ANATIN^ — THE DUCKS — CHAULELASMUS. 



507 



Female. 



the head and neck, and in irregular transverse spots and bars on other portions. On the upper 



surface the dusky prevails, and on the lower parts the whitish predominates. Wing nearly as in 



the male, but the chestnut usually absent, the black less extended, and the gray of the coverts gen- 

 erally more or less barred and tipped with white. Abdomen and lower part of the breast pure 



white ; throat finely streaked with dusky. Downy 



young : " Covered with soft short down ; head, 



nape, back, and rump, dark dull brown, on each 



side of the rump and back of each wing-joint a 



sulphur-yellow spot, the wing-joints being marked 



with that color ; forehead, space round the eye, 



throat, and chest pale sulphur-yellow ; abdomen 



white, shaded with sulphur-yellow, on the lower 



part sooty gray " (Sharpe & Dresser). 



MaZe, wing, 10.25-11.00 inches ; culmen, 1.60- 



1.75; width of bill, .60-. 75 ; tarsus, 1.45-1.70; 



middle toe, 1.80-1.90. Female, wing. 10.00-10.10 ; 



culmen, 1.55-1.65 ; width of bill, .60-.70 ; tarsus, 



1.60; middle toe, 1.75-1.80. 



Although one of the above diagnoses will fit 

 almost any example of this species, there is yet a 



very consideral^le extent of individual variation 

 noticeable in a large series. Thus, No. 17040 



(Washington, D. C, Feb. 25, 1860 ; C. Drexler) has the uniform brown of the pileum coming 

 down over the side of the head to a line on a level -with the lower eyelid, the whole upper half of 

 the head being thus nearly free from specks ; while that portion behind the eye has a faint, but 

 very perceptible, rose-purple reflection — this part of the head calling strongly to mind the head- 

 pattern of Nettion and Mareca americana. On the other hand, an adult male from Philadelphia 

 (No. 46658, J. Krider) has even the top of the head spotted. No. 9791, $ ad., Fort Steilacoom, 

 W. T. (Dr. George Suckley), has the pileum almost chestnut, the brown having there such a 

 deeply reddish cast ; the lower neck is nearly plain pale ochraceous, abruptly defined against the 

 darkly colored jugulum. Specimens from Cape St. Lucas and Utah present no unusual features. 



All American specimens differ uniformly, from the single European pair before us, in several 

 very tangible respects. The European male has the neck quite deeply ochraceous, while in the 

 American ones there is seldom more than a mere tinge of this color ; the jugulum is also pervaded 

 by a wash of a more pinkish tinge of the same, while there is appreciably less regularity and clear- 

 ness in the markings of that region. The longer scapulars are more deeply tinged A\dth fulvous, 

 and the finely undulated portions are pervaded with a brownish wash, entirely wanting in the 

 American series. The measurements of this specimen (No. 57187, Europe ; Schliiter Collection) 

 are as follows : Wing, 10.80 inches ; culmen, 1.65 ; width of bill, .70 ; tarsus, 1.55 ; middle toe, 

 1.85. The female specimen from Europe is very similar to North American examples, but is 

 rather more deeply colored, the dark centres to the feathers being nearly deep black. The whole 

 throat is immaculate white. The measurements are as follows : Wing, 9.50 inches ; culmen, 

 1.50; tarsus, 1.35; middle toe, 1.60. 



The Gadwall, or Gray Duck, like tlie Mallard, the Pintail, the Shoveller, and one 

 or two other fresh-water Ducks, has a general distribution, nearly or quite throughout 

 the northern hemisphere. It is more or less common in nearly all parts of North 

 America, from the Fur Region to Central America, and from Maine to the Pacific. 

 Its presence in several extended districts, however, remains to be confirmed. It is 

 found in all parts of Europe, from Iceland to Gibraltar, occurs throughout North 

 Africa, and is distributed over the larger portion of Asia. 



Mr. Robert Kennicott, in his manuscript notes on the Anatidce of North America, 

 states that this Duck, like the Aijtliya americana and some other birds, though ex- 

 tending west of the mountains within the United States, apparently passes in its 



