SHOVELLER DUCK. 293 



In a male, the roof of the mouth is deeply concave, with a prominent mid- 

 dle ridge, on which are a few blunt papillae; on the upper mandible are 50 

 lamellae, on the lower about 65 below, and 85 above. The tongue, S twelfths 

 long, large and fleshy, has two rows of lateral bristles. The oesophagus is 

 S^ inches long, 4 twelfths in diameter until the middle of the neck, when it 

 enlarges gradually to half an inch. The proventriculus is 1^ inches in length, 

 with oblong glandules. The stomach is a strong roundish gizzard, 1 inch 

 and 2 twelfths long, 1^ inches broad; its left muscle 7 twelfths thick, the 

 right 6|- twelfths; its cuticular lining or epithelium of moderate thickness 

 and longitudinally rugous. The intestine, 5 feet 1 inch long, varies in 

 diameter from 3 to 2 twelfths; the cceca are 2 inches 10 twelfths long, cylin- 

 drical and rounded, their diameter 3 twelfths; the cloaca globular. The con- 

 tents of the stomach were gravel and seeds of plants. 



The trachea is 6 inches and 2 twelfths long; its diameter at the top 4 

 twelfths, at the middle 2 twelfths, at the lower part 3^ twelfths. The infe- 

 rior larynx is formed of three or four united rings, and has an irregular 

 roundish bony expansion on the left side. The number of rings of the tra- 

 chea is 9S, of the bronchi about 25. The contractor muscles are large; 

 cleido-tracheales and sterno-tracheales. 



SHOVELLER DUCK.-MICOINE. 



-f Anas clypeata, Linn. 

 PLATE CCCXCIV.— Male and Female. 



The Creoles of Louisiana are well acquainted with this species, under the 

 name of "Micoine" the etymology of which I am unable to trace. In that 

 country it arrives, both from the westward and from the eastern inland dis- 

 tricts, along with the Blue-winged Teal, or at the commencement of autumn. 

 It associates with that species, to which, as well as to the Green-winged, the 

 Mallard, the Dusky Duck, and the Gadwall, I should consider it very nearly 

 allied, notwithstanding the peculiar expansion of its bill. The Shovellers 

 remain in the lower parts of Louisiana during the whole of the winter, and 

 depart along with the Blue-w T ings between the end of April and the middle 



