702 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — LAMELLIBOSTBES — ANSEEES. 
723. F. feri'na america/na. (Lat. ferina, feral, Wild. Figs. 486, 487, 488.) Red-head. 
American Pochard. Adult ^ : The feathers of the head somewhat full and puffy, though 
forming no crest. Bill broad and flattened, 
a little widened toward end, running into 
the forehead which arches abruptly over 
and away from it, not rising gradually into 
line with forehead; shorter or not longer 
than head, 2 inches or less in length along 
culm en, the nostrils within its basal half; 
the forward end of nostril about |- the way 
from upper corner to end of bill. Bill dull 
blue with a black belt at the end. (Compare head and bill of 
canvas-back.) Iris orange. Feet dull grayisli-blue, with dusky 
webs and black claws. Head and neck all around rich pure 
chestnut, not obscured with dusky-brown, but with bronzy or 
coppery red reflections. Lower neck and fore parts of body 
above and below, with rump and tail-coverts above and behjw, 
blackish. Back mixed whitish and blackish in about equal 
amounts, the dark wavy lines distinct and unbroken. (In the 
European pochard, F. ferina, from which our bird differs, tlie 
back is also distinctly and completely waved with black, but the 
ground is quite white, as in our canvas-back, in which the dark 
lines are much broken up, the white thus prevailing. This fine 
vermiculation, when not too closely examined, gives a delicate 
silvery-gray tone, of different shade in the difterent species.) 
Sides of body under the wings vermiculated much like the back, 
the undulations subsiding in the grayish -white of the middle 
under parts. Wing-coverts ashy-gray, minutely dotted with 
Fig. 487. — Red-head, J nat. size. 
(From nature by J. L. Ridgway.) 
white ; 
Fig. 488. — Red-beads. (From Lewis.) 
of 14 feathers; tarsus 1.50; middle toe and claw 2.75. N. 
speculum hoary-ash, 
bordered internally 
with black ; lining of 
wings mostly white. 
9 : Bill obscured blu- 
ish, with black belt 
near end; iris yellow ; 
feet as in ^. Same 
shape of bill and 
head. Head and up- 
per neck dull reddish- 
brown, paler or whit- 
ish on cheeks and 
behind eye ; upper 
parts brownish, the 
feathers paler edged. 
Wings much as in 
^, the white lining 
restricted. Length 
20.00-23.00; extent 
about 33.00 ; wing 
9.00-10.00; tail 3.00, 
Am. at large, but particularly 
