62 



LAMELLIROSTRAL SWIMMERS — ANSERES. 



and " Old Squaws," as applied to these Ducks, are not wholly inappropriate ; since 

 tlicir gabble has an effect on the ear not very unlike that produced by the incoherent 

 flow of words coming from many old women talking at once. 



Mr. MacFarlane found tins I)uck breeding in immense numbers in the neighbor- 

 hood of Fort Anderson, on the Lower Anderson River, on the Barren Grounds, and 

 on the shores of the Arctic Sea. By far the greater proportion of the nests were in 

 the vicinity of fresh water ; but several were found on small islands, in Franklin, 

 Liverpool, and Langdon bays, on the Arctic coast. They were all on the ground. In 

 a few instances no down was seen in them, but only hay; and in these cases the eggs 

 were invariably quite fresh. The eggs were generally fouiui covered over with tho 

 down ; but where this was wanting, with the hay. The eggs varied from five to seven, 

 the latter being the largest number recorded in any one nest. The female was usually 

 reluctant to leave her nest, and only rose when nearly approached. From his own 

 personal observations, Mr. MacFarlane came to the conclusion that the usual quantity 

 of down necessary for a Duck's nest is seldom met with before a full set of eggs has 

 been deposited, and that the process of lining with down, which is plucked off from 

 her Imdy by the female, goes on simultaneously with their laying, 



Mr. H. W. Elliott found this a very common resident species on the Prybilof 

 Islands, and breeding in limited numbers on the lakelets of St. Paul's. He speaks 

 of it as being a very noisy bird, particularly in spring, when, with the breaking-up of 

 the ice, it comes into the open reaches of water with its peculiar sonorous and reiter- 

 ated cry — resembling the syllables ah-naah-naah-yah — which rings cheerfully upon 

 the ear after the silence and desolation of an Arctic ice-bound winter. 



This Duck is of accidental occurrence in the interior of the United States in its 

 autumnal migrations. On one occasion Professor Kumlien procured a specimen at 

 Lake Koskonong, in Southern Wisconsin ; and in December, 1874, Mr. R. Ridgway 

 obtained one on the Wabash River, in Southern Illinois. Its occurrence in such 

 localities is (piite uncommon, and undoubtedly originates in some disturbing cause. 



The eggs of this species are usually of a pale grayish-green ; some are paler, and 

 with less green mingled with the gray. They vary in length from 2.00 to 2.10 inches, 

 and in breadth from 1.40 to 1.45. 



Grxus CAMFTOL21MnS, Gray. 



Knmptorhynchus, EvTn>f, Monog. Aunt. 1838, 57 (type, Anas lahradoria,GtMi.u) ; not of Cuvier. 

 Camplolaimii.i, Gkay, List Gencrn, 1841, 95 (same type). 



Char. Bill nearly as long ns the head, much longer than the tarsuB, its depth at tho base 

 nearly e<[iial to I'ue width, the edges nearly pandlel, and furnished near the end with a membra- 

 neous lol)e, causing a slight expansion ; end of the bill gently convex or nearly truncated, tlie nail 

 bronil and slightly hooked ; maxillary toniiuin gently, but very decidedly, convex basidly, the 

 lamella) entirely concealed ; basal portion of the maxilla furnished with a sort of cere, or over- 

 lying thin plate, covering nearly the posterior half of the bill, and extending con8idend)ly anterior 

 to the nostrils ; basal outline of the bill nnich as in Harelda, but the angles on each side the fore- 

 head more distinct. Feothers of the cheeks stiffened and bristly. Tail rather short, rounded, of 

 fourteen rather pointed feathers. Tertials straight. 



This genus stands quite alone, no other l)eing very closely related. In the form oCthe bill it ia 

 entirely uniciue, the only resemblance to any other consisting in an approximation to Harelda in 

 the basal outline, while the niend)raneous ai)])endage to the edge of the maxilla, near the end, 

 calls to mintl the genus Malacorhynchm of Australia (see VoL I. p. 626). There is, however, a 

 decidctl approximation to the same chanicter in Enicmutta. 



