CAROLINA DUCK 



LAMPRONESSA SPONSA (Linne) 1 

 Synonymy 

 (Plate 50) 

 Anas sponsa Linne, Systema Naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, p. 128, 1758. 

 Aix sponsa Boie, Oken's Isis, 1828, p. 329. 

 Dendronessa sponsa Swainson and Richardson, Fauna Boreali-Amer., vol. 2, p. 446, 



1831. 

 Lampronessa sponsa Wagler, Oken's Isis, 1832, p. 282. 

 Aia sponsa Eyton, Monograph Anatidse, p. 120, fig. 1, 1838. 

 Cosmonessa sponsa Reickenbach, Avium Syst., Natatores, p. x, 1852. 

 Aix promissa Brehrn, Naumannia, 1855, p. 298, in synonymy of Aix sponsa. 

 Dendrocygnus sponsa Brewer, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 7, p. 308, 1860. 

 Aex sponsa British Ornith. Union List British Birds, p. 123, 1883. 



Vernacular Names 

 English: Carolina Duck, Wood Duck, Summer Duck, Bride Duck, Rainbow Duck, 



Regal Duck, Acorn Duck, Squealer, Scovy Duck, Widgeon, Wood Widgeon, 



Crested Wood Duck, Tree Duck. 

 French: Canard carolin, Canard de la Caroline, Canard huppe, Canard branchu, 



Branchier, Canard du bois, Canard d'ete. 

 German: Brautente, Karolinenente, Sommerente, Waldente, Luisianische Hauben- 



ente. 

 Dutch: Carolina-eend. 



Spanish: Pato de la Carolina, Huyuyo (Cuba). 

 Italian: Sponsino. 

 Mexican: Iztactzonyayauhaui. 

 Ojibway Indians: Chiship, Mistigunk, Akosa. 



DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male: Head with long, full crest, colored with green and purple metallic reflections and con- 

 taining white feathers. Chin, throat, neck, and a semi-lunar patch extending up behind the eye, 

 white; sides of head black; upper breast claret-color with white spots; rest of lower parts white. 

 Flank feathers straw-colored, finely vermiculated with black, and tipped with white and black bars. 

 On the sides of breast a conspicuous black and white bar. Mantle, back, and rump bronzy green, 

 scapulars mostly purplish black. Upper wing-coverts gray, lower ones purple metallic. Secondaries 

 metallic green with a white line at their tips. Tertials broad and velvety black tipped with white, but 



1 As these pages go to press. Miller (1925) shows that Aix is the generic name for this species. 



