284 



KET AND DMsaElPTtON 



white tail coverts both above and below. This white ig 

 rendered conspicuous by the black rump and tail; there is 



also a black line extend- 

 ing down the nape and 

 back neck. The wing is 

 without a white specu- 

 lum. This bird nests in 

 trees, and to give it 

 power to grasp the limbs 

 of trees its hind toe is 

 much lengthened, being 

 about an inch long. 



Length, 20 ; wing, 9 ; tail, 

 3J ; tarsus, 2J ; oulrnen, 1|. 

 Soutliern United States, Lou- 

 isiana, and Texas to Cali- 

 fornia, and southward to 

 Mexico. Also in South 

 America. Casual in North 

 Carolina and Missouri. The 

 Black-bellied Tree-duck 

 Fnlvons Tree-dnok (l'^^' Dendrocygna autum- 



nalis) is a similar bird, hut 

 has a large white patch on the wings and a black belly. It is found from 

 southern Texas westward, and southward into South America. 



SEA DUCKS (SUBFAMILY FULIGULIN^) 



Characteristics given on p. 277 



Key to the Species 



* Wing, 6 or less long ; tail feathers with nan'ow webs and stiff shafts 



extending beyond the webs ; i upper tail cov- 

 erts very short. (N.) 



* Wing, 6-7 long ; upper tail coverts about I as 



long as the tail 18. Buffle-head. 



* Wing over 7 long. (A.) 



A. Feathers at the side and at the top of the bill so extended as to 

 leave a bare portion between, which is I as long as the bill.^ (L.) 



A. No such great extension of both the loral and the frontal feathers 

 on the upper mandible. (B.) 



