80 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



Female: With the head and anterior parts brown, and other black parts of the- 

 male, rather brown ; face, pure white. Length, about 20 ; wing, 9. 



HAB. North America, breeding far north. 



Nest, of weeds and dry grass, lined with down, placed on the ground. 



Eggs, six to ten, grayish-green. 



This and the next species, which are nearly allied, are the ducks 

 most frequently met in Southern Ontario, where they are known as 

 Bluebills. In the fall they remain in Hamilton Bay till they are 

 frozen out, and in spring, even before the bay is open, they appear out- 

 side on Lake Ontario, and make frequent excursions inward to watch 

 for the moving of ice. In spring many remain in the bay till about 

 the first of May, by which time they seem all to be paired, but I have 

 no record of their having been found breeding, and think it likely 

 that nearly all spend the summer in the north of the Province. 



This is the larger bird of the two species, and is considered to 

 be somewhat hardier than its little brother. It breeds commonly 

 throughout the North- West and in Alaska. Mr. Nelson says regard- 

 ing it: "Everywhere in suitable locations over all the mainland 

 portions of Alaska this is a common and frequently an abundant 

 summer resident. In the north, as in the south, these birds show a 

 predilection for the larger bodies of water, and at once, after thq 

 young are hatched, they are marshalled off to the largest pond in the 

 vicinity." 



The big Bluebill is common at all the shooting stations in Southern 

 Ontario, where its large size makes the game-bag heavy, a fact which 

 is duly appreciated by the hunters. 



AYTHYA AFFINIS (EYT.). 

 49. Lesser Scaup Duck. (149) 



Similar to the preceding, but smaller, about 16; wing, 8; gloss of head 

 chiefly purple ; flanks and scapulars less closely waved with black (?) It is very 

 difficult to define this bird specifically, and it may be simply a small southern 

 form ; but it appears to preserve its characteristics though constantly asso- 

 ciated with the last. 



HAB. North America in general, breeding chiefly north of the United 

 States, migrating south to Guatemala and the West Indies. 



Closely resembles the preceding, except in being considerably less 

 in size. Nesting habits and eggs are the same. 



According to Dr. Coues, this is a southerly bird, not breeding so 



