522 



LAMELLIUOSTIUL SWIMMERH — ANSERES. 



nape with the hlack ol' tlie tlirout. All the other clmmcteM of the BiifiieH iire very much exuf,'K'er- 

 nti'tl in this Hpecinien. Youn;,'er HiK-ciniens, just iws.seHsed of the iiiUilt ilress, are usually ilJHtin- 

 yui^'lied liy Imviii;,' the while winj,'-((ivert iiatch tloudeJ with nsh, the green of tho head poorly 

 deliued, and the white of the foivhead more or lew* speckled. 



Female. 



The IJald-piitc, or Aini'riciin \Vi(l},'t'un, is distrilmted nearly throughoiit North 

 Anii'i'ica, is found in winter a.s far to the soiitii as Central America, and in siini- 

 iner yoes to liiijli northern latitudes to breed. It is a strat,'yler to Kurope, specimens 

 having been taken in the London markets. In its migrations it j)asHes tlirougji the 



interior as W(dl as along the coast. A*; Lake 

 Koskonong, Wis., Mr. Kumlien lias found it 

 abundant both in tiie spring and fall. A few 

 remain in the lake during the summer, but these 

 are always in Hocks, iinnmtt'd, and in imma- 

 ture plunuige. No broods of young have been 

 met with. 



Mr. f^alvin found this Duck common on the 

 Lake of Atitlan, where it was seen in May, 

 1858 ; and it was also observi'd near the vil- 

 lage of Laguna, about a day's journey from 

 Guatemala. IVIr. Salvin afterward met with it 

 also among the lagoons on the i'aeitic coast. 

 It was found abundant on the eastern coast of 

 jNIexico and on the southern coast of Texas by 

 Mr. Dresser; and Ccdoiiel (Jrayson found it 

 abundant on the coast of Western INlexico, near 

 Mazatlan, from November until late in spring. 

 It occurs more or less numerously in most of the West India Islands, having been 

 noted in St. Thomas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Trinidad. In the last-named island it is 

 said by Lootaud to arrive in December and January, leaving for the north in April ; 

 but in some years is not met with. Its flesh is held in high esteem, especially when 

 the birds are young, and after they have been for some time on the island. 



Mr. Ilearne states that this Duck was, a century ago, a Vi'vy uncommon visitor 

 to Hudson's Hay. It usually kept in pairs, being rarely seen in flocks, and was 

 most frequently observed in rivers and marshes near the sea-coast. Mr. Iloss found 

 it common on the Mackenzie ; and Captain lUakiston also met with it in Hudson's 

 Bay, and saw it in large numbers on the Saskatchewan. It occurs in tln' spring and 

 fall near Calais, Me. — where, however, ^Ir. Hoaidman regards it as rather rare. It is 

 an occasional, rather than a common, visitor to New England. Ac-cording to Giraud, 

 it is lu't numerous on Long Island, though so abuiulant farther south. 



Mr. Allen found this bird (piite common in the valley of the Salt Lake ; Mr. R. 

 Browne mentions its occurrence on Vancouver Island ; and Mr. Dall found it not 

 uncommon near Nulato and on the Yukon, but rar*" at St. Michael's. Its eggs and 

 nests were not distinguishable from those of the Dnfila acuta, but the bird is less 

 active than that species, and slower in flight. 



On the coast of Norton Sound — according to Mr. Adams — the Widgeon does not 

 arrive until the IL'th of May ; but later a considerable number were always to be met 

 with about the inland marshes. It appeared to live very much upon insects, which 

 it captures on the water and about the rushes. The small inland lakes were its prin- 

 cipal places of resort, and its nests were generally upon the grassy banks. The eggs 



