AMERICAN WIVGEON—" BALD PATE." 167 



CHAPTER XVI. 



AMERICAN WIDGEON — "BALD PATE." 



(Anas Americana.') 



Adult Male. — Bill nearly as long as the head, deeper 

 than broad at the base, depressed towards the end, the 

 sides nearly parallel, the tip rounded. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck 

 rather long, slender. Body elongated and slightly de- 

 pressed. Feet very short ; tibia bare for about a quarter 

 of an inch ; tarsus very short, compressed. 



Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head 

 and upper neck oblong, small ; those along the crown 

 and occiput longer ; of the lower parts ovate, glossy 

 with the extremities of the filaments stiffish. Wings 

 rather long, little curved, narrow, pointed. Tail short, 

 rounded and pointed, of sixteen feathers, of which the 

 middle pair are more pointed, and project considerably. 



Bill light grayish blue, with the extremity including 

 the ungines and a portion of the margin black. Iris, 

 hazel. Feet light bluish gray, the webs darker, the 

 claws dusky ; the upper part of the head is white, more 

 or less mottled with dusky on its sides ; the loral space 

 and cheeks reddish white, dotted with greenish black ; 

 a broad band from the eye to behind the occiput deep 

 green. The lower part of the hind neck, the scapulars 

 and the fore part of the back are minutely transversely 



