106 BIRDS OF THE WEST 



between mallards and teals. About twenty inches long. A very 

 common duck. 



143. PINTAIL. Dafila acuta. The pintail is not really as large 

 as the mallard but it is about four inches longer, its unusual length 

 being due to its having a long swan-likie neck and long "pintail" 

 feathers. It has a purplish speculum on its wings and more or less 

 brown, white and gray upon its body. 



136. WIDGEON. Mareca penelope. 19 inches long. Bill blue 

 tipped with black, top of head whitish but most of head marked with 

 black. Body gray with wavy black markings, russet green speculum 

 on black and white. Rare. 



137. BALD PATE. Anas americana. Nineteen inches long. Top 

 of head whitish edged with green. Bill blue tipped with black. Plu- 

 mage mostly grayish, white below, green speculum. Make a whis- 

 tling noise in flight. Rob other ducks of their food. 



135. GADWALL. Chaulelasmus streperus. 20 inches long. A 

 gray duck with a flat crest. Body marked with black and white lines 

 across the gray. White below. Rump black. Wings black, white and 

 brown. 



144. WOOD DUCK. Aix sponsa. A foot and a half long. This 

 has been called the best dressed bird of our latitude. Its many rich 

 colors and its crest will be suflicient to identify it. It has a variegated 

 bill and a purple and green head striped with white. White throat. 

 Spotted breast. Body many colored. It nests in hollow trees and 

 carries its young in its bill from its nest to the water. Rare. 



147. CANVASBACK. Aythya vallisneria. Twenty to 

 twenty-two inches long. Head and upper neck dark red. Long neck 

 nearly black. Body nearly white. Tail dark drab. Eyes red. 



146. REDHEAD. Aythya americana. Nineteen inches long. Similar 

 in size and markings to the canvasback but has a thicker head and a 

 shorter bill, the head rising more abruptly from the base of the bill. 

 Breast nearly black, but white under parts. Sides and back gray, 

 finely waved with black. 



153. BUFFLEHEAD or BUTTERBALL. Charitonetta albeola. 

 Fifteen inches long. It has a very large head for so small a duck 

 and therefore named for the buffalo. Bill short. Prevailing colors 

 are black above and white below. Head banded with white though 

 mostly purplish. Tail gray. Neck and sides white. Not highly prized. 



149. BLUEBILL or SCAUP DUCK. Aythya af finis. Sixteen 

 inches long. Bill a pale blue. Head black with green reflections. 

 White below and black above with fine wavy barring. Found late in 

 the fall in large numbers. 



