120 
RED-HEADED DUCK. 
neck, deep glossy reddish chestnut ; rest of the neck and upper part 
of the breast black, spreading round to the back ; belly white, be- 
coming dusky towards the vent, by closely marked undulating lines 
of black; back and scapulars bluish white, rendered gray by nu- 
merous transverse waving lines of black; lesser wing-coverts 
brownish ash; wing quills very pale slate, dusky at the tips ; lower 
part of the back, and sides under the wings, brownish black, cross- 
ed with regular zigzag lines of whitish; vent, rump, tail, and tail- 
coverts, black ; legs and feet dark ash. 
The female has the upper part of the head dusky brown, rest 
of the head, and part of the neck, a light sooty brown ; upper part 
of the breast ashy brown, broadly skirted with whitish ; back dark 
ash, with little or no appearance of white penciling ; wings, bill, 
and feet, nearly alike in both sexes. 
This Duck is sometimes met with in the rivers of North and 
South Carolina, and also in those of New Jersey and New York; 
but generally in fresh water, and usually at no great distance from 
the sea. Is most numerous in the waters of the Chesapeake ; and 
with the connoisseurs in good eating, ranks next in excellence to 
the Canvass-back. Its usual weight is about two pounds, avoirdu- 
pois. 
The Red-head leaves the Chesapeake bay, and its tributary 
streams, in March, and is not seen until late in October. 
The male of this species has a large flat bony labyrinth on the 
bottom of the windpipe, very much like that of the Canvass-back, 
but smaller; over one of its concave sides is spread an exceeding 
thin transparent skin, or membrane. The intestines are of great 
width, and measure six feet in length. 
