BIEDS — AN8ERINAE — DENDROCYGNA. 



769 



Sp. Ch. — Body bluish gray. Quills with a black stripe anterior to the white tip. Head, nape, and tail white ; throat black, 

 dotted with white. Bill red, or yellowish edged with dusty ; nail white. 

 Length, 26 inches ; wing, 15 25 ; tail, 5.50 ; tarsus, 2.90 ; middle toe, 2.66 ; hill from front, 1.50. 

 Hob. — Aleutian islands. 



I introduce a short notice of the Chloephaga canagica as a species belonging to our continent, 

 and said to be quite common on the Aleutian islands. It will, doubtless, in time, be found on 

 the northwest coast of the United States. 



The genus Chloephaga was separated by Byton, Mon. Anat. in 1838, from Bernida, to 

 accommodate species with a shorter bill and more convex culmen, the legs robust, the membrane 

 of the toes scolloped out, the colors different from Bernida. 



m 



DENDROCYGNA, Swain son. 



Dendrocygna, Swainson, Class. Birds If, 1837, 365. Type Anas arcuata, Cut. 

 Dendronessa, Wagler, Isis, 1832, 282. Not of Swainson, 1831. 



Ch. — Bill much longer than the head ; plane at the base above ; high at base, the edges nearly parallel, or slightly con 

 verging; the nail very large, much decurved, and projecting considerably anterior to the rest of the bill, of which it forms the 

 tip. Nostrils small, oval, not reaching the middle of the commissure. Lamellae of bill low, not projecting below the edge of 

 the bill. Neck and legs very long ; the tibia hare for more than half the length of tarsus. The tarsus covered with large 

 hexagonal scales on the anterior half, and with smaller ones on the posterior. Hind toe lengthened, more than one-third the 

 tarsus. Feet very large. Wings broad and much rounded, the first quill shorter than the fourth. 



Thus far but two species are well established as inhabiting the United States, confined 

 chiefly to the Kio Grande and south California. There is strong reason to believe that a 

 species occasionally visits the coast of Georgia and other southern Atlantic States from the 

 West Indies, which, though possibly the D. autumnalis, is more probably D. arborea. The 

 characters of the three species are as follows : 



Head and neck grayish, inclining to brownish red on top of head. Fore part of body all 

 round chocolate red. Posterior portion of body, with quills and under surface of body and 

 wings, blackish brown. A white patch on wings. Bill and legs red D. autumnalis. 



Neck dirty white ; crown black. Fore part of body dark brown. Tail black. Under parts 

 of body white, each feather barred with brown. Bill lead color ; legs and feet black.. D. arborea. 



Head yellowish brown, darker on the crown ; a black streak down the nape. Wings, tail, 

 and rump black ; the lesser coverts chocolate ; under parts uniform pale cinnamon. Under 

 and upper tail coverts white. Bill and legs bluish black D.fulva. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



August 17, 1858. 



97 b 



