302 FEATHERED GAME 



The rice swamps and lagoons of the southern 

 States are most populous with this species dur- 

 ing the winter months, though many go on to 

 the West Indies and even farther. 



The breeding dress of the Green-winged drake 

 is a beautiful piece of coloring. The head and 

 upper neck a rich, bright chestnut, darkening 

 on the chin; a glossy patch of dark metallic 

 green running back from each eye and growing 

 deeper on the nape where the two stripes come 

 together among the drooping feathers of the 

 crest. This crest, quite pronounced at this 

 time, is hardly noticeable in the fall plumage. 

 Above, silvery gray, finely and regularly waved 

 with countless jet black lines. A small '^half- 

 moon," or crescent of white, in front of each 

 wing — almost the only difference of plumage 

 between this and the European variety, which 

 lacks this marking. Have seen the American 

 Green-wing lacking the white bar mentioned, 

 but this is rarely so in the full plumage. If 

 this mark is missing and the inner tertials are 

 creamy white it is probable that the specimen 

 is a stray from the Old World. Primaries and 

 wing coverts brownish gray. Speculum a rich 

 dark green, changeable and lustrous. Neck and 



