RED HEAD. 159 



the same period. This species has various names, some 

 of which are American Pochard, Raft Duck, and Red- 

 headed Raft Duck. 



^THYIA AMERICANA. 



Geographical Distribution. — North America generally. Breeds 

 from California and Northern tier of States to the Arctic regions. 



Adult Male.— }iea.i, full and puffed out, and with the neck is 

 rich reddish chestnut, glossed at times with reddish purple. 

 Lower neck, chest, upper parts of back, rump, and upper and 

 lower tail coverts, black. Back, scapulars, sides and flanks, gray- 

 ish white, finely undulated with black. Wing coverts, ash gray. 

 Speculum, ash gray, bordered above with black and posteriorly 

 with white. Primaries, dark brown on tips and outer web, gray 

 on inner. Tail, dark brown. Under parts, white, growing 

 darker toward the under tail coverts. In some specimens the 

 under surface is whitish brown. Bill, broad, flattened, widest at 

 tip, rising at base abruptly to the forehead, forming a very dif- 

 ferent angle to the bill than that of the Canvas Back, dull blue in 

 color, and crossed by a black bar near the tip. Iris, orange. Legs 

 and feet, grayish blue; webs, dusky. Total length, about 19} 

 inches; wing, 9; culmen, i,^; tarsus, i^; bill at widest point, ^. 



Adult Female. — Head and neck, pale brown; darkest on top 

 of head. Chin and throat almost white, as is also, in some speci- 

 mens, the loral space. Cheeks, frequently grayish brown. Back 

 and scapulars, grayish brown; feathers, tipped with light gray; 

 wing coverts and secondaries, pearly gray; speculum, light ash 

 gray. Secondaries, pearly gray on outer webs; edged with 

 black. Primaries, fuscous on outer webs; dark buff along the 

 shafts and on inner webs. Lower back, blackish brown, lighter 

 on upper tail coverts; feathers of latter, tipped with pale brown. 

 Chest, sides, and flanks, grayish brown; feathers, tipped with 

 fulvous. Bill, pure white; anal region and under tail coverts, 

 brownish white, darker on the thighs. Bill, pale blue, black at 

 tip. Legs and feet, grayish blue. Total length, 19 inches; wing, 

 9; culmen, ij; tarsus, i|. 



Downy Young. — Sides of head and neck, and lower parts, 

 deep buff, palest on the belly. Top of head and upper parts of 

 body, ochraceous olive brown, with a yellow spot on sides of body 

 and rump, and on border of wings. 



