ANATIN.E — THE DUCKS — ANAS. 491 



brownish black, the throat immaculate ; bill light yellowish brown, darker on culmen ; 

 speculum dark grass-green, changing to blue and violet, followed, successively, by a 

 velvety black subterrainal and a pure white terminal bar, each about .35 of an inch 

 wide. Wing, 8.50 inches ; culmen, 1.65 ; tarsus, 1.30 ; middle toe, 1.70. Hah. Western 

 Mexico (Mazatlan). 



Anas boschas.i 



THE MALLARD. 



Ajias boschas, Linn. S. N. ed. 12, I. 1766, 205. — Wils. Am. Orn. VIII. 1814, 112, pi. 70, f. 7. — 

 AuD. Orn. Biog. III. 1835, 164, pi. 221 ; Syuop. 1839, 276 ; B. Am. VI. 184-3, 236, pi. 385.— 

 Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 774 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 576. — Coues, Ke}', 1872, 285 ; Check 

 List, 1873, no. 488 ; B. X. W. 1874, 559. 



Anas boscas, Wharton, Ibis, 1879, 453. — Ridgv/. ISTom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 601. — CouEs, Check 

 List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 707. 



Anas dmnestica, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 538. 



Anas {Boschas) domp.stica, Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II. 1831, 442. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 378. 



Anasfera, " Briss." — Leach, Cat. Brit. Mus. 1816, 30. 



Anas adunca, Linn. S. N. ed. 12, L 1766, 206. —Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 538. 



Hab. North America in general, south to Panama ; Cuba ; Bahamas ; Greenland. Palaearctic 

 Region. 



Sp. Char. Adult inale in fall, winter, and spring : Head and neck continuous soft brilliant 

 metallic green, showing purple and golden-bronze reflections in different lights. A ring of pure 

 white round the lower part of the neck interrupted on the nape ; jugulum and upper part of the 

 breast rich dark chestnut. Interscapulars brownish gray, finely waved with grayish white ; scap- 

 ulars and lower parts grayish white, delicately waved with dark ash. Outer webs of tertials dark 



portion ) consisting of a metallic speculum of dark grass-green, varying to blue and violet in certain lights. 

 Tertials opaque velvety black exteriorly, the inner webs brownish slate ; primary-coverts and primaries 

 brownish slate, the latter edged with lighter. Tail brownish gray, the feathers edged and coar.sely spotted 

 with light buft'. Bill light yellowish brown, darker on the culmen, the unguis dusky ; feet light yellowish 

 (probably orange in life). Wing, 8.50 inches ; tail, 3.25 ; culmen, 1.65 ; gi-eatest width of the bill, .60 ; 

 depth of maxilla through the base, .50 ; tarsus, 1.30 ; middle toe, 1.70. 



Type, No. 12,789, U. S. Xat. Mus. ; Mazatlan, Mexico ; Colonel Abert. 



Remarks. This remarkable little Duck is very different from any other known species. In its small 

 size, and, to a certain extent, the narrow bill, it is like the species of Querqueduki, but its coloration calls 

 instantly to mind the Anas fulvigula from Florida, and the species {A. WyvUliana) from the Sandwich 

 Islands recently described by Mr. Sclater. The specimen is marked as being a female, so it is possible 

 that the male may be more brilliant in plumage. 



In addition to the characters given above, it may be mentioned that there is a distinct indication of a 

 narrow, dusky, postocular streak, and of a wider and less distinct loral stripe, thus separating a light 

 superciliary stripe from the light color of the cheeks. The lining of the wing and the axillars are pure 

 white, the latter with a segregation of dusky spots near the carpo-metacarpal joint. 



1 The following names also have been referred to this species, as designating varieties or hybrids with 

 other species : — 



' ' Anxis curvirostra, Pall. " ( G rat. ) 



" Anas Freycinett, Bonap." (Gray.) 



Anas archiboschas, subboschas, conboschas, Brehm, Ycig. Deutschl. 862, 864, 865. 



Anas purpureoviridis, ScHiNZ. 



Anas maxima, GossE, Birds Jam. 1847, 399 (= hybrid with Cairina moschata). 



Anas bicolor, Donovan, Br. Birds, IX. pi. 212. 



Anas Breweri, AuD. Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 302, pi. 338 ("glocitans") ; Syuop. 1839, 277 ; B. 



Am. VI. 1843, 252, ])1. 387. [Perhaps adult ^ of ^. boschas in changing plumage. ] 

 Anas Auduboni, Bonap. List, 1838, 56 {"bimaculata"). (Same as Breweri.) 

 Fuligula viola. Bell. Ann. Lye. X. Y. V. 1852, 219. 

 Anas iopareia, Phil. AViegm. Archiv, I. 1860, 25 ; P. Z. S. 1866, 531. 



