134 
AMERICAN WIDGEON. 
In the male, in adult plumage, the bill is 
bluish-grey, black towards the tip, and having the 
nail of that colour ; the forehead and crown are 
pale buff-orange, chin and throat black, while the 
rest of the head and neck are rich orange-brown ; 
breast purplish red, tinged with grey; belly and 
vent pure white; the back, scapulars, sides, and 
flanks are finely waved with irregular bars of black 
and white; smaller wing-covers next the shoulders 
grey, the others pure white, the greater covers with 
black tips; the secondaries in the centre forming 
the speculum glossy green, the base and tips of the 
feathers black, quills hair-brown ; the tertials, which 
are always conspicuous in this family, have their 
inner webs grey, the outer ones velvet-black mar- 
gined with pure white ; tail brown, and rather 
lengthened in form. In the female the head and 
neck are yellowish-brown, thickly covered with 
blackish- brown spots, upper parts greyish brown, 
the feathers with paler margins ; breast, belly, and 
vent white ; sides and flanks yellowish-brown, which 
is often more or less spread over the under parts. 
The American Widgeon, Mareca Americana. 
— Anas Americana, Wils.,Aud., Nutt., &c . — Mereca 
Americana, Steph. and Faun. Bor. Amer. — Asa Bri- 
tish bird, Blyth, Nat. iii. p. 417- — Yarr. B. Birds, 
iii. p. 196 A single specimen of this species was 
obtained in one of the London markets in the winter 
of 1837-8 by Mr. Bartlet, and communicated in a 
