APPENDIX 369 



59- Widgeon. Mareca americana. 



Female. Top of head black, feathers margined with white ; upper 

 parts dusky barred with buff ; wing coverts gray, edged with white ; 

 wing patch black and green; bill, legs, and feet same as male. 

 Length, 18 in. 



Hab. North America. 



60. Widgeon (See 59). 



Male. Head dull light buff speckled with black, white on top 

 (from which named baldpate) ; green patch behind the eye ex- 

 tending on neck ; back vinacious undulated with black ; wing 

 coverts white ; black bar across wing ; wing patch green and black ; 

 lower breast and abdomen white ; bill gray blue, tip black ; legs and 

 feet gray. Length, 19 in. 



Young male similar to female (No. 59). 



Note. The Widgeon is sometimes called bald-face. " Went a ducking be- 

 tween breakfast and dinner and killed two mallards and five bald-faces." 

 Washington's Diary. 



Widgeon when much shot at on the feeding grounds will leave the bays in the 

 daytime and return to feed at sun-set or later. I recently heard them at Back- 

 bay, Currituck, long after sun-set, sounding their low, sweet, musical whistle as 

 they passed overhead, returning to the bay. 



6z. Sprig-tail. Dafila acuta. 

 Pin-tail. 



Head and upper neck brown, metallic reflections on sides ; white 

 stripe on sides of neck, extending to white under parts ; back and sides 

 of flank waved with narrow white and gray lines ; cinnamon bar across 

 wing ; wing patch reflecting bronze green, black bar and white tip ; 

 tail feathers brown on outer webs, gray on inner, central pair long, 

 extending beyond the others (hence name pin-tail duck) ; bill bluish 

 gray ; legs and feet brownish gray. Length, 26 in. 



Female. Head yellowish white streaked with gray, rufous on top 

 streaked with black ; back of neck dusky streaked with buff ; bill blu- 

 ish gray; legs and feet gray. Length, 20 in. 



Hab. Northern Hemisphere. In North America breeds from the 

 northern parts of the United States northward and migrates south to 

 Panama and Cuba. 



