BIRDS — PULIGULINAE — AYTHYA AMERICANA. 



793 



List of specimens. 



AYTHYA, Boie. 



Jlythya, Boie, Isia, 1822. Type .dnas ferina, L. 



Ch. — Very similar to Fuligula in general characters of shape. The bill elongated, longer than the head, and about equal to 

 the middle too with the claw. The bill more slender in one species, the nail smaller and less decurved ; the bill higher at base and 

 the upper outline nearly straight to beyond the end of the nostrils, which do not quite reach the middle of the bill. Colors 

 similar to those of Fuligula ; the head and neck red. Tail of fourteen feathers. 



I have based the generic characters of Aythya upon the Anas vallisneria of Wilson, the type 

 A. ferina being much more like the A. amerioana. The latter would seem to come more 

 naturally with Fuligula, (which see,) being combined with vallisneria chiefly on account of 

 the great similarity in color. Still A. vallisneria is much like Fuligula in all points, except 

 the hill, which is merely longer, narrower, higher at the base, and sloping. The nostrils 

 are further forward, occupying the anterior portion of the posterior half of the bill. Should it 

 be considered expedient, for these reasons, to establish for the canvas-back a new genus, the 

 name of Aristonetta would be very appropriate, on account of the great superiority of its flesh 

 as an article of food. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



Oommon characters. — Head and neck chestnut; body anterior to shoulders, the rump, and tail 



coverts, black. Sides, scapulars, and interscapulars waved transversely with black and white. 



Speculum grayish blue, on the ends of the secondaries ; the innermost edged narrowly with black. 



Bill broad, not longer than the head. Anterior extremity of nostril two-fifths the 



distance from upper corner of bill to the tip. No brown on the head. Black and 



white mottling on the back in equal amount A. amerioana. 



Bill narrow, longer than the head ; anterior extremity of the nostril half the distance 

 from upper corner of bill to the tip. Top of head and about base of bill dusky. 

 White greatly predominating in the mottling of the back ; the black in dotted 

 lijjgg ; A. vallisneria. 



AYTHYA AMEKICANA, Bon. 



Red-head. 



Jlnas ferina, Wilson, Am. Orn. VIII, 1814, 84 ; pi. Ixx, (not of Linnaeus.)— Doughty, Cab. N. H., II, 1832, 40 ; pi. iv 

 Jlnas {Fuligulit) ferina, Bonap. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 270. 



Fuligula ferina, Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 452.-Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 434.-AnD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1835, 198 : 

 pi. 322.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 311 ; pi. 396. 



August 19, 1858. 



100 b 



