286 



KEY AND DESCRIPTION 



L. Feathers on the side of the bill extending forward farther than those 

 on the culmen. (M. ) 

 M. The two bare stripes of bill between the culmen feathers and the 



side feathers end in sharp points 21. Worthern Eider. 



M. The two bare stripes with the back ends broad and rounded. . . 



22. American Eider. 



N. Outer toe longer than the middle toe ; lining of the wings whitish 



27. Ruddy Duck. 



N. Outer toe shorter than the middle toe ; lining of the wings blackish 

 28. Masked Duck. 



11. Redhead (146. Aythya americd,na). — A duck similar 

 to the next, and often confounded with it. The head is 



a lighter color, 

 and has not the 

 blackish blotches, 

 found on crown and 

 chin of that species ; 

 the wavy lines of 

 black and white on 

 the back are about 

 equal in width, 

 while in the canvas- 

 back the white ones 

 are wider ; the com- 

 parative width of 

 bill is greater, being 

 nearly one half the 

 length. The female 

 lacks the wavy cross 

 lines of the female 

 canvas-back, so is readily distinguished from that species. 

 It is more like the female ring-neck (No. 16) in coloring, but 

 has a wing over 8 long, while the ring-neck has one less than 

 8 long. 



Length, 17-22 ; wing, 9 (-8^9^) ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 1| ; culmen, 2J. 

 North America ; breeding from Maine, Michigan, and California north- 

 ward, and wintering from the Middle States south to Mexico. Found on 

 bays and rivers rather than on coasts. 



Eedhead 



