ANATIDjE. 



455 



[214.] 5. Fuligula rubiua. (Bonap.) Ruddy Duck*. 



Sub-family, Fuligulinse, Swains. Genus, Fuligula, Ray. 



Ruddy Duck {Anas rubida). Wils., viii., p. 125, pi. 71, f- 5, male ; f. 6, young. 



Anas rubida (Ruddy Duck). Sab., Frankl.Journ., p. 700. 



Fuligula (Oxyura) rubida. Bonap. Syn., p. 390, No. 336". 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a male, killed on the Saskatchewan, June, 1827. 



Colour. — Upper surface of the head and the nape velvet-black ; middle of the back and the 

 tail brownish-black. Throat, neck, fore part of the back, rump, scapulars, and flanks, pure 

 brownish-orange ; sides of the head and the chin white. Wings unspotted hair-brown, the 

 secondaries tipped with white. Base of the under plumage clove-brown, its tips shining white. 

 Bill shining light blue. Legs brown. 



Female. — Ground colour of the top of the head, and the parts which are reddish-orange in 

 the male, blackish-brown ; the crown tipped with chestnut, mottled with brown. Sides of 

 the head brown, with an imperfect white patch. Neck clove-brown, mixed with chestnut. 

 Under plumage and wings nearly as in the male ; the lesser coverts sparingly sprinkled with 

 grey specks. 



Form. — Bill about equal in length to the small head, much depressed, and considerably 

 dilated towards the point. Unguis very small, hooked, and minutely pectinated on its margin. 

 Upper lamince strong, and truncated like those of the Mareca Americana, but not projecting 

 below the margin of the mandible; lower ones fine and crowded like those of the Anas 

 (Boschas) crecca. Nostrils in the middle of the bill and near each other, situated in the 

 anterior part of a large oval membrane. Wings very short and concave. Tail similar in form 

 to that of a Cormorant, composed of sixteen narrow feathers ; the tail coverts wanting or very 

 short, and not to be distinguished from the adjoining plumage. Vent at the extremity of the 

 body when the tail is raised. Under plumage very close ; its tips of a peculiarly bristly texture. 









Dimensions 















Of the male and female. 











Inch. 



Lin. 



Inch. 



Lin. 





Inch. Lin. 



Length, total 



19 







Length of bill above . . 1 



H 



Length of middle toe 



2 4 



„ of tail 



3 



6 



„ of bill to rictus . 2 







,, of its nail . 



. 4J 



,, of wing 



. 5 



6 



,, of tarsus . . 1 



4 



„ of outer toe 



. 2 4| 



— R. 



* We suspect that this bird, and one or two others of similar form found by us in Tropical Brazil, will constitute a 

 sub-genus, in which light it has been already viewed by the Prince of Musignano. We do not at present follow this 

 talented ornithologist, because Oxyurus had been applied the previous year (1827) to a sub-genus of Creepers, and be- 

 cause we have not yet investigated the subordinate forms in the typical genus Fuligula with reference to those of 

 Anas. The two groups, however, so beautifully represent each other, that some writers have taken this analogy for 

 an affinity, by describing the Ruddy Duck as a true Shoveller.— Sw. 



