76 HISTORY OF THE 



GENUS AYTHYA BOIE. 



Culmen longer than iuuer toe with claw; bill not wider near end than at 

 base; head and neck reddish in adult males. Bill much shorter than middle 

 toe without claw, its greatest width nearly half the length of the culinen. the 

 end moderately depressed, arid the nail decidedly hooked. (Ridr/way.) 



Aythya americana (Evr.). 



REDHEAD. 

 PLATE VI. 



Migratory; common. Arrive the first of March to middle of 

 April; return in September. 



B. 591. R. 618. C. 723. G. 296, 34. U. 146. 



HABITAT. North America in general; breeding from Califor- 

 nia, Wisconsin and Maine northward. 



SP. CHAR. "Bill much shorter than the middle toe without claw, broad, the 

 end moderately depressed, and with the nail decidedly decurved, the culmeii 

 about two and a half times the greatest width of the maxilla, and decidedly 

 concave. Adult male: Head and upper half, or more, of the neck rich reddish 

 chestnut, the latter glossed with reddish purple; lower part of the neck, jugu- 

 luin, anterior part of the back, lower part of the rump, upper tail coverts and 

 crissum black; back, scapulars, sides and flanks densely vermiculated with white 

 and dusky in about equal proportion; anal region similarly (but more faintly) 

 marked; entire abdomen immaculate white; wing coverts deep plumbeous gray, 

 faintly and minutely sprinkled with white; secondaries ('speculum') pale bluish 

 gray, the upper feathers edged with black, the others narrowly tipped with white; 

 primaries dusky, the inner quills slate gray, except at ends; tail dusky. Bill 

 pale blue, the end black; iris red; feet bluish gray. Adult female: Head and 

 neck grayish brown, darkest above; the anterior part of the head lighter, almost 

 white on the chin and upper part of the throat; jugulum, sides and flanks dull 

 grayish brown, the feathers tipped with fulvous; wings as in the male, but the 

 coverts plain elate color; back and scapular grayish brown, the feathers with 

 paler tips; rump, upper tail coverts and tail dusky grayish brown; anal region 

 paler; longer lower tail coverts whitish. Bill plumbeous, the end black; iris yel- 

 low; feet plumbeous. Downy young: Above, ochraceous olive brown, indistinctly 

 relieved by an olive-yellow spot back of eacli wing, one on the hind border of 

 each arm wing, and one on each side of the rump; entire head and neck (except 

 the pilemn and nape), with whole lower parts, deep buff yellow, paler and less 

 yellow on abdomen and anal region. No dark markings whatever on side of 

 head. Bill and feet light colored (brownish in dried skin)." 



Stretch of 

 Length. luittg. H'ing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 21.00 33.50 9.25 2.75 1.60 1.90 



Female... 18.50 32.00 8.70 2.30 1.60 1.80 



This deep-water Duck, though widely distributed, is not so 

 common on the Pacific slope as east of the Rocky Mountains. 



