110 SEA DUCKS.

146. Aythya. mericana. (Eyt). REDHEAD. Ad. 6 .—Head and throat bright rufous; lower neck, breast, back of the neck, and upper back black ; rest of the back and scapulars finely barred with wavy black and white lines of equal width ; wing-coverts brownish gray; upper tail-eoverts black; belly white, the lower belly more or less finely barred with black; under tail- coverts black; sides like the back. Ad. 9 .——Upper parts dark grayish brown, darker on the rump, the feathers more or less margined with bufl'y or ashy; sides of the head lighter; upper throat white; neck bufl'y ochraceous; breast and sides grayish brown, more or less washed or margined with butl'y or buffy ochraceous; belly white; lower belly and under tail—coverts tinged with ochraceous; an indistinct bluish-gray band across the end of the bill. L., 1900; W., 8'90; Tar., 1'55; B., 1'85.

Remarka—This species is frequently confused with the Canvasbaek, from which it may be distinguished by the characters given under that species.

The female Redhead is much like the female Ring-neck in coloration; the latter is generally browner, but they can be distinguished with certainty only by the difference in their size.

Range—North America; breeds from California and Minnesota north- ward to the fur countries; rare on the North Atlantic coast, where it has been found breeding only once (Calais, Me.); winters from Virginia southward to Cuba and Jamaica.

Washington, common W. V. Long Island, T. V. in irregular numbers, Oct. 1 to Apl. 15, few W. V. Sing Sing, common T. V., Apl. 1 to Apl. 24; Get. 12 to Oct. 28. Cambridge, casual; one instance, Oct.

Nest, on the ground in grassy sloughs or marshy lake sides. Eggs, six to twelve, buffy white, 2'40 x 1'70.

The Ducks of the genus Aythya possess to some extent the habits of both the River Ducks and true Sea Ducks. They are divers in deep water, but along the shores or in shallow water they are also “dab- blers.” On our coasts the Redhead is a Bay Duck, and feeds in salt

and brackish water.

147. Aythya. vamsneria. ( Wits). CANVASBACK. Ad. 6 .—Head and neck rufous-brown, the chin and crown generally blackish; breast and upper back black; rest of the back and generally wing-coaerte finely barred with wavy lines of black and white, the white lines the wider; belly white; lower belly more or less finely barred with black; upper and under tail—cov- erts black; sides white, much less lightly barred with Wavy black lines than the back, or even entirely without bars. Ad. 9 .—Head, neck, upper breast, and upper back cinnamon, the throat lighter, and, with the front parts of the head, more or less washed with rufous; back grayish brown, the feathers more or less barred with wavy white lines; belly white or grayish white; sides the same or grayish brown, generally marked like the back. L., 2100; W., 9'00; Tait, 1'60; 13., 2'40.

Remarks—This species is sometimes mistaken for the Redhead, to which it bears a general resemblance. The males of the two species may be distin- guished (1) by the color of the head and neck, which is rufous in the Red-