WEST VIRGINIA [W. VA. 



131. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus). Few water birds 

 are more beautiful than the Hooded Merganser. The pair of birds in 

 this collection will suggest the appearance of the birds when in life, as 

 they may be seen some times on the rivers of West Virginia. 



Geog. Dist. North America generally. 



W. Va. Dist. I have a number of West Virginia records for this 

 species. At Williamstown, W. Va:, I examined a fine adult male of 

 this species that was taken by Mr. S. S. Stuart on Mar. 29, 1906. 



Nest In a hollow tree or stump near the water. 



Food Boots, seeds, &c. 



132. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) . Pair of adults. 

 Geog. Dist. Northern parts of northern hemisphere. 



W. Va. Dist. Mr. T. Z. Atkeson, who wrote, in 1899, a thesis en- 

 titled "The Water-Fowl of West Virginia/' says of this species, "The 

 Mallard is perhaps the most common of all the edible water-fowl that 

 frequent this state. During the spring and autumn they may be found 

 on any of our principal rivers." 



Nest Breeds in northern parts of U. S. and northward. 



Food A few days ago I examined a Mallard which was in the pos- 

 session of Mr. E. J. Hughes, Weston, W. Va., and found that it had 

 been feeding on large numbers of little clams. These mollusks were 

 about the size of a large pea, and the duck had swallowed them shll 

 and all. Any one who kn.ows the domestic duck, a descendant of the 

 Mallard, has observed the omnivorous feeding habits of the species un- 

 der consideration. 



133. Black Duck (Anas rubripes). Represented in the collection 

 by a single male. 



Geog. Dist. Eastern North America. 



W. Va. Dist. The Morgan brothers, who have studied water-fowl 

 so carefully along Great Kanawha waters, say that they have seen this 

 species frequently. Mr. Eifrig noted the Black Duck on the Potomac. 



Nest Breeds from Illinois northward. No certain W. Va. breeding 

 record. 



Food Similar to that of the Mallard. 



139. Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) . The origin of the 

 name of this species may be seen by a glance at the wings of the male 

 in the collection. 



Geog. Dist. North America. 



