10 



LAMELLIROSTRAl, SWIMMERS — ANSERp:S. 



neck imieli eloiif^ated, fdi'iiiing a conspicuous ruff of soft, narrow f'witliers ; inner tcrtial 

 with tlie shaft much bent, f,'ivinf{ to the outer wel) a falcate form, the inner well wideneil 

 into un excessively broad, fan-like, or sail-like ornament. Tail short ; the rectrices shorter 

 than the lower coverts, much longer than the upper. (Aix, lion:.) 

 A. BponscL Featherin<{ at the base of the maxilla exten<lint,' much farther forward nt the ric- 

 tus than nt the sides of the forehead, and forn)in<,' a {gently curved (conv(!.\) line between 

 these points ; depth of the bill at the base much greater than the width, the upper base 

 of the maxilla forming a deep angle extending a considerable distance on each side of the 

 forehead ; feathers of the side of the head and neck short and velvety; inner terlial ol' 

 normal form, the shaft straight. Tail long (half a.s long as the wing), vaulted, graduated, 

 the feathers very broad, and extending far beyond the coverts. (Dendrunessu, Swainson.) 



The nearest ally of Aix, so far as structure is concerned, in America, is the genus Cahina, 

 represented by the well-known Muscovy Duck (C. moschata) ; but this ditfeis in many important 



.1. uptiiina. 



particulars, chief among which are the very large stature and marked discrepancy in size between 

 the sexes, and the brownish fleshy caruncles on the forehead and lores. The juiints of similarity 

 are numerous, however, the tail being long, broad, graduated, and somewhat vaulted, the nail 

 of the bill very largo and broad, the nostrils large and open, the head crested, etc. Among the 

 peculiarities of Cairimi, as distinguished from other American genera, are the naked and caruiicled 

 face, the extremely lengthened secondaries, and i-elatively short greater wing-coverts. 



