694 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —LAMELLIB0STBE8 -ANSEBES. 



Analysis of Species. 

 Head and neck cinnamon-red, scarcely varied ; witli mere traces of green, if any ; top of head creamy or 



brownish-white ... penelope 712 



Head and necli grayish, speclded with duslty, the sides of the head with a broad patch of green, the top 



white or nearly so . . . . . ameneana T13 



713. M. penelope. (Penelope, a mythological name.) European Wigeon. Size and general 

 character of the next species ; differing as above. Europe ; Grreepland j rare or casual along 

 the whole Atlantic coast; more numerous on the N. Pacific coast and S. to California. 

 T13. M. america'na. (Pig. 481.) American Wigeon. Bald-pate. Adult g : Bill grayish-blue, 

 with black tip and extreme base; feet similar, duller, with dusKy webs and claws; iris brown. 

 Top of head white, or nearly so ; sides the satne, or more buffy, speckled with dusky-green, 



purer green forming a 

 broad- patch from and 

 below eye to hind 

 head ; chin dusky. 

 Fore neck and breast 

 light brownish - red, 

 or very pale purplish - 

 cinnamon, each feath- 

 er with paler grayish 

 edge; along the sides 

 of the body the same, 

 finely waved with 

 dusky; the breast and 

 belly pure white, the 

 ciissum abruptly 



black. Lower hind 

 neck and fore back 

 and scapulars finely 

 waved with the same 

 Fig. 481. -American Wigeon. (From Lewis.) reddish color and with 



dusky; lower back and rump similarly waved vidth dusky and whitish. Lesser wing-coverts 

 plain gray ; middle and greater coverts pure white, forming a, large area, the greater black- 

 tipped, forming the fore border of the speculum, which is glossy green, bordered behind by 

 velvety black, internally by the black and white stripes on the inner secondaries. Tail brown- 

 ish-gray, the lateral upper coverts black ; axillary feathers white. Only old drakes have the 

 crown immaculate white, the chin dusky, the auricular patch definitely green ; generally the 

 whole head and upper neck are pale brovmish-yellow or reddish-white, speckled with greenish- 

 dusky. 9 resembling the immature $ on the head; the peculiar brownish-red is interrupted 

 with dusky and whitish bars. The wing-pattern is nearly as in the ^ ; but the white is re- 

 stricted or interrupted with gray, the greater coverts may lack black tips, the speculum is faint, 

 and the black stripes of the inner secondaries are r^laced by brown. The normal variability 

 in coloration, aside from age or sex, is gre^t, but the bird cannot be' mistaken under any 

 conditions ; the extensive white of the under parts and wings is recognizable at gun-shot 

 range. Length 18.00-21.00; extent 30.00-35.00; wing 10.00-11.00; tail :4i.00-4.50 ; bUl 

 1.60 ; tarsus 1.50 ; middle toe and claw more. N. Am. at large, breeding anywhere ; Europe, 

 casually. Eggs 8-1 2, 2.00 X 1.50, duU pale buff. 

 288. .QUERQUE'DTJLA. (La,t. querguedvila, a small kind of duck ; related to English quack.) 

 Teal Ducks. BiO nearly or quite as long as the head, longer than tarsus, narrow and par- 

 3,Uel-sided, the nail narrow, \ to \ of the tip. Size smallest among our ducks. Sexes more oi 

 less unlike. Speculum glossy-green. BiU blackish. The genus contains two sections, .perhaps 

 as worthy of distinction as some of the foregoing genera. 



