ANATIDJE — THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 159 



female resembled the cry of the Mallard so nearly that, had I 

 heard and not seen the bird, I should have supposed it to be 

 the Mallard." 



Subgenus Aristonetta Baird. 



Avistonettn Baird, B. N, Am. 1858, 793, in text. Type, Anas vallisneria Wlls. 



SuBGKN. Chak. Culmen nearly or quite as long as middle toe, without claw, and equal 

 to three times the greatest width of the bill; end of bill murh flattened, and nail very 

 slightly hooked. Otherwise like Aythya, the coloration, in particular, very similar. 



This sub2:enus contains only one species, the celebrated Canvas- 

 back of wide range but local fame. 



Aythya vallisneria (Wils.) 



CANVAS-BACK. 



Popular synonyms. Canvas-back Duck; White-back; Canard Cheval (New Orleans); Bull- 

 neck; Red-headed Bull-neck. 



Alias vallisneria '^Ti.s. Am. Orn. viii, 1814, 103, pi. 7, fig. 3. 

 J'''«Z(C7w?o ■uaZZisnerta Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zo61.xii.pt. ii, 1824, 196.— Sw. & Rich. F. 



B.-A. ii, 1831, 451.— NuTT. Man. ii, 1834, 430.— AuD. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 1, pi. 301; Synop. 



1839, 285; B. Am. vi. 1843, 299. pi. 395.— CoUES, Key, 1872, 290; Check List, 1873, No. 504; 



ed. 2, 1882, No. 724; B. N. W. 1874, 575. 

 Aythya vallisneria BoiE, Isis. 1826, 980.— Baird, B. N. Am. 1858. 794; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, 



No. 592.— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 147.— Ridgw. Orn. 40th Par. 1877, 6^5; Man. N. 



Am. B. 1887, 102. 

 ^thyia vallisneria Scl. & Salv. Norn, Neotr. 1873.— Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 18S1, No. 



617.— B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii, 1884. 30. 

 Aristonetta vallisneria Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 793 (in text). 



Has. Nearly the whole of North America, breeding from the northwestern States 

 northward to Alaska; south in winter to Guatemala. 



Sp. Char. Bill long and narrow, the end much depressed, with the nail scarcely de- 

 curved, the base high, with the culmen gradually sloping and scarcely concave; culmen 

 nearly as long as the middle toe (without claw), and about three times the greatest width of 

 the maxilla. Adult male: Head and neck cheotnut-rufous, the former brownish tlusky 

 (sometimes quite blackish) anteriorly and on top; chest and anterior part of the back, lower 

 part of rump, upper tail-coverts, and posterior part of crissum black; back, scapulars, 

 flanks, sides, and anal region white, finely and delicately vermiculated with dusky; breast 

 and abdomen immaculate white. Wing-covorts deep ash-gray, finely sprinkled with 

 white; secondaries ("speculum") lighter, more bluish, gray, the upper feathers edged with 

 black; tertials like the longer scapulars; primaries slate-color, the inner quills more ashy, 

 except at ends, where dusky; tail dusky. Bill entirely greenish black; iris carmine-red; 

 feet bluish gray. Adult female: Head, neck, chest, and anterior part of back raw-umber 

 brown, a postocular space and the foreneck whitish, the chin, throat, and cheeks tinged 

 with fulvous; wings as in the male, but coverts almost or quite uniform gray; back, scap- 

 ulars, sides, and (lanks with only the exposed ends of the feathers vermiculated with white 

 and dusky, the remainder being grayish brown. Bill gi-eenish black; iris brownish red; 

 feet grayish. 



