iOO ANATID^. 



2 . Capite colloque griseis, pileo et crista paullulum viridi-seneo nitentibns ; mento et gnla albis ; notaeo 

 reliquo seneo-brunneo, scapularibus et secundariis purpurascente nitentibus, alis aliter sicufc in mari colo- 

 ratis ; corpore subtus albo, preepectore, pectore summo, corporis lateribus et hypochondriis brunneis, plumis 

 arenario medialiter maculatis : rostro saturate plumbeo, ungue et culminis macula longitudinali nigris ; 

 pedibus flavescenti-bruaneis. Long, tota circa 17-5, alae 8-5, caudse 4-5, culm. 1-3, tarsi 1-35. (Descr. 

 feminae adultae ex New Haven, Connecticut. Mus. nostr.) 



Hob. Temperate North America, breeding throughout its range '''. — Mexico, Mazatlan 

 [Alert ^), Valley of Mexico (JSerrera^^). — Gkeatek Antilles, Cuba^, Jamaica^; 

 Bermuda Is. ^. 



The " Wood "-Duck, or " Summer "-Duck, is the most beautiful of all the American 

 Anatidse, and is found over the greater portion of North America, but is reported rare 

 north of lat. 50° N. The species is remarkable for the way in which it frequents and 

 traverses woods, flying swiftly and with ease amidst the trees, but scarcely ever uttering 

 any note or cry. It chooses a cavity in a hollow tree or broken branch in which to 

 deposit its eggs, and the same nesting-place is occupied for several years in succession. 

 A female Wood-Duck was observed by Wilson to transfer all her brood of thirteen 

 ducklings to the ground within the space of ten minutes, carrying them by the wing or 

 the back of the neck and afterwards conducting the whole of her little family to the 

 water. 



The eggs are sometimes as many as 18 in number^. 



Subfam. ANSEBINM. 

 The Geese belong to a subfamily very closely allied to the Plectropterinse. They 

 have no lobe to the hind toe, the latter being of moderate length ; the tail-feathers are 

 rather short, the upper parts not glossy ; the wings without any metallic speculum ; 

 and the bill is rather thick and high at the base {Salvadori). Eepresentatives of three 

 genera of Geese have occurred within our limits. 



CHEN. 

 Chen, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 568 ; Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 82 (1895). ' 



The Snow-Geese representing the genus Chen are are inhabitants of North America, 

 and one of them, C. hyperloreus, is also met with in North-eastern Asia. They have 

 the lores densely feathered, and are distinguished by the stoutness of the bill, the 

 depth of which at the base is equal to more than half the length of the culmen, while 

 the serrations on the cutting-edge of the upper mandible are visible from the outside ; 

 this latter character they share with the true Geese of the genus Anser. The plumage 

 of the adults is either white or bluish, with black primaries. 



Three species are known, and perhaps four will be found to be worthy of 

 distinction. 



