256 ZOOLOGY. 



The Shoveller or Micoine is rather abundant on the Pacific coast, where I have obtained 

 specimens both at San Francisco and Puget Sound. — S. 



The shoveller seems to be only a winter visitor in the Territory, arriving in October and 

 leaving with most of the winter ducks in March or Aj^ril. — C. 



CHAULELASMUS STREPERUS, (Linn.) Gray. 



Gadwnll ; Gray Dnck. 



Anas drepera, LiNN. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 2n0.— GMBLrN, I, 520. — Lath., Ind. II, 1790, 849.— Wilson, Am. Orn. 

 VIII, 1814, l-2(i; pi. Ixxi — Bon. Ob». 1825, No. 257.— Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 183^, 353; pi. 348.— 

 Ib. Syn. 378.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843,254; pi. 388.— Temminck, Man. II, 838 (European.) 

 Arua {Cliauliodu^) sirepera, Swainson, F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 440. 

 Anas (Boschas) ttrepera, Nott. Man II, 1834, 383. 

 Baird, Gen Rep Birds, 782. 



gp Cjj }tale: Head and neck brownish white, each feather spotted with dusky; the top of head tiaged with reddish. 



Lower part of neck, with fore part of breast and back, blackish, with concentric narrow bars of white, giving a scaled appearance 

 to the feathers. Interscapular region, outermost scapulars, aud sides of the body finely waved transversely with black and white. 

 Middle wing coverts chestnut, the greater velvet black, succeeded by a pure white speculum, bordered externally by hoary gray, 

 succeeded by black ; crissum and upper tail coverts black. Longest tertials hoary plumbeous gray. Innermost scapulars with 

 a reddish tinge. Inside of wing and axillars pure white. Bill black. 

 Female with the bill dusky, edged with reddish. Wing 6ome«hat like that of the male, but with the chestnut red more restricted. 

 Length, 22; wing, 10.50; tarsus, 1.64; commissure, 2 04. 

 Jjah. — North America generally, and Europe. 



This bird is found sparingly on Puget Sound. In 1854 I was fortunate enough, through the 

 kindness of George Gibbs, esq., to obtain a beautiful specimen of the adult male in perfect 

 mature plumage, which was killed in the vicinity of Port Townsend, Puget Sound. A beautiful 

 specimen of this species I saw in March, 1857, in the interesting collection of Mr. Gruber, an 

 enthusiastic taxidermist residing in San San Francisco. In both specimens (Mr. Gruber' s and 

 my own) the chestnut-red patch on the wing is strongly marked. 



In following the line of the survey of the proposed northern route for a Pacific railroad across 

 the continent, most of which fell between the 46th aud 48th j^arallels of north latitude, our 

 party passed through the breeding grounds of vast numbers of ducks. Minnesota, as its Sioux 

 name implies, means the "land of water," {3Iinne, water, sota, land or country,) and so, indeed, 

 it is. For 250 miles west of the Mississippi river we were scarcely ever out of sight of some lake 

 or pond, aud frequently within the scope of our vision might be seen between 15 and 20 lying 

 around us in different directions, varying in size from that of small pools to that of lakes a mile 

 or more in length. These lakes, all were more or less adapted as breeding places for many 

 species of this family, and, from the numbers of ducks found upon them, their natural advantages 

 did not seem to be neglected. The species were principally mallards and teal, although the 

 gadwall and several others were not uncommon. — S. 



MARECA AMERICANA, (Gmel.) Stephens. 



Baldpate ; American AVidgeou, 



Anas americma, Gmei.ih, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 526. — Wilson, Am. Orn. VIII, 1814, 86; pi. Ixix. — Bon. Obs. No. 



259.— Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838,337; pi. 345 —In. Syn. 183>>, 279. 

 Marecaamericana, &TZPH. Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII, ii, 1824, 135 — Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831,445. — Bon. List, 1838 — 



BiiRD, Gen. Rep. Birds, 783. 

 Ana^ {Doscha^) amerkana, Nuttall, Man. II, 1831, 3^9. 



