggs, from the Yukon, now in the Smithsonian, furnishes 

 the following characters: Size 2.10x1.50-2.30x1-55; 

 shape, rather elongate ellipsoidal; color, uniform dull gray- 

 ish-olive, without any buff or creamy shade." 



This species is common also to the Old World. 



Our American Widgeon, or Baldpate, though very simi- 

 lar in size, form, and marking to that of Europe, is still 

 specifically different. Some 22 inches long and 30 in extent, 

 the bill is slate-color, the nail black; the crown creamy, 

 sometimes almost white; cheeks and neck the same, specked 

 and spotted with black; patch from around the eye to the 

 nape, including the pendent crest, glossy green; line down 

 the back of the neck, the breast and sides, vinous or purp- 

 lish-brown the tips of the feathers somewhat hoary and 

 the sides cross-penciled with wavy lines of black; belly, 

 white; crest, black; back and scapulars, vinous bay, ele- 

 gantly crossed with wavy lines of black; lower back, pri- 

 maries, and tail, the central feathers of which are elongated, 

 dusky; speculum velvety black, with a cross-line of glossy 

 green next to the coverts which are white, the greater ones 

 tipped with black and bounded with gray above; the outer 

 web of the elongated tertiaries velvety black edged with 

 white; under tail-coverts black, contrasting strongly with 

 the white vent. 



