500 



LAMELLIKOSTKAL SWIMMERS — ANSERES. 



(more oohraccous near tlip liill) and dusky ; iiiknim nearly iinitbriu dusky, and a dusky stripe back 

 from the eye. Speculum violet, cliau;;in^' to ^reeu in some lij,'lits, narrowly tipped with white, 

 and with a hroad suhtermiuul bar of velvety black ; last row of coverts dusky brownish, broadly 

 tipi)ed with black. Sexes alike. "Bill yellowish ^Meen, the un;,'uis dusky ; iris dark brown ; feet 

 orauf^e-red, the webs dusky" (Aududon). 



Down]! ;/o(/ii(/:' Above. olivaceous-Virown, faintly relieved l)y six inconspicuous marking.s of 

 light brownish bulf, situated as follows : one on the posterior border of each arm-winf; ; one (.small, 

 and sometimes nearly obsolete) on each side of the back, behind the wings, and one, more distinct, 



A. obscura. 



on each .side the rump, near the base of the tail. Pileuni and najje (longitudinally), brown, like 

 the back ; rest of the head and neck, with lower parts, light dingy brownish buff, paler on the 

 abdomen ; side of the head niarked with a narrow iltisky .stripe running from the upper basal angle 

 of the maxilla to the eye, thence back toward the occiput, but scarcely confluent witii the brown on 

 the latter ; an indistinct spot on the auricular region, with a still less distinct dusky mark extending 

 back from this to the nape. 



Wing, 10..5()-ll.r)() inches; culmeii, i'.()()-:'.3."> ; tarsus, 1.70-1.80 ; middle toe, 1.90-2.10. 



A summer specimen from Moo.<e Factory, [fivlson's Bay Territory No. 17071, (JoHX McKenzie), 

 differs from United States (fall, winter, and spring) e.Kamples in having the pale edges of the 

 feathei-s nearly all worn off, so that the plumage appears to be nearly uniform black, while the 

 lower parts are strongly tinged with rusty, this approaching a bright ferruginous tint on the breast. 

 Some examples have a slight tinge of metallic green on the sides of the head, behind the eye. 



The Dusky Duck appoars to be coufiiied to tlio pastern portions of North America. 

 It is found from the Atlaiitio coast to the western parts of the ^Mississippi Valley, 

 occurring along tlu^ tributary streams to an extent not fully ascertained. It is abun- 

 dant throughout the British Provinces of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, 

 and indivi(bials have been occasionally taken farther north. It is also more or less 

 abundant during the winter months in all the I'^astern and Southern States, including 

 South Carolina, Florida, and Texas. It has been taken near Fort Anderson in June, 

 where the species was reported as being tolerably numerous. This is the most 

 northern point to which it has been traced. 



' Described from No. 523ii'J, Calais, Me. ; O. A. Boardman. 



