38 THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



The Widgeon is an occasional visitor within our limits. Mr, 

 E. W. Nelson in his "Birds of Northeastern Illinois" says that 

 Mr. C. N. Holden, Jr., of Chicago, informed him that a fine 

 adult male was shot on the Calumet Marsh, April 13, 1876, and 

 that it was preserved in a collection in Chicago. Other records 

 are of interest, though most of the birds were taken on English 

 Lake, Indiana, a short distance south of our area. These records 

 were furnished by Mr. Ruthven Deane, of Chicago, and pub- 

 lished in the "Auk." The last specimen recorded from Indiana is 

 in the collection of Dr. Nicholas Rowe, of the "American Field" 

 and was taken in 1881 or 1882 at English Lake.* Mr. Landon 

 Hoyt took a specimen at the same place on April 13, 1893.! 

 A young male taken by Mr. J. F. Barrell at English Lake is in 

 Mr. Deane's private collection.^ An adult male was killed by 

 Mr. John E. Earle, of Hinsdale, Illinois, March 23, 1896, at 

 English Lake.§ On March 27, 1903, Mr. James M. McKay 

 obtained a specimen at English Lake. March 28, 1898, Mr. 

 Harry Ehlers obtained a female at Thayer, Indiana. Mr. Peter 

 Willem captured a male at English Lake on March 31, 1902. In 

 a recent report, || Mr. Deane says, "I have recently examined a 

 fine adult male of this species, which was shot on an overflowed 

 meadow near Nippersink Lake, Lake County, Illinois, on April 

 I, 1904, by Mr. Charles Muehrcke, and is now in his possession. 

 The bird was in company with six of his American cousins, all 

 of whom were shot. The specimen is mounted to represent dead 

 game. This record makes the eighteenth for the interior." 



The range of the Widgeon covers the northern portions of 

 the Old World. While it has been quite frequent in the eastern 

 United States, it is only known to breed in the Aleutian Islands 

 in North America. It has been reported as having been taken 

 in California. 



Mareca americana (Griuelin). Baldpate. 



Anas americana Gmelin, S. N., I, pt. 2, 1788, 526. 

 Mareca ameriacana Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool., XII, pt. ii, 1824, 135. 

 Popular synonyms: Ameeican Widgeon. Geeen-head. White- 

 bellied Poaches. Wheat Duck. Bald-head. Bald-cbown. 



A common species during the migrations, arriving in the 

 spring with last of the Mallards and the Pintails. They return 



*Auk, XII, 1895, 292. 

 tAnk, XII, 1895, 179. 

 tAuk, Xin, 1896, 292. 

 §Auk, XIII, 1896, 255. 

 IIAnk, XXII, 1905, 76. 



