﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  IQQ 
  

  

  Mexico 
  and 
  Costa 
  Rica. 
  Its 
  breeding 
  grounds 
  extend 
  from 
  North 
  Dakota 
  

   to 
  the 
  Arctic 
  ocean. 
  

  

  Like 
  the 
  Mallard 
  and 
  Baldpate 
  it 
  conies 
  into 
  the 
  shallow 
  waters 
  at 
  

   dusk 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  aquatic 
  weeds, 
  insects 
  and 
  crustaceans. 
  Its 
  note 
  is 
  seldom 
  

   heard 
  by 
  day 
  but 
  while 
  coming 
  into 
  the 
  feeding 
  grounds 
  at 
  night 
  with 
  the 
  

   widgeons, 
  black 
  ducks 
  and 
  mallards, 
  the 
  hoarse 
  muffled 
  quack 
  of 
  the 
  duck 
  

   and 
  the 
  mellow 
  whistle 
  of 
  the 
  drake 
  are 
  heard 
  mingled 
  with 
  whistling 
  of 
  the 
  

   Widgeon 
  and 
  the 
  loud 
  calls 
  of 
  the 
  Black 
  duck. 
  In 
  the 
  springtime 
  the 
  

   drakes 
  often 
  give 
  utterance 
  to 
  low 
  soft 
  notes 
  which 
  seem 
  to 
  flow 
  from 
  deep 
  

   down 
  in 
  the 
  throat, 
  especially 
  while 
  performing 
  curious 
  courting 
  antics 
  in 
  

   the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  ducks. 
  

  

  Aix 
  sponsa 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

   Wood 
  Duck 
  

  

  Plate 
  14 
  

  

  Anas 
  sponsa 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  1758. 
  1:128 
  

  

  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  338, 
  fig. 
  247 
  

   Aix 
  sponsa 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  144 
  

  

  aix, 
  Gr. 
  at^, 
  some 
  kind 
  of 
  waterfowl; 
  spoil' 
  sa, 
  Lat., 
  a 
  bride 
  

  

  Description. 
  Adult 
  male: 
  Head 
  with 
  a 
  beautiful 
  flowing 
  crest; 
  upper 
  

   parts 
  resplendent 
  with 
  rich 
  green 
  and 
  purple 
  and 
  bronze 
  and 
  velvety 
  greenish 
  

   black 
  ; 
  breast 
  purplish 
  chestnut 
  with 
  chains 
  of 
  pointed 
  white 
  spots 
  ; 
  a 
  patch 
  

   of 
  dark 
  purplish 
  flowing 
  feathers 
  also 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  tail; 
  

   a 
  narrow 
  white 
  line 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  bill 
  passing 
  over 
  the 
  eye 
  and 
  down 
  

   the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  crest, 
  another 
  white 
  line 
  from 
  behind 
  eye 
  passing 
  down 
  

   the 
  lower 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  crest; 
  throat 
  white, 
  sending 
  a 
  spur 
  upward 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  another 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  neck 
  ; 
  a 
  large 
  white 
  crescent 
  edged 
  

   with 
  black 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  ; 
  sides 
  yellowish 
  gray 
  finely 
  waved 
  with 
  black 
  

   and 
  white 
  vermiculations, 
  the 
  longer 
  flank 
  feathers 
  tipped 
  with 
  concentric 
  arcs 
  

   of 
  black 
  and 
  white 
  ; 
  speculum 
  changing 
  between 
  purplish 
  green 
  and 
  steel 
  

   blue, 
  bordered 
  with 
  white 
  on 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  secondaries; 
  primaries 
  white 
  

   frosted; 
  lining 
  of 
  wings 
  white 
  barred 
  with 
  brownish 
  gray; 
  belly 
  white; 
  

   bill 
  pinkish 
  white, 
  the 
  base 
  lake-red, 
  the 
  tip 
  and 
  ridge 
  and 
  lower 
  mandible 
  

   black; 
  iris 
  and 
  eyelids 
  red; 
  feet 
  yellowish 
  or 
  orange, 
  with 
  dusky 
  webs. 
  

   Female: 
  Crest 
  slight; 
  bill 
  largely 
  dusky; 
  feet 
  dusky 
  yellowish; 
  head 
  and 
  

   neck 
  gray, 
  the 
  chin 
  and 
  feathers 
  about 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  bill 
  and 
  spot 
  about 
  eye 
  

   running 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  ear 
  region 
  white; 
  breast 
  and 
  sides 
  yellowish 
  brown, 
  

   mottled 
  or 
  streaked 
  with 
  dusky; 
  upper 
  parts 
  much 
  duller 
  than 
  male 
  and 
  

  

  