166 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



the base and end of the bill; tarsus longer than the culmea; tall rather lon^ 'about half 

 the wing) of sixteen feathers. Colors, pied white and black m the male, brown and white 

 in the female. 



Adult males have the head and upper neck black, glossed with green, blue or violet, 

 and relieved by a white patch between bill and eye; upper parts pied black and whit'^, 

 lower parts entirely white, the flanks streaked with black. Females with head and upper 

 ni>ck brown, chest and part of upper surface grayish, co'.lar round neck and most of lower 

 parts white; wing dusky, with white on wing-covurts and secondaries. Young males 

 similar to adult females, but white loral spot of adult more or less distinctly indicated, and 

 gray of chest less extensive (sometimes quite obsolete). Males in post-nuptial plumage 

 are similar to young male, but wing-coverts more continuously white. 



Two species are known, both of which occur in North America, 

 thouo:h one of them is here represented by a race or sub-species 

 distinguished from the Old World typical form by its large size. 



The two species may be distinguished as follows: 



1. G. clangnla americana. Height of upper mandible at base, measured from extremity 

 of frontal angle to nearest point on cutting edge, less than distance from anterior 

 point of loral feathering to anterior end of nostril; and usually little if any greater 

 than distance from the latter point to tip of upper mandible. 



2. G. islandica. Height of upper mandible at base, measured from extremity of frontal 

 angle to nearest point on cutting edge, equal to distance from anterior point of loral 

 feathering to anterior end of nostril, and much greater than distance from the latter 

 point to tip of upper mandible. 



Glaucionetta clangiila americana (Bonap.) 



AMEEICAN GOLDEN-EYE. 



Popular synonyms. Whistler; Whistle- wing; Great Head; Brass-eye; Merry-wing; Cob- 

 head or Cub-head; Iron- head. 



Anas clangula Wlls. Am. Cm. viii, 1814, 62, pi, 67, flg. 5. {Nee Linn.) 

 Fuligula clangula Bonap. Synop. 1828, 393.— NuTT. Man. ii, 1834, 441.— AuD. Orn. Biog. iv. 



18% 318, pi. 342; Synop. 1839, 292; B. Am. vi. 1843, 362, pi. 406 (includes i.s/andica). 

 Bueephala clangula CouES, Key. 1872, 29U; Check List, 1873, No. 505; B. N. W. 1874. 576.— 

 Hensh. Zool. Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 480. 

 Clangula glaucium CouES, Check List. 2d ed. 1882, No. 725. 

 Clangula vulgaris Sw. & Rich. F. B.-A. ii, 1831, 456. 

 Clangtila am,ericana Bonap. Comp. List, 1838, 58. 

 Bueephala americana Baied, B. N. Am. 1858. 7%; Cat. N. Am. B. 18.59, No. 593. 

 Clangula glaucium americana Eidgw. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. iii, 1880, 204; Nom. N. Am. 



B. 1881, No. 620.— B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii, 1884, 44. 

 Bueephala clangula b. americana Kidgw. Orn. 40th Par. 1877. 626. 



Glaucionetta clangula americana Stejn. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii, 1885, 409.— A. 0. U. 

 Check List, 1886, No. 151.— Ridgw. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 105. 



Hab. The whole of North America, breeding from Maine and the British Provinces 

 northward; south to Cuba in winter. 



Sp. Char. Adult male: Head and upper half of neck black, glossed with dark green, 

 varying to violet; a roundish white spot between the rictus and the eye, but not reaching to 

 the latter; back, inner scapulars, tertials. rump, and upper tail-coverts, deep black; lower 

 half of the neck (all round), lower parts, outer scapulars, posterior lesser, middle, and greater 



