BIRDS^-ANAIINAE — MARECA AMERICANA. 



783 



A specimen of this bird from Illinois, otherwise similar, is entirely without chestnut red on 

 the wing. 



List of specimens. 



MARECA, Stephens. 



Mareca, Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII, ii, 1824, 130. Type Anas penelope, L. 

 Penelope, Kaup, 1829. 



Ch . — Bill shorter than the head, and equal to the inner toe claw. The aides parallel to near the end, which is rather obtusely 

 pointed, the nail occupying the tip, and about one-third as broad as the bill. Bill rather high; the upper lateral angle at 

 the base not prominent, nor extending as far back as the lower edge. Tail pointed ; not half the wings. 



The North American and European species of Mareca have the upper parts finely waved 

 transversely with black and gray or reddish brown, the under parts, with the usual exceptions, 

 snowy white. The top of the head is uniform white or cream color ; the neck more or less 

 Spotted. The middle and greater coverts are white, the latter tipped with black. The 

 speculum is green, encircled by black. The tertials are black on the outer web, edged with 

 hoary white ; the entire outer web of one of them hoary. The characteristics of the species are 

 as follows : 



Head and neck grayish, the feathers of the former thickly spotted, of the latter banded with 

 black. Top of head nearly white ; a broad and continuous patch of green around and behind 

 the eye M. americana. 



Head and neck reddish brown or cinnamon, the feathers of the former slightly spotted with 

 dusky, of the latter almost uniformly colored. Top of head cream colored ; only a faint trace 

 of green around the eye, and a few spots behind it M. penelope. 



MAEECA AMEEIOANA, Stephens. 



Baldpate ; American Widgeon. 



Anas americana, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 526.— Lath. Ind. II, 861.— Wilson, Am. Orn. VIII, 1814, 86 ; pi, 



Ixix.— Bon. Obs. No. 259.— Abd. Orn. Biog. IV., 1838, 337.; pi. 345.— Ib. Syn. 1839, 279 



Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 259 ; pi. 389. 



Mareca americana, Steph. Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII, ii, 1824, 135.— Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 445.— Bon. List, 

 1838.— Etton, Mon. Anat. 1838, 116. 



Anas (Soschas) americana, Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 389. 



American widgeon, Pens. II, 567. 



