THE WOOD DUCK. 599 



rich chestnut, glossed with purplish on sides of breast, and marked centrally with 

 triangular white spots, which increase in size backward; belly broadly white; 

 sides warm fulvous, minutely waved with black, the tips of the outermost feathers 

 with broad crescentic bars of black and white; chestnut of breast and fulvous 

 of sides separated by two transverse bars, the front one white, the hinder black; 

 upper parts chiefly sooty or velvety black with metallic reflections of blue, purple, 

 green, and bronze; the anterior and marginal coverts and base of primaries (all 

 mostly concealed) plain fuscous ; exposed tips of primaries silvery white, on 

 outer web tipped with metallic blue; secondaries white-tipped, the exposed webs 

 metallic ; crissum sooty-'brown with metallic gloss ; flank-patches intense purplish 

 chestnut ; axillars and lining of wings white, spotted or barred with dusky ; "bill 

 (in life) beautifully varied with jet-black, milk-white, lilac, red, orange, and 

 yellow; legs and feet orange, claws black; iris and edges of eye-lid red." Adult 

 female and young : Crest only faintly indicated ; top of head purplish brown 

 with faint metallic reflections; throat and space about eye (extending backward 

 to occiput) and some feathering about base of bill, white; rest of head ashy 

 Ijrown; upper parts much as in male but duller, chiefly warm brown in place of 

 black ; fore-neck and breast brown, streaked with lighter or dull ochraceous ; 

 belly white; crissum mixed fuscous and white. Length adult male 19.00-20.50 

 (482.6-520.7) ; wing 9.15 (232.4) ; tail 3.88 (98.6) ; bill 1.30 (33.) ; tarsus 1.36 

 (.34.5). Female, length 17.00-19.25 (431.8-489.) ; other dimensions in proportion. 



Recognition Marks. — Smaller than Mallard. Exquisitely variegated plum- 

 age of male unmistakable ; female unlike that of any other species. 



Nest, in a hollow tree, lined with twigs, grasses, and down. Eggs, 8-14, 

 buffy white; Av. size, 2.05 x 1.55 (52.1 x 39.4). 



General Range. — Temperate North America, breeding throughout its range. 

 Cuba. Accidental in Europe. 



Range in Ohio. — Formerly common summer resident and migrant. Now 

 rare throughout the state. 



FEW if any more exquisitely beautiful creatures have been fashioned in 

 the workshop of Nature than the Wood Ducks of America. Among the 

 Ducks, certainly only the Mandarin (Aix galericulata) of China, a near rela- 

 tive, may vie with this species in brilliancy of coloring and delicacy of mould. 

 Linnaeus called the Wood Duck the Bride (Latin, sponsa, bride) but, of course, 

 it is the hridegroom who wears the jewels and inherits the products of Ori- 

 ental dye-stufifs, bequeathed through a thousand generations ; for, Males must 

 strut and females must work, is the rule among ducks as among most other 

 birds. Literally all the colors of the rainbow belong to this bird in his nuptial 

 plumage, with black and white thrown in for good measure. And with all 

 this gaudy attire go many accomplishments not attained by any others in the 

 group. 



Birds of this species frequent secluded swamps, bayous, and sheltered 

 water-ways. They are swift and graceful fliers, and they are able to traverse 

 the mazes of the forest with the ease of pigeons. They perch readily upon 

 the branches of trees, and even walk along them without hesitancy. To the 

 aquatic fare offered by the surface and depths of woodland pools, is added the 

 flying insects of the forest home, and the tender shoots and leaves of plants in 



