NYEOOA. 221 



The nest is made of grass, rather roughly constructed, and always built in the 

 neighbourhood of water. The eggs are nine or ten in number, greyish-white, tinged 

 with cream-colour ^. 



2. Nyroca vallisneria. 



Anas valisineria, Wils. Am. Orn. viii, p. 103, t. 70. fig. 5 '. 



JSthyia valisneria, Salvad. Ibis, 1866, p. 198 ^ 



Aytha vallisneria, Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 315 '. 



Aythya walisneria, Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 187*, 329'. 



Aythya vallisneria, A. O. U. Check-1. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 53 '. 



Fuligula valisneria, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1876, p. 400'. 



^thyia vallisneria, Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. ii. p. 30'. 



Nyroca vallisneria, Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mns. xxvii. p. 342 '. 



Supra canescenti-alba, minute nigro penicillata, uropygio et supracaudalibus nigris ; tectricibus primariorum 

 et primariis saturate grisescenti-brunneis, albo vermiculatis et apioem versus saturatioribus ; secundariis 

 griseia, pogonio externo dimidiatim albo, fusco crebre vermiculato ; secundariis intimis extus nigro 

 marginatis ; reotricibus nigrioantibus ; fronts, genis antieis et gutture brunneis ; mento summo albo ; 

 capite reliquo et coUo caataneis ; collo imo et gastrseo reliquo nigris, minute nigro plus minusve colatioi 

 penicillatis ; subcaudalibus nigris ; subalaribus et axillaribus albis, iis marginalibus fusco vermiculatis : 

 rostro virescenti-nigro ; pedibus caerulescenti-griseis ; iride coccinea. Long, tota circa 21-9, alee 9*3, 

 caudse 2-9, culm. 2*6, tarsi 1"6. (Descr. maris adulti ex BrowusviUe, Texas. Mus. nostr.) 



$ . Supra fuscescenti-brunnea, vix cano vermiculatim variegata ; scapularibiis dorso concoloribus ; alis sicut in 

 mari coloratis, sed brunnescentioribus, secundariis extus griseis, rhachidibus nigris ; dorso postico, uropygio 

 et supracaudalibus nigrioantibus, vix albido vermiculatis ; capite colloque undique cum prsepectore toto 

 rutescenti-brunneis, pileo saturatiore brunneo, regione oculari et gutture albidioribus ; corpore reliquo 

 subtus grisescenti-albo, hypochondriis paululum brunneo marmoratis et cano vix vermiculatis : rostro 

 virescenti-nigro ; pedibus plumbeis; iride brunnescenti-rubra. Long, tota 19-0, alae 8-7, caudse 2-2, 

 culm. 2"15, tarsi 1-55. (Descr. feminae adultse ex Brownsville, Texas. Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. North America, breeding from the North-western States, northward to Alaska^). 

 — Mexico, Mazatlan [Grayson^), Valley of Mexico {Herrera'''^); Guatemala, 

 Duenas2 9 [0. S.). — West Indies ^ 



The Canvas-back Duck inhabits the greater part of North America, breeding from 

 Oregon and the North-western States throughout British America and Alaska to the 

 Arctic Regions. In winter it is found on both sides of the United States and on the 

 waters of the interior, and at this season the bird visits Central America. Grayson 

 found the species not uncommonly at Mazatlan 3, and we obtained a single specimen 

 on the Lake of Duenas ^, this being probably the southern limit of its range. 



Great numbers of iV. vallisneria are killed for food in the United States, the flesh 

 being highly esteemed. It is principally from the large flocks which occur on the 

 coasts in winter that the supply is obtained for the market. In habits this Duck 

 resembles the foregoing species. 



