138 Tbe Water-fowl Family 



■brownish buff; narrow brown ring across neck in front connect- 

 , ing with brown of upper parts. 



'Eggs^- Eight to twelve in number, pale gray buff tinged with olive, 

 and measure 2.30 by 1.50 inches. 



Habitat — Breeds from Nova Scotia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illi- 

 nois, Minnesota, North Dakota, Assiniboia, and Alberta, and 

 probably New York, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Wyo- 

 ming, north to Hudson Strait, Fort Anderson, and the Yukon 

 Valley, Alaska, and probably in Greenland. Winters from New 

 Jersey, rarely Massachusetts, Lake Erie, Louisiana, Texas, Colo- 

 rado, Arizona, Nevada, and British Columbia, south to the West 

 Indies, Guatemala, and Lower California. Not known to breed 

 in New England, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. Acci- 

 dental in Europe. Occurs in Bermuda. 



For a long time this species was not differenti- 

 ated from the preceding, and considerable con- 

 fusion resulted. It can readily be distinguished 

 by its smaller size, the bill and feet being notice- 

 ably smaller and especially the breadth of the 

 nail of the bill. The head has a distinctly purple 

 sheen instead of the green of the greater broad- 

 bill. We find the lesser broadbill well dispersed 

 throughout the United States ; in fall and winter 

 occurring on inland lakes and rivers, where it 

 often goes by the name of pond or creek broad- 

 bill. It continues south through Mexico to Gua- 

 temala, and is found along the South Atlantic 

 Coast below the Chesapeake, common in Florida 

 and the Gulf of Mexico. North of the Chesa- 

 peake this bird is more rare. Most of the 

 instances of its occurrence in New England 

 that have come under the writer's observation 



