SUMMER DUCK, OR WOOD DUCK. 201 



I cannot discover that this species is found in any of 

 the remote northern parts of our continent ; and this 

 is probably the cause why it is altogether unknown in 

 Europe. It is abundant from Florida to New England ; 

 hut is not enumerated among the birds of Hudson's 

 Bay, or Greenland. Its chief residence is on the sea 

 coast, though it also makes extensive excursions up 

 the tide waters of our rivers. Like the mallard, they 

 rarely dive for food, but swim and fly with great 

 velocity. 



The dusky, or black duck, is two feet in length, and 

 three feet two inches in extent ; the bill, is of a dark 

 greenish ash, formed very much like that of the mallard, 

 and nearly of the same length ; irides, dark ; upper part 

 of the head, deep dusky brown, intermixed on the fore 

 part with some small streaks of drab ; rest of the head 

 and greater part of the neck, pale yellow ochre, thickly 

 marked with small streaks of blackish brown ; lower 

 part of the neck, and whole lower parts, deep dusky, 

 each feather edged with brownish white, and with fine 

 seams of rusty white ; upper parts, the same, but rather 

 deeper ; the outer vanes of nine of the secondaries, 

 bright violet blue, forming the beauty spot, which is 

 bounded on all sides by black; wings and tail, sooty 

 brown ; tail-feathers, sharp pointed ; legs and feet, 

 dusky yellow ; lining of the wings, pure white. 



The female has more brown on her plumage ; but in 

 other respects differs little from the male, both having 

 the beauty spot on the wing. 



264. AXAS srotrsA, LINNAEUS AND WILSON. 



SUMMER DUCK, OK WOOD DUCK. 

 WiLSOV, PLATE LXX. FIG. III. EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 



THIS most beautiful of all our ducks has probably no 

 superior among its whole tribe for richness and variety 

 of colours. It is called the wood duck, from the cir- 

 cumstance of its breeding in hollow trees ; and the 

 summer duck, from remaining with us chiefly during the 



