VELVET DUCK. 469 



CEDEMIA PUSCA. 



Velvet Duck. 

 (Edemiafusca Sw., F. Bor. Am, II; 1831, 440. 



DKSCIIII'TION. 



SP. CH. Form, robust. Size, very large. Bill, long. COLOR. Ai/u/t male. Black throughout, with an elongated 

 patf'i iirouml rye ami large sperulum, white. Bill, red, black at base and on edges, iris, yellow, and feet, reddish-brown. 

 Adult J'< ma/i . l!r<>wn tliroagbont, darkest on back. Circular space at base of bill, elongated patcli Iraek of ear, and un- 

 der parts whitish, tlie latU-r mottled with dusky. Speculum, white. Bill, black. Young. Similar to adult female. 



OBSFJIVAT10NS. 



Known by the dark colors and white speculum. Distributed in summer from Labrador, northward; wintering from 

 MawaobnaettB to the Carolinas. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 20'68; stretch, 37-00; wing, 11*00, tail, 

 3'4'.J; hiil, 1 1\ taisus, 1*70. Longest specimen. 21*60; greatest extent of wing,38*75; longest wing, 1T50; tail, 3 60: bill, 

 1-53: tarsus, r90. Shortest specimen, 19'75; s.nallest extent of wing, 35*25; shortest wing, 10*50; tail, 3'25; bill, 1*40; tar- 

 sus, 1'50. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nr.i/s, placed on the ground near the water, composed of sticks, weeds, down, etc. Eygs, six to ten in number, oval in 

 form, and dirty-creamy in color. Dimensions from 1*80x8*60 to I*85x2'65. 



HABITS. 



Among the most .abundant of the order on our coast, are the Velvet Ducks, or White- 

 winged Coots as they are called by sportsmen. They are much hunted, more for the ex- 

 citement of the sport, however, than because of their value, for as they are nearly worth- 

 less for culinary purposes, the prices which they bring in the markets, will scarcely pay 

 for the ammunition expended in killing them. As related, these birds fly into the mouths 

 of rivers to feed and the gunners taking advantage of this fact, range themselves along the 

 channel in the mouth of some stream, in boats, in order to shoot the birds as they fly past. 

 This pastime, although exciting, especially when the birds fly thick, is not unattended 

 with some risk to life, for as the men are obliged to pull up the anchor and row after the 

 birds that fall, there is danger of being swept out to sea with the swiftly flowing, out-going 

 tide which, at the mouths of some of our rivers, rushes seaward with a force, against which 

 the powers of man often prove unequal, especially when a strong wind is blowing with the 

 current. I have witnessed some hair-breadths escapes and was once fortunate enough to 

 pick up a man who had lost control of his skiff, just as he was being swept into the break- 

 ers. Then, although we had only gone about two hundred yards from our anchorage to 

 accomplish this, three of us were obliged to labor at the oars for two hours, before we re- 

 gained the lost ground. 



<;KXUS xvi. ERISMATURA. THE STIFF-TAILED DUCKS. 



CKV. Cn. Bill, shorter than head, rather hiyh at base, broad at lip, and t/iyhlly bent upward. Tail, stiffened, witk cov- 

 erts, short. Neck, short. 



The trachea is slightly dilated near the middle bu' t!ie larynx is without special expansion. The stomach is muscu- 

 lar. Sexes, not similar. There is but one species within our limits. 



ERISMATURA HUBIDA. 



Ruddy Duck. 



Erismatura ruhida BON. List, 1838. 

 DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, raiher robust. Size, not large. Top of head and nape, black. Sides of head below eyes and chin, 

 white. Neck all around, upper parts, and flanks, rlirstmit ml. Itcnenth, grayish-white, tinged with brown and trans- 

 versely banded with dusky. Wings and tail, dark-brown. Bi'l and fi;et, ashy-blue, and iris, brown. 



Adult female, and unntrr tua/f. Upper surface, dark reddish-brown, finely sjxittcil and marked with wavy linesofdusk- 

 y; throat, ami line at base of bill, whitish. Otlierwi.sc as in male. Youny. Similar, but pulcr. 



