RED-HEAD 167 



central Nebraska about March 10, Iowa about the middle of March, Illinois in March, Indiana and 

 Ohio about the middle of March, Michigan during the latter half of March; they reach Wisconsin, 

 Minn esota and South Dakota late in March, Montana in the first half of April, southern Ontario late 

 in March, and Manitoba in April. In the northernmost parts of the range they do not appear before 

 May. The few specimens that pass over New England are usually seen during March. 



The autumn migration is rather more extended than the spring movement. In southern Ontario 

 Red-heads begin to appear during the second half of September, while at Long Point, Ontario, 

 the species is most common between October 15 and 30. They arrive in Pennsylvania and New 

 England in October, and Virginia late in October. In the Mississippi region they leave Manitoba in 

 October, linger in Michigan and South Dakota from late October till November or December, pass 

 Kansas City late in October and November and arrive in Mississippi and Louisiana about the middle 

 of November. Great migrations have been seen in Mercer County, North Dakota, as early as Octo- 

 ber 3. Farther west the species passes through Montana during the second half of September, and 

 through Colorado in late September and October, arriving in the Valle de Mexico in October. 



Although there is not enough information to found any theories on it is common to remark an ex- 

 cess of male birds on migration and also at times in the winter quarters. Disproportion of sexes or 

 what seems such is rather common among various species of diving ducks. 



There is one important set of records showing the dispersal of banded Red-heads from Bear River, 

 Utah. Wetmore (MS.) marked 239 of these ducks and got fifty-one returns. Besides a large 

 number from north and central Utah there were returns from southeast Idaho (3), southeast Col- 

 orado (1), western Texas (1), and south-central Kansas (1). The west to east dispersal is interesting 

 and instructive. 



GENERAL HABITS 



Oub poor Red-head has fared very ill at the hands of ornithologists. At one time 

 English writers and even Audubon and Wilson regarded it as identical with the 

 Common Pochard of the Old World. Then came a period in which it was generally 

 admitted to full specific rank, but recently Millais (1913), Hartert (1920a) and other 

 Englishmen have again relegated it to the position of a subspecific variety. It all 

 depends on one's conception of what constitutes a species or a subspecies, but as a 

 matter of fact, this duck does not resemble the Pochard much more than our Canvas- 

 back does. The bill of the latter is peculiar, but the bill is not a very important part 

 of the anatomy in estimating relationships of ducks. 



In its general habits our Red-head closely resembles the Pochard in so far as feed- 

 ing, courtship and nesting behavior go. It is a fresh-water duck, although it is very 

 partial to brackish water and may at times be found on water that is almost com- 

 pletely salt, as, for instance, in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. It is so particular 

 about its habitat and food, that it is extremely irregular in its appearance, so much 

 so, in fact, that in regions where it is usually seen in thousands it may almost disap- 

 pear for a term of years. In consequence wild stories of its increase or decrease are 

 circulated from time to time, and it becomes, of course, very difficult to make a fair 

 guess at its actual status in any one place. 



The appearance of the adult male is unmistakable although it is often confused 

 with the Canvas-back, but the profile of the bill and forehead, as well as the color of 



