184 NYROCA COLLARIS 



valisineria) but considerably darker on the occiput, back and rump. It differs also in having a 

 broad white forehead sharply contrasted with the almost black occiput. As in the Canvas-back 

 there are no dark face stripes. The light yellow patches on wings, scapular region and sides of the 

 rump are very prominent in the young of this species. The downy young of the two Pochards are 

 much lighter colored on the upper side than the young of the Ring-necked Duck and lack the 

 prominent light patches on scapulars and rump. 



DISTRIBUTION 



The Ring-necked Duck is a species confined to North America, where it is one of the rarer ducks in 

 most parts. We are still very much in ignorance as to its exact status and distribution, due largely to 

 the fact that it is easily confused with both the Scaups and even with the Red-head. 



Breeding Range 



L. M. Turner, in his "Contributions to the Natural History of Alaska" (1886), says he found the 

 Ring-necked Duck not common at St. Michael's, and that he met with it on Amchitka and in winter 

 on Attu in the Aleutian chain. There can be little doubt now that there was some mistake in the 

 identification of these birds, especially as Turner himself says they were so shy as to be unapproach- 

 able. At any rate the species has never since been recorded from Alaska. It is not impossible that 

 Turner saw specimens of the European Tufted Duck, which the present species very closely re- 

 sembles. 



In northwestern Canada this duck is said to have been taken by Ross (fide Preble, 1908) as far 

 north as Fort Simpson. This record may possibly be correct, but other observers have not found 

 it much north of Lake Athabasca. Preble (1908) met with it at the mouth of the Peace River early in 

 June, and Frank Russell (1898) recorded one specimen taken on May 22, at Fort Chipewyan, while in 

 1920 Mr. Francis Harper, collecting for me about Lake Athabasca, found limited numbers nesting at 

 Egg Lake, fifteen miles northwest of Fort Chipewyan. He also saw specimens on the Athabasca 

 delta. 



We know practically nothing as to its breeding areas farther south in Canada. Allan Brooks (1903, 

 1917) has reported its nesting in the Cariboo and Chilliwack districts of British Columbia, but there 

 R 'fqh ls no ac *-ual record of its breeding in central or southern Alberta. Preble (1908) speaks 



Columbia °f specimens seen on September 3 at Athabasca Landing, while Stansell (1909) saw only 

 ... . one in central Alberta. W. E. Saunders (1920) mentions ten Ring-necks seen at Wavy 



Lake, southeastern Alberta, on June 3, while Mr. William Rowan of the University of 



oaskatcn- Alberta (in litt.) only found four autumn records for the central part. In southwestern 

 ewtin 



Saskatchewan Bent (1907) found a nest which he believes belonged to this species, and 



there are breeding records for Osier and Indian Head (U.S. Biological Survey). R. MacFarlane 

 (1908) says it was found at Pelican Narrows and Cumberland House. According to E. E. Thompson 

 M ... (1891) the species is fairly common in summer in Manitoba. He gives breeding 



records for Swamp Island, Waterhen River and Qu'Appelle, while Raine (1892) says 

 he found it nesting on Long Lake. There seems to be evidence of a large breeding area north, and 

 possibly east, of Lake Winnipeg (J. and J. M. Macoun, 1909). Even farther east at Lac Seul, 

 Ontario, there is a record of downy young being taken July 12, 1919, by P. A. Taverner (U.S. Bio- 

 logical Survey notes). 



In the United States the Ring-neck has been found nesting at Eagle Lake, northern California 

 (H. H. Sheldon, 1907), and it has been reported as doing so at Fort Klamath, Oregon (J. C. Merrill, 

 United 1888), as well as at Big Lake, and Marsh Lake, in the White Mountains of Arizona 



States (U.S. Biological Survey). East of the Rockies it has been known to breed at Devil's 



Lake, North Dakota (Job, 1899; U.S. Biological Survey), in various parts of Minnesota (Hatch, 1892; 



