ANATIDiE— THE SWANS, GEESE, AND' DUCKS. 143 



pinkish of the chest. No. 62,525, from St. Paul's Island, Alaska, 

 is most like the Alexandria specimen. 



A young male (No. 57,119, Europe) has the brown of the 

 head, neck, sides, and flanks, almost chestnut; the wing as in 

 the adult, and the dorsal region mostly clothed with feathers 

 of the adult dress. 



Accordini!; to Dr. Brewer ( Wafer Birds of North America^ Vol. 

 I., p. 519), "two instances are on record" of the occurrence of 

 the Widi>eon in Illinois. Its habits are quite similar to those of 

 the Baldpate. 



Anas americana Gmel. 



BALDPATE. 



Popular synonyms. American Widgeon; Green-headed Widgeon; Bald-head; Bald-faoe; 

 Bald-orown; White-belly; Poacher (Detroit, Mich.); Wheat Duck (Oregon). 



Anas americana Gmel. S. N. i.pt. ii, 1788, 526.— WrLS. Am. Orn. viii, 1814, 86, pi. 69, fig. 1.— 

 AUD. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 3S7, pi. 345; Synop. 1839, 279; B. Am. vl, 1843, 259, pi. 389.— A. 

 O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 1S7.— BiDOW. Man. N. Am. B. 1887. 96. 

 Mareca americana Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. xii, pt. ii, 1824, 135.— Sw. & Rich. P. B.- A. 

 ii, 1831, 445.— Bated, B. N. Am. 1858, 783; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 585.— CouES.Key, 

 1872,286; Cheek List, 1873, No. 493; 2d ed. 1882, No. 713; Birds N. W. 1874, 561.— Hensh. 

 Zool. Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 475.— Bidgw. Orn. 40th Par. 1877. 622; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, 

 No. 607.— B. B. & E. Water B. N. Am. i, 1884, 520. 



Mareca penelope, h., BiABius, B. Eur. 1862, 21. 



Hab. North America in general, north to Arctic Ocean, south, in winter, to Guatemala 

 and Cuba. Accidental in Europe. Breeds nearly throughout its range. 



Sp. Chab. Adult male in winter: Forehead and middle of crown (longitudinally) 

 white, generally immaculate ; ground-color of head and neck white, sometimes more or less 

 soiled with grayish or brown, and thickly speelded with black; a broad space of metallic 

 blackish green on the side of the occiput, running forward to the eye, and sometimes down 

 the nape, where the two spaces are confluent. Chest plain pinkish vinaoeous; sides and 

 flanks the same, delicately waved with blaok ; lower tail-ooverts velvety black ; rest of lower 

 parts pure white. Back and scapulars grayish-white, more or less tinged with the color of 

 the sides, and similarly waved with black. Wing-coverts immaculate pure white, the an- 

 terior portion of the lesser-covert region ashy, and the last row tipped with velvety black; 

 speculum soft metallic green anteriorly, velvety blaok posteriorly; tertials velvety black, 

 sharply edged with white, the lower one with its lower edge entirely pure white ; primaries 

 plain slate-grayish. Bump ashy, minutely waved on the edges of the feathers ; upper tail- 

 ooverts velvety black, the inner webs mostly grayish; tail hoary grayish. Bill light grayish 

 blue, the end blaok ; iris biown ; legs and ; eet Ught bluish. Length, about 20.00 inches ; wing, 

 10.25-10.75; oulmen, l.SO-1.60; tarsus, 1.45-1.65; middle toe, 1.66-1.85. Adult female: Abpve, 

 dusky grayish brown, with transverse.rather distant, bars of dull white or light oehraceous. 

 Wing-coverts dark dull ashy, broadly tipped and bordered with white ; speculum dull blaok. 

 Head and neck streaked with blackish upon a dull whitish ground, the former color pre- 

 vailing on the nape and behind the eye. Chest pale grayish vinaoeous, the leathers darker 

 beneath the surface ; sides and flanks deeper vinaoeous ; lower tail-coverts transversely 

 spotted with brown; rest of lower parts pure white. Somewhat smaller than the male 

 (length about 18.00 inches). Young male: Similar to the adult female, but the colors more 

 pronounced and the pattern better deflned, especially on the wing. Downy young: Above, 



