ANATID^— THE SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. 181 



Mio^ration in the Mississippi Valley" (p. 73), states that Mr. 

 C. W. Butler informed liim that on May 2, 1883, he saw fifty 

 of these ducks at Anna, Union county, all busil^"- en<^afj:ed in 

 pickin*:^ up millet se(Ml that had just been sown. If no mistake 

 of identification was made in this case, the observation in ques- 

 tion apparently reveals a new feature in the habits of the species, 

 which has been supposed to feed exclusively in the water and to 

 subsist chiefly on fishes and their spawn and other aquatic 

 animal food. 



Subgenus MELANITTA Bote. 



Melanitta BoiE, Isis, 1822, 664. Type, by elimination, Anasfusca LlNU. 

 Melanetta Gbay, 1840; List Gen. 1841. 95.— Baibd, B. N. Am. 1858, 805. 

 Maceranas Less. Man, ii, 1828. 414. Same type. 



SuBGEN. Chae. Feathers at the base of the bill extending forward almost fo the nostril 

 in three prominent angles — one on each side of the maxilla, the other on top, at the base of the 

 culmen; sides of the maxilla rather sunken or compressed above the tomium. Colors uni- 

 form black or brown, with a -white speculum on the wings, the adult male with a white spot 

 immediately beneath the eye. 



This sub<>-euus differs from Oidemia and Pelionetta in the form 

 of the bill, particularly in the outline of the feathering at the 

 base, as defined above. Three species only are known, one 

 peculiar to northern North America, one to northern Europe, 

 but occurring also in Greenland, and the other to northeastern 

 Asia. 



Oidemia deglandi Bonap. 



WKITE-WINGED SCOTEE. 



Popular synomyms. American Velvet Scoter; Velvet Duck; White- winged Coot; Uncle Sam 

 Coot; BuU Coot; Assemblyman (Maryland). 



Anas fusca WiLS. Am. Orn. viii, 1814, 137, pi. 72 (not of LiNN.). 



Fuligula {Oidemia) fasca Bonap. Synop. 1828. SJ^O.^Nutt. Man. il, 1S34, 419, 



Oidemia fusca Sw. & Rich. F. B.-A. ii. 1831, 449. 



CEdemia fusca Coues, Check List, 2d od. 1S82. No. 738. 



Fuligula fusca AuD. Orn. Biog. iil. 18.35, 454, pi. 247; Synop. 1839, 280; B. Am. vl, 1843. 332. 

 Pl. 401. 

 ? Fulipula biviaculaia Hebbebt, Field Sports, 2d ed. il, 1848. 3C6, flg. (young). 



Oidemia {Pelionetta) bimaculata Baibd, B. N. Am. 1S58, 808. 

 Oidemia velvet ina Cass. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sol. Pliila. v. 18",0, 125. 



Melanetta velvetina Baibd, B. N. Am. 1858, 805; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859. No. COl.— Ridgw. 

 Norn. N. Am. B. 1881. No. 632.-B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii. 1884. 93. 



