588 THE BALDPATE. 



Recognition Marks. — Like next species, but head showing more rufous. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, on the ground, Eggs, 5-8, pale 

 buffy. Av. size, 2.23 x 1.35 (56.6 x 38.8). 



General Range. — Northern parts of the Old World. In North America 

 breeds in the Aleutian Islands, and occurs frequently in the eastern United States, 

 and occasionally in California. 



Range in Ohio. — Accidental. According to Professor Jones, a duck of this 

 species was taken on the Licking Reservoir March 29, 1902, by Mr. Peter Hayden 

 of Columbus. The specimen was presented to Mr. Irving A. Field of Granville, 

 who mounted it for the museum of Dennison University. In going over the 

 same ground three days later Mr. Field discovered another bird in a local bag. 

 So far as known this is the only occurrence within the limits of our state of this 

 Old World duck. It has however been frequently found elsewhere in the Eastern 

 States and careful attention in the future is likely to reveal other instances of its 

 presence here. 



No. 286. 



BALDPATE. 



A. O. U. No. 137. Mareca americana (Gmel.). 



Synonyms. — American Wigeon; Widgeon. 



Description. — Adult male : Head and neck white or light buffy, thickly 

 speckled, except on forehead and crown, with dusky ; a space from eye along side 

 of crown to occiput bright glossy green, the color scattering behind ; fore-neck and 

 upper breast, sides of breast broadly, and sides narrowly, deep vinaceous, edged 

 more or less with hoary vinaceous ; the sides with fine wavy bars ; back and scapu- 

 lars similar, black-and-white-barred, and heavily tinged with vinaceous ; tertials lan- 

 ceolate, velvety black, with greenish reflections on outer webs, and narrowly bor- 

 dered on outer margin with gray and white ; wing-coverts mostly white, the lesser 

 brownish gray, the greater tipped with black ; speculum dull black with green gloss 

 only on anterior inner portion, the inner bounding feathers abruptly gray ; rump 

 cold brownish gray, lightening to grayish white on upper tail-coverts, both finely 

 wavy-barred with dusky ; tail tapering, the feathers sharply acuminate ; the central 

 feathers blackish, the lateral ones ashy gray ; lower breast and belly white ; crissum 

 abruptly black; axillars white; lining of wings white and brownish gray; bill 

 grayish dusky, blackening below and black on tip; feet dull grayish dusky; 

 darker webbed. Old drakes have the extreme chin dusky, and are other- 

 wise lighter about the bill, nearly immaculate on throat, and pure white on crown. 

 Adult female : Without white or green on head, — uniformly streaked instead ; 

 vinaceous replaced by dull cinnamon-brown, obscurely mixed with dusky, and 

 edged with brownish-gray ; above dusky or fuscous, barred or edged on back with 

 dull ochraceous ; wing-coverts grayish brown sharply edged with white : speculum 

 and boundaries as in male; no solid black on upper tail-coverts and crissum, — 

 fuscous or brownish and whitish instead. Length 18.00-22.00 (457.2-558.8) ; wing 

 10.50 (266.7) ; tail 3.00-4.50 (76.2-114.3) ; bill 1.50 (38.1) ; tarsus 1.56 (39^6). 



