[213.] 4. F u l ig u l a r u f it o r q u e s . (Bonap.) Bing-necked, Duck.
Sub-f a m il y , Fuligulin®, Sw a in s. Genus, Fuligula, R ay.
Tufted Duck {Anas fuligula). W il s ., viii., p. 60, pi. 67, f. '5 ; male *.
Fuligula rufitorques. B o nap. Syn., p. 393, No. 341.
Cuskeetaw-sheep. Cr e e I n d ia n s and Ch ip p ew a y s .
DESCRIPTION
Of a male, killed on the Saskatchewan, May 7, 1827.
Colour.—Head and greater part of the neck greenish-black, reflecting deep violet-purple;
beneath which a dark chestnnt-brown collar. Base of the neck, whole dorsal plumage]
tertiaries, greater coverts, breast, vent, and under tail coverts, greenish-black; lesser coverts]
primaries, and tail, blackish-brown; secondaries pearl-grey, narrowly tipped with white.
Belly white, from which a crescentic curve to the shoulder; flanks and posterior part of the
belly finely undulated with blackish-brown. Bill black; rictus, line round the base, and
belt near the tip of the upper mandible, light blue. Irides deep yellow. Legs blackish-
brown.
Form—Bill formed on the model of the English A. mania, but rather smaller and not
so wide; larger than that of the smaller variety of the American Scaup Duck, tipper
lamina flat, rather broad, and not cutting, their points acute and slightly curved backwards.
Plumage of the crown and hind-head thick, and somewhat lengthened. Wings three inches
shorter than the tail. Tail short ; its feathers narrow, the lateral ones graduated.
Female. Upper plumage dark-brown, edged on the top of the head, shoulders, scapulars,
and breast, with chestnut: sides of the breast and flanks unmixed dark chestnut. Wings
mostly hair-brown: speculum as in the male. Region of the bill, throat, and belly, greyish-
white, speckled with brown; posterior part of the belly liver-brown. The band near the
point of the bill fainter than in the male, and the line round the base scarcely perceptible.
The greater extent of the flattened triangular part of the bill" next the front serves to distinguish
the female of this species from that of the Scaup Duck— In the young male &
year old, the belly is more clouded, the upper plumage wants the chestnut tints, and has a
darker colour than in the female, and the brown collar is not formed.
Dimensions
Of the male.
Inch.. Lin. Length, total . 19 0
' „* of tail . " 2. 6
,, • /of wing . . 7 3
Length of bill above . . 1 10 „ ©f bill to upper angle 2 0
,, of bill to rictus . 2 0
Length of tarsus . 1 4
,, of. middle toe . • 2 U
,, . of outer web . 2 . 2 —R.
* Thl>M ^ 1“ rujtlorqaes las no distinct crest like the European tufted duck (F. crmtata, B oha’p .) which Wilson
could never have seen, otherwise he would not have confounded it with the American bird. Indeed the latter bears
more resemblance to.F. mmrila, the females of the two species being with difficulty distinguished.—R.
[214.] 5. F d l ig u l a r u b id a . (Bonap.) Ruddy Duck*.
Sub-f a m il y , Fuligulin®, Swains. Genus, Fuligula, R ay.
Ruddy Duck (Anas rubida). W il s ., viii., p. 126, pi. 71, f* 5, male; f. 6, young.
Anas rubida (Ruddy Duck). Sab., Frankl. Joum., p. 700.
Fuligula (Oxyura) rubida. B onap. Syn., p. 390, No. 336.
DESCRIPTION
_ Of a male, killed on the Saskatchewan, June, 1827»
Colour.—Upper surface of the head and the nape velvet-black; middle of the back and the
tail brownish-black. Throat, neck, fore part of the back, rump, scapulars, and flanks, pure
brownish-orange ; sides of the head and the chin white. Wings unspotted hair-brown, the
secondaries tipped with white. Base of the under plumage clove-brown, its tips shining white.
Bill shining light blue. Legs brown.
Female.—Ground colour of the top of the head, and the parts which are reddish-orange in
the male, blackish-brown; the crown tipped with chestnut, mottled with brown. Sides of
the head brown, with an imperfect white patch. Neck clove-brown, mixed with chestnut.
Under plumage and wings nearly as in the male ; the lesser coverts sparingly sprinkled with
grey specks.
Form.—Bill about equal in length to the small head, much depressed, and considerably
dilated towards the point. Unguis very small, hooked, and minutely pectinated on its margin.
Upper lamince strong, and truncated like those of the Mareca Americana, but not projecting
below the margin of the mandible; lower ones fine and crowded like those of the Anas
(Boschas) crecca. Nostrils in the middle of the bill and near each other, situated in the
anterior part of a large oval membrane. Wings very short and concave;. Tail similar in form
to that of a Cormorant, composed of sixteen narrow feathers; the tail coverts wanting or very
short, and not to be distinguished from the adjoining plumage. Vent at the extremity of the
body when the tail is raised. Under plumage very close; its tips of a peculiarly bristly texture.
Length, total .
„ of tail
,, of wing
Dimensions
Of the male and female.
Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin.
'19 0 Length of bill above . . 1 64- Length of middle toe
3 6 ,,' of bill to rictus . 2 0 „ of its nail .
• 5 6 „ of tarsus . 1 . 1 4 „ of outer toe
Inch. Lin.
2 4
o 44
—2 R. 4 |
* We suspect that this bird, and one or two others of similar form found by us in Tropical Brazil, will constitute a
sub-genus, in which light it has been already viewed by the Prince of Musignano. We do not at present follow this
talented ornithologist, because Oxyurus had been applied the previous year (1827) to a sub-genus of Creepers, and because
we have not yet investigated the subordinate forms in the typical genus Fuligula with reference to those of
Anas. The two groups, however, so beautifully represent each other, that some writers have taken this analogy for
an affinity, by describing the Ruddy Duck as a true Shoveller.—Sw. •