110 SEA DUCKS. 



146. Aythya americana {Eyt.). Kedhead. Ad. i .—Head and 



throat bright rufous ; lower neck, breast, back of the neck, and upper back 

 black ; rest of the back and scapulars finely barred with wavy black and white 

 lines of equal width ; wing-ooverts brownish gray; upper tail-coverts black; 

 belly white, the lower belly more or less finely barred with black ; under tail- 

 coverts black ; sides Uke the back. Ad. 9 . — Upper parts dark grayish brown, 

 darker on the rump, the feathers more or less margined with buify or ashy; 

 sides of the head lighter ; upper throat white ; neck buft'y ochraceoas ; breast 

 and sides grayish brown, more or less washed or margined with bufty or buify 

 ochraceous; belly white; lower belly and under tail-coverts tinged with 

 ochraceous ; an indistinct bluish-gray band across the end of the bill. L., 

 19-00 ; W., 8-90 ; Tar., 1-55 ; B., 1-85. 



Memarhs. — This species is frequently confused with the Canvasback, from 

 which it may be distinguished by the characters given under that species. 



The female Eedhead is much like the female Ring-neck in coloration ; the 

 latter is generally browner, but they can be distinguished with certainty only 

 by the difference in their size. 



Range. — North America; breeds from California and Minnesota north- 

 ward to the fur countries ; rare on the North Atlantic coast, where it has been 

 found breeding only once (Calais, Me.) ; winters from Virginia southward to 

 Cuba and Jamaica. 



Washington, common W. V. Long Island, T. V. in irregular numbers, 

 Oct. 1 to Apl. 15, few W. V. Sing Sing, common T. V., Apl. 1 to Apl. 24; 

 Oct. 12 to Oct. 28. Cambridge, casual ; one instance, Oct. 



Nest, on the ground in grassy sloughs or marshy lake sides. Eggs, six to 

 twelve, buffy white, 2-40 x 1-70. 



The Ducks of the genus Aythya possess to some extent the habits 

 of both the Kiver Ducks and true Sea Ducks. They are divers in deep 

 water, but along the shores or in shallow water they are also " dab- 

 blers." On our coasts the Eedhead is a Bay Duck, and feeds in salt 

 and brackish water. 



147. Aythya vaUisneria ( Wils.). Canvasback. Ad. s .-—Head 



and neck rufous-brown, the chin and orown generally Uaokish ; breast and 

 upper back black ; rest of the back and generally wing-coverts finely barred 

 with wavy lines of black and white, the white lines the wider ; belly white ; 

 lower belly more or less finely barred with black ; upper and under tail-oov- 

 erts black ; sides white, much less lightly barred with wavy black lines than 

 the back, or even entirely without bars. Ad. ? .—Head, neck, upper breast, 

 and upper back cinnamon, the throat lighter, and, with the front parts of the 

 head, more or less washed with rufous ; back grayish brown, the feathers 

 more or less barred with wavy white lines ; belly white or grayish white ; 

 sides the same or grayish brown, generally marked like the back. L., 21-00; 

 W., 9-00 ; Tar., 1-60 ; B., 2-40. 



Memarhs.— This species is sometimes mistaken for the Eedhead, to which 

 it bears a general resemblance. The males of the two species may be distin- 

 guished (1) by the color of the head and neelc, which is rufous in the Eed- 



