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Remarks (Females of the European)

The females of the European and American Widgeons bear a general resemblance to one another. Their distinguishing characters are characters are mainly in the color of the head and throat, which are brown in the European brown in the European species, and in the color of the greater wing-coverts, which are whiter in the , which are whiter in the American bird. I have seen a caged male in the summer in a plumage closely summer in a plumage closely resembling that of the female. Probably a similar change of plumage occurs of plumage occurs in our A. americana.

Range.-Northern parts of the Old World; in North America breeds in the Aleutian Islands, and occurs occasionally in the eastern United States. United States.

Washington, A. V., two records. Long Island, A. V. , A. V.

Eggs, five to eight, buffy white, 2-23 × 1.53. "The call-note of the male is a shrill, whistling whēē-you, whence the local names ' Whew Duck' and Whewer'; but the female utters female utters a low purr-ing growl. Both sexes, however, rise in silence" ( Saunders). 137. Anas americana Gmel. BALDPATE; AMERICAN WIDGEON. Ad. 8.-Middle of the crown white or buffy; sides of the crown, from the eye RIVER DUCKS. to the nape, glossy green, more or less sprinkled with black; lores, cheeks, and throat buffy, finely barred with black; upper breast and sides vinaceous, the latter more or less finely barred with wavy black lines; lower breast and belly white; back grayish brown, more or less tinged with vinaceous and finely barred with black. Ad. q. -Head and throat white or pale, creamy buff, finely streaked and barred with black, darker above; upper breast and sides pale vinaceous washed with grayish; lower breast and belly white; back grayish brown, the feathers with small creamy buff bars; tertials fuscous, bordered with whitish or creamy buff; greater wing-coverts brownish gray, their outer webs mostly or entirely white, their ends black, sometimes tipped with white.

L., 19.00; W., 10.50; Tar., 1.50; B., 1.40.