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 oi equal width; wing-eoverts brownish gray; upper tail-coverts black; 

 belly white, the lower belly more or less finely biin-ed witli black ; under tail- 

 coverts black; sides like the bach. Ad. 9 . — Upper parts dark grayish brown, 

 darker on the rump, the feathers more or less margined with butf'y or ashy ; 

 sides of the head lighter ; upper throat white ; neck bufty ochraoeous ; breast 

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

 ochraoeous ; belly white ; lower belly and under tail-eoverte tinged with 

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

 19-00; W., 8-90; Tar., I'oo ; B., 1-85. 



Remarhs. — This species is frequently confused with the Ganvasback, from 

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



The female Redhead- is much like the female King-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 River 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 Redhead is a Bay Duck, and feeds in salt 

 and brackish water. 



147. Aythya vallisneria ( Wils.). Canvaseack. Ad. a . — Head 

 and neck rufous-brown, the chin and crown generally ilacHsh ; 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-cov- 

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

 the back, or even entirely without bars. Ad. 9 . — 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. 



Bemarhs. — This species is sometimes mistaken for the Bedhead, 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 neck, which is rufous in the Ked- 



