THE RING BIE DUCK eA A CO Pi vein 
ALLAN BROOKS. 
Naturalists generally call this the ring- 
necked duck, but ringbill is far more 
appropriate, as the fresh ‘killed bird, 
both male and female, has the striking 
white bands or rings on the bill; while the 
chestnut collar is found 

ames 
mer 
piumaged males, and even on these is not 
conspicuous. 
Eastern shooters also call this bird the 
marsh black-head, when they distinguish 
it from the other black-heads or scaups. 
In habits as well as in tufted appear- 
ance of head the ringbill resembles the 
tufted duck of the old world, and is the 
connecting link between that species and 
the scaups. 
It generally frequents smaller ponds and 
more rushy localities than the scaups, 
but I have seen both species of scaups, 
ringbills, redheads and canvasbacks (all 
5 species of the genus Atthya found in 
America), in one enormous flock. Like 
other members of this genus the ringbill 
is a swift flier; in fact, I should class it 
as the fastest flying duck in America. 
When in full plumage the male is a very 
handsome duck and when swimming on 
the water looks almost as white as a 
only on full 
THE RINGBILE DUCK, A7T7AVA COLLARS: 
352 
scaup, the long and ample flank feathers 
completely covering the dark-colored 
wings, and even a portion of the back. Fe- 
males and young males can always be told 
from those of the scaups by the color of 
the secondaries, which are bluish gray 
o 
S 
instead of white; from the female redhead, 
which the female ringbill closely resem- 
bles, the smaller size of the latter will 
always distinguish it. The range of the 
ringbill covers the entire continent, ex- 
cept the extreme Northern coast line. It 
seems’ to be much more numerous in 
Central and Western North America than 
in the East. It breeds sparsely in. Soutk- 
ern British Columbia, becoming more 
common in the interior, especially toward 
the Northeastern purtion of the province. 
The iris in the male is bright yellow; 
bill, dark plumbeous with tip black, and 
crossed by 2 bands of Chinese white, one 
at base, and the other toward tip. In 
the female the colors of the bill are rather 
more subdued, and the iris is yellowish 
olive. These vivid white bands fade 
away very soon after death. When fresh 
killed the bird appears to have had them 
painted on, 

