SUMMER DUCK. 
Anas Sponsa. 
Le Canard d’ ete'. 
Le beau Canard huppe/. 
American Wood Duck. 
Summer Duck. 
Lin. Syst . p. 2 07 . 
Bris. Orn. yi. p. 3 5 I . 
Buff . Ois . lX.p. 2 4 5 . 
Broun. Jam. p . 4 8 1 . 
Catesb. Gar. i. p* 97 . Ediu. 
101 . Lath. iii. 5 45 . 
This most elegant subject is about the size of the widgeon, and the plu- 
mage is so exceedingly beautiful, splendid, and various, that the most for- 
tunate exertion of the artist can scarcely imitate it with success; on which 
account it has been named the beautiful crested Duck. 
It is met with from New York to the West-India Islands, and also in 
Mexico, where it is called Yztactzon-yayauhqui, or the bird of the various 
coloured head. 
It appears at New York in the latter end of February, passes the summer 
in Carolina, perching on the tallest trees which grow near the water (espe- 
cially the deciduous cypress), and making its nest on those trees, in holes 
made by woodpeckers, and frequently between the forks of the branches, 
whence they are called the Branch, or Tree Duck. When the young ones 
are hatched, the old ones take them on their backs to the water, to whom 
the ducklings, on the least symptom of danger, closely adhere with their 
bill. 
The natives of Louisiana ornament their calumets of peace with the 
neck of this bird; the flesh is much esteemed by them, and considered as a 
very great delicacy . 
The female differs from the drake, the head is dusicy brown, slightly 
crested, round the base ol the bill, beneath the eye, chin, and tin oat are 
white, the neck and breast brown, with taint white triangular spots, the 
back and tail are brown; the wings brown, tinged with blue green just above 
the quills ; across the wings is a narrow bar of white; the legs as in the malt. 
