ENGLISH WIDGEON. 
445 
on all but last, with dark-brown. Remainder of upper parts, dark-brown, finely banded on back with yellowish-white. 
Outer webs of scapularies, velvety-black margined with whitish. Greater upper wing coverts, under parts, and flanks, 
white, the first tipped with black. Under wing coverts and lesser upper coverts, ashy. Speculum and under tail coverts, 
black, the former ashy above and glossed anteriorly with greenish. Bill, bluish; feet, black, and iris, brown. 
Adult female. Similar, but lacks the white crown and iridescence on head. The white of greater wing coverts is re¬ 
placed by ashy and the barrings above are coarser. The under tail coverts are brown banded with white, and the other 
colors are paler. Young. Resemble the adult female. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Known by the spotted head and neck and black and green speculum. Distributed in summer throughout the North 
and North-west; wintering from New Jersey, southward. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 19*75; stretch, 32*75; wing, 1035; tail, 4’10; bill, 
1*45; tarsus, l - 65. Longest specimen, 21*75; greatest extent of wing, 35*50; longest wing, 11*25; tail, 4 20; bill, 1*50; tarsus, 
1*80. Shortest specimen, 17*76; smallest extent of wing, 30*00; shortest wing, 9*50; tail, 4*00; bill, 1*40; tarsus, 1*50. 
DESCRIPTION OP NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed on the ground in marshy places, composed of sticks, weeds, etc. Eggs, six to ten in number, elliptical 
in form, and brownish-buff in color. Dimensions from 1*30 x2*00 to 1*50 x 2* 10. 
HABITS. 
The American Widgeons are not very common throughout the northern portion of the 
eastern section of North America during migrations, but occur in considerable numbers in 
the South in winter, and I have found them quite abundant in the mouths of the rivers that 
flow into the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast of Florida. Here they occurred in flocks, 
in company with the Scaup and other Ducks. They were, however, rather shy, when com¬ 
pared with other members of the order, but did not differ in general habits from most of 
the Ducks which inhabit rivers. 
MARECA PENELOPE. 
English Widgeon. 
Mareca penelope Bon., List; 1838. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Size, not very large. Form, robust. Color. Adult male. Top of head, yellowish-white. Sides of head 
and neck all around, chestnut-red, spotted irregularly and sparcely with black, excepting in front, where the ground 
color is nearly obscured with it, and the spots around eye show greenish reflections. Back and sides, dark-brown, finely 
banded with white. Upper tail coverts, whitish with ashy centers, the outer margined with black. Wings and tail, 
dark-brown, the latter edged with white. Lesser wing coverts, ashy; greater, white tipped with black. Outer webs of 
scapularies, black, edged with white. Speculum, black with greenish reflections on anterior portion. Axillaries and un¬ 
der wing coverts, ashy, banded with white. The upper breast and sides are chestnut-red tinged with ashy. The under 
tail coverts are black. Remainder of under parts, white. Iris, brown; bill and feet, bluish. 
Adult female. General color above, reddish-brown, with the feathers edged with whitish and centrally spotted with 
dark-brown. Speculum, gray, surrounded, excepting below, with white. The under tail coverts are white, banded with 
brown. Otherwise similar to the adult male. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
The male may be known by the chestnut-red head and black and green speculum. The female, by the gray speculum 
and reddish-brown sides. Constant resident in Europe. Rare on the Eastern coast of the United States. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens. Length, 19*00; stretch, 33*50; wing, 10*00; tail, 4*25; bill, 1*55; tarsus, 1*56. 
Longest specimen, 20 00; greatest extent of wing, 34*00; longest wing, 10*50; tail, 4*50; bill, TOO; tarsus, 1*65. Shortest 
specimen, 18 00; smallest extent of wing, 33*00; shortest wing, 9*50; tail, 4*00; bill, 1*50; tarsus, 1*53. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed on the ground in marshy places, composed of grass and weeds. Eggs from five to eight in number, oval 
in form, creamy-buff in color. Dimensions from 1*40x2*20 to 1*50x2*50. 
HABITS. 
The English Widgeon, a well-known European species, although formally considered 
as only accidental on our eastern coast, is really a regular visitant, some being taken ev- 
