494 LAMELLIROSTRAL SWIMMERS — AXSERES. 



(2.) A melanotic variety of the domesticated race is propagated at Mount Auburn, Mass., and 

 in other localities in tlie Northern States. A fine adult male irom the former place, presented by 

 Dr. Brewer to the National Museum (No. 66231), has the following characters : Entire plumage 

 intense coal-black, with an invgular patch of pure white on the breast, and a smaller one on the 

 middle of the foreneck. Lower surface o]ia(|ue, and with a slight brownish cast ; but entire upper 

 surlace (except primaries and rectrices), including the head and neck, glossed with a brilliant green 

 reflection, changing to violet in certain lights ; the speculum is of the same changeable green or 

 violet as the wing-coverts, but is broadly tipped witli o[ia(pie black ; the head and neck are more 

 brilliant green than the other portions. This specimen measures, wing, 1 1.2.5 inches ; culnien, 2.10 ; 

 tarsus, 1.90 ; middle toe, 2.15. The l)ill is blackish olive, and the feet black. The latter are much 

 stouter than thuse of the wild bird ; Init this is said to be a peculiarity of the Domestic Mallard as 

 distinguished from the wild bird. The size and proportions of this specimen prove it to be a true 

 Mallard, and not a hybrid with another species, though the prevalence of the metallic reflections 

 over the whole of the upper parts caused an early comparison with Gairina moschata, on suspicion 

 that it might be part " Muscovy " — which, however, proves to be not the case. The curled upper 

 tail-coverts and middle tail-feathers are precisely as in the ordinary Mallard. The characters of 

 this variety are said to be very constant. 



(3.) Among the undoubted hybrids between the Mallard and other species of Ducks, there 

 are three before us, represented by four examples. That of most common occurrence is a cross 

 with the Muscovy {Cairina moschata ^), a Tropical American species, but common in domestication. 

 These hybrids are no doubt produced in the barnyard ; but it is said that such birds do not inherit 

 the tameness of their progenitors, but revert to the original wildness of both species, and escape by 

 flight. Certain it is, that they are frequently shot by gunners along our coast. The two speci- 

 mens before us possess the following characters : No. 17142, ^ ad. has the large, broad speculum, 

 and broad, lengthened tail specially characteristic of the Muscovy, and lacks the recurved feathers 

 of the Mallard. Head and upper half of the neck black, with a dull green reflection, mixed with 

 white on the throat and beneath the eye ; lower half of the neck, except behind, white ; breast and 

 sides deep rufous-chestnut ; rest of lower parts white, the flanks and post-tibial region undulated 

 with slate-color ; crissum brownish black, tinged with rufous. Above, brownish black, grizzled 

 with transverse sprinkling of grayish l)rown, becoming uniform black on the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts, which have a rich dark-green reflection. Wing-coverts uniform slate-color ; speculum 

 uniform bottle-green, narrowly tipped with white ; primaries entirely immaculate pure white ; tail 

 uniform dark slate. Bill yellow (pink in life ?), mottled with black ; feet orange. Head com- 

 pletely feathered. Wing, 13.20 ; culmen, 2.30; tarsus, 2.20 ; middle toe, 2.60. 



No. 66617, (J ad., with the same general appearance, differs in some important particidars. It 

 is destitute of the all)inotic indication seen in the white primaries and neck-patch. The head and 

 neck are continuous greenish bronze of a peculiar tint, intermediate between the purplish of C. 

 moschata and the pure green of A. boschas. The lower portion of the neck, the breast, and sides 



1 Cairina moschata. 



Anas moschata, LiXN. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 124; ed. 12, I. 1766, 199. — Nutt. Man. Water 



Birds, 1834, 403 (Lower Mississippi and Gulf Coast of U. S. !). 

 Cairina moschata, Flem. Phil. Zool. 1822, 260 ; Br. Anim. 1828, 122. —Sol. & Salv. Nom. 



Nootr. 187.3, 129; P. Z. S. 1876, 378 (monographic). — CouEs, Birds N. W. 1874, 559 



(synonymy). 

 Cairina sylvestris, Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XIL ii. 1824, 69. 

 Lc Canard Musque, Buff. PI. Enl. 986. 

 El Pato grande o Real, Azaka, Apunt. III. 1805, no. 437. 

 ? Anas Mariance, Shaw, Nat. Misc. II. t. 69. 



Hab. The whole of tropical America, except West Indies. 



This species is most likely yet to be detected in the wild state along our southern border — in fact, 

 Nuttall, as quoted above, says that it is " occasionally seen along the coasts of the Mexican Gulf, in 

 the lower part of Mississippi, and stragglers are frequently observed along the coasts of the warmer 

 parts of the Union." In its habits it much resembles the common Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), its favorite 

 haunts being swampy woods and the forest-border of streams, where it nests in hollows of the trees, and 

 perches on the branches in true arboreal fashion. 



