342 FEATHERED GAME 
of the bill, nearly circular in form. The crest 
feathers are long and fluffy, erected at will. 
The whole feathering of the head is somewhat 
puffy. Back and much of the wings are black, 
though some of the secondaries and coverts are 
white and seem to make quite a band of this 
color in the wing. Under parts white. Long 
flank feathers white with a broad edging of 
black. Rump and tail black. Bill greenish 
black. Feet and legs orange with dusky webs 
and black nails. Iris bright golden yellow, 
whence the name, ‘‘Golden-eyed Duck.’’ 
The female is a trim little lady with neat and 
becoming attire. Her head dark chestnut or 
brown. A white ring about the neck, and below 
this a second circle of blue-gray coming up 
from the color of the back. Below white, grow- 
ing dusky on the flanks. Wings and upper 
works generally, covered with grayish blue, the 
edges of the feathers whitish. Speculum white. 
Bill dusky brown, yellow-tipped. Iris as in the 
male. The female averages much smaller than 
the male. 
They are abundant throughout North Amer- 
ica, and while ranging in winter to the West In- 
dies and Mexico are rather more common in the 
