THE LITTLE BLACK-HEAD. 505 



season of incubation on our coast ; but, in the interior, it is 

 an abundant breeder, — in the lake country, in Wisconsin, 

 and other localities in similar latitudes. It nests on the 

 ground ; forming, as I am told, a nes't of grass and weeds in 

 a marshy swamp, very similar to the nest of the Mallard that 

 breeds in the same localities. 



The eggs are from six to ten in number : they are of an 

 ovate form, sometimes nearly oval ; and are of a dirty pale- 

 drab color, with a slight tint of olivaceous. 



They vary in dimensions from 2.32 by 1.60 to 2.26 by 

 1.52 inch (both sizes from Wisconsin). 



FULIX AFFimS. — £aird. 



The Little Black-head; Blue Bill. 



Fuligula marila, Audubon. Orn. Biog., IIL (1835) 226; V. (1839) 614. lb. 

 Birds Am., VL (1843) 316. ' "' 



Fuligula minor, Giraud. Birds L. Island (1844), 323. 



Description. 



Bill blue; the nail black; head, neck, forepart of breast, and back anterior to 

 the shoulder, lower part of back, tail and its coverts, black; the head with violet 

 purple reflections, changing occasionally to green; the belly and sides, with axiUars, 

 and central portion of inner surfaces of wings pure-white; the lower part of the 

 belly, near the anus, undulated finely with black spots; the interscapular region and 

 scapulars white, with transverse zigzag bands or lines of black, these lines much 

 further apart in the scapulars, which consequently are whiter; wings blackish ; the 

 lesser and middle coverts sprinkled with grayish; the speculum is white, edged 

 behind by greenish-black, the color also of the tertials; the white of the speculum 

 goes across the middle of the secondaries ; iris yellow. 



The female has the wing nearly similar; the black replaced by brownish; the 

 region round the base of the bill whitish; the marbling or mottling almost entirely 

 wanting. 



Length, sixteen and fifty one-hundredths inches; wing, eight; tarsus, one and 

 thirty-four one-hundredths ; commissure, one and ninety-four one-hundredths inch. 



This species resembles the former in its general habits, 

 but is more abundant on our coast, where it is generally 

 known to our gunners by the name of "Blue-bill Coot." 

 It appears in our creeks and bays early in October, and 

 remains with us until late in November, and even later, if 

 the season is mild and open. 



