BIRDS OF NEW YORK 199 



Mexico and Costa Rica. Its breeding grounds extend from North Dakota 

 to the Arctic ocean. 



Like the Mallard and Baldpate it comes into the shallow waters at 

 dusk to feed on aquatic weeds, insects and crustaceans. Its note is seldom 

 heard by day but while coming into the feeding grounds at night with the 

 widgeons, black ducks and mallards, the hoarse muffled quack of the duck 

 and the mellow whistle of the drake are heard mingled with whistling of the 

 Widgeon and the loud calls of the Black duck. In the springtime the 

 drakes often give utterance to low soft notes which seem to flow from deep 

 down in the throat, especially while performing curious courting antics in 

 the presence of the ducks. 



Aix sponsa (Linnaeus) 

 Wood Duck 



Plate 14 



Anas sponsa Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 10. 1758. i: 128 



DcKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 338, fig. 247 

 Aix sponsa A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 2. 1895. No. 144 



aix, Gr. ali, some kind of waterfowl; spon'sa, Lat., a bride 



Description. Adult male: Head with a beautiful flowing crest; upper 

 parts resplendent with rich green and purple and bronze and velvety greenish 

 black ; breast purplish chestnut with chains of pointed white spots ; a patch 

 of dark purplish flowing feathers also on each side of the base of the tail; 

 a narrow white line from the base of the bill passing over the eye and down 

 the sides of the crest, another white line from behind eye passing down 

 the lower edge of the crest ; throat white, sending a spur upward on the side 

 of the head and another on the side of the neck ; a large white crescent edged 

 with black in front of the wing ; sides yellowish gray finely waved with black 

 and white vermiculations, the longer flank feathers tipped with concentric arcs 

 of black and white; speculum changing between purplish green and steel 

 blue, bordered with white on the tips of the secondaries; primaries white 

 frosted; lining of wings white barred with brownish gray; belly white; 

 bill pinkish white, the base lake-red, the tip and ridge and lower mandible 

 black; iris and eyelids red; feet yellowish or orange, with dusky webs. 

 Female: Crest slight; bill largely dusky; feet dusky yellowish; head and 

 neck gray, the chin and feathers about the base of bill and spot about eye 

 running back to the ear region white; breast and sides yellowish brown, 

 mottled or streaked with dusky; upper parts much duller than male and 



