194 RIVER AND POND DUCKS 



The Gadwall is common in the interior but rare on the Atlantic 

 Coast, except in Florida. Its voice is a quack higher and with less volume 

 than that of the Mallard. It is a surprising sight to see these birds in 

 courtship flight, when the male pursues the female often high in the 

 air and for some time, on a course as erratic as that of a Barn Swallow. 



136. Mareca penelope (Linn.). EUROPEAN WIDGEON. Ad. <?. 

 Crown creamy buff; throat blackish, rest of head and neck rufous-brown; 

 upper breast vinaceous, lower breast and belly white; sides and back finely 

 marked with wavy black and white lines. Ad. 9. Head and throat deep 

 ochraceous-buff, finely streaked and barred with black, darker above; 

 upper breast and sides much the same color, but without black markings; 

 lower breast and belly white; back grayish brown, the feathers with small 

 ochraceous buffy bars; tertials fuscous, bordered by deep ochraceous buffy; 

 greater wing-coverts brownish gray, usually whiter on the outer webs and 

 tipped with black. W., 10*50; B., 1'40. 



Remarks. The females of the European and American Widgeons bear a 

 general resemblance to one another. Their distinguishing characters are 

 mainly in the color of the head and throat, which are browner in the European 

 species, and in the color of the greater wing-coverts, which are whiter in the 

 American bird. 



Range. N. part of the E. Hemisphere. Occurs in N. Y., N. S., N. F., 

 and Greenland s. to Nebr., Mo., Ind., Ohio, N. C., and Fla., and in Alaska, 

 B. C., and Calif. 



Washington, A. V., two records. Long Island, rare T. V. 



Eggs, 5-8, buffy white, 2'23 x T53. Date, Iceland, June 2. 



The European Widgeon is of rare but regular occurrence in Eastern 

 North America. "The call-note of the male is a shrill, whistling whee- 

 you, whence the local names 'Whew Duck' and ' Whewer' ; but the female 

 utters a low purr-mg growl. Both sexes, however, rise in silence." 

 (Saunders.) 



137. Mareca americana (Gmel.). BALDPATE. Ad. c?. Middle of 

 crown white or buffy; 'sides of crown, from eye to nape, glossy green, more 

 or less sprinkled with black; lores, cheeks and throat buffy, finely barred with 

 black: upper breast and sides vinaceous, the latter more or less finely barred 

 with wavy black lines; lower breast and belly white; back grayish brown, 

 more or less tinged with vinaceous and finely barred with black. Ad. 9. 

 Head and throat white or pale, creamy buff, finely streaked and barred with 

 black, darker above; upper breast and sides pale vinaceous washed with 

 grayish; lower breast and belly white; back grayish brown, the feathers with 

 small creamy buff bars; tertials fuscous, bordered with whitish or creamy 

 buff; greater wing-coverts brownish gray, their outer webs mostly or entirely 

 white, their ends black, sometimes tipped with white. L., 19*00; W., 10'50; 

 Tar., 1-50; B., 1'40. 



Range. N. Am. Breeds from nw. Alaska, n. Mackenzie, and cen. Kee- 

 watin s. to Ore., Nev., Utah, Colo., Kans., s. Wise., and n. Ind.; winters 

 from s. B. C., Ariz., s. Ills., Md., and Del. (casually Mass., and R. I.), s. to s. 

 L. Calif., the West Indies, and Costa Rica; rare in migration to n. Ont., n. 

 Que., and N. F.; accidental in Hawaii, Bermuda, and Europe. 



Washington, 'common W. R., Oct.-Apl. Long Island, T. V., common, Oct. 

 10-Feb. ; less common Mch. 8-Apl. 16; a few winter. Ossining, common T. V., 

 Mch. 11-Apl. 12; Oct. 4-28. Cambridge, rare T. V. in fall. N. Ohio, not com- 

 mon T. V., Mch. 10-Apl. 25. SE. Minn., common T. V., Mch. 17- Oct. 20. 



Nest, on the ground near water, sometimes exposed, usually concealed 

 in grass, weeds or bushes. Eggs, 7-12, buffy white, 2'05 x 1*50. Date, 

 N. D., May 31. 



