ANATIN^ — THE DUCKS — ANAS. 495 



are chestnut-rufous, the feathers having narrow white borders, and those in front with a central 

 bkek dot on each ; the crissum is black, tinged with chestnut ; remaining lower parts white, 

 slightly grizzled laterally. Dorsal region black, the feathers bordered terminally with white, and 

 grizzled basally with the same, some of them tinged with rufous; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 continuous intense greenish black; tail uniform dark slate, with a violet reflection. Wing-coverts 

 white, mottled transversely with black, the last row dusky, sharply bordered with white ; speculum 

 bright bottle-green, narrowly tipped with white ; primaries dusky, the outer webs white. Bill and 

 feet deep black. Head normally feathered. Wing, 13. UU inches ; culmen, 2.35 ; tarsus, 2.10; 

 middle toe, 2.50. 



A beautiful hylirid between the Mallard and the Pintail {Dafila acuta) was sent to the National 

 Museum (No. 66618) by Dr. J. W. Velie, from Chicago. It corresponds very closely with that fig- 

 ured and described by Professor Newton, in the " Proceedings" of the London Zoological Society, 

 June, 1860, pi. clxviii., and in both form and coloration is throughout a perfect combination of 

 both species. The head and neck are continuous l)rownish green, ranging from the brown of D. 

 acuta on the anterior part of the head to the brilliant green of A. boschas on the back of the neck. 

 The white collar is broader than in A. bo.'<chas, and posteriorly sends upward on each side of the 

 nape a short arm, corresponding to the lengthened stripe of I), acuta. The jugulum is pale cinna- 

 mon ; the wings are those of D. acuta, except the tertials, which are those of A. boschas ; the upper 

 tail-coverts are purplish-black, edged with pale fulvous ; the two middle tail-feathers are elongated 

 about half as much as in D. acuta, and curled half as tightly as in A. boschas ! The bill is dark 

 lead-color, and the feet are dark reddish. Wing, 11.00 inches ; culmen, 2.20 ; tarsus, 1.55 ; middle 

 toe, 1.90. 



The remaining supposed hybrid is an adult male, intermediate between A. boschas and A. obscura, 

 purchased by Professor Baird in the Washington market, Jan. 25, 1871, and is apparently much 

 like the bird described by Audubon as Alias Breweri. With the prevalent aspect of A. obscura, it 

 has the side of tlie occiput and nape brilliant green, and the jugulum and breast strongly tinged 

 with chestnut. The lateral upper tail-coverts are black with a violet reflection, as are also the 

 terminal and lateral lower coverts ; while the middle tail-feathers curl upward, though not so 

 much so as in pure ^4. boschas. The white bar anterior to the speculum of boschas is obsolete, or 

 very faintly indicated, and the white collar round the neck is wanting. It measures, wing, 10.75 

 inches ; culmen, 2.05; tarsus, 1.55 ; middle toe, 1.95 ; and before skinning was 23.50 inches in 

 total length, and 48.50 in extent of wings. The bill was grayish olive-green on terminal half and 

 along culmen, greenish olive-yellow basally ; nail and most of lower mandible black; iris brown ; 

 legs and feet dull salmon-orange, the webs purplish. 



Probably no Duck has a wider distribution, or is found in greater numbers where 

 it occurs, than the Common Mallard, the undoubted origin of the domesticated inmates 

 of our poultry-yards. It is found throughout North America, from Mexico to the 

 Arctic Ocean, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It occurs in every part of 

 Europe, breeding from Southern Spain to Lapland on the west, and from Greece 

 to Siberia on the east. No part of Asia, except the more southern portions of India, 

 is supposed to be without it, and it is more or less abundant in all the northern por- 

 tions of Africa. And wherever found, the birds of this species are more or less 

 resident, some remaining all winter as far north as they can find open inland water, 

 and breeding, in limited numbers, in localities where the larger proportion spend 

 their winter. 



This Duck is cited by Professor Eeinhardt as among the birds which breed in 

 Greenland. Captain Blakiston found it on the Saskatchewan, and abundant through- 

 out the interior. Mr. Boss met with it along the entire course of the Mackenzie, even 

 as far north as the shores of the Arctic Sea. It is abundant in Vancouver Island ; 

 and Dr. Cooper found it very common in the Rocky Mountains in Montana, where 

 it breeds. 



In Hearne's time (1790) flocks of this Duck visited Hudson's Bay in great num- 



