32 ■ Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



shooting is now extended to the first of May, there is no hope 

 for an increase in their numbers. 



133. Anas obscura Gmel. Black Duck. 



Black Mallard. Dusky Duck. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, breeding formerly in the 

 northern United States east of the Mississippi River, now chiefly 

 from Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces to Hudson Bay 

 and west to the Red River. In migration it has been found as 

 far west as eastern Nebraska and eastern Kansas. Its chief 

 winter home is on the Atlantic coast from Long Island to northern 

 Florida, though quite a number winter in Louisiana. 



In Missouri the Black Duck is sometimes, though rather rarely, 

 taken with Mallards in their migrations to and from their winter 

 habitat. Dates of their capture run from March 10 to April 10 and 

 from October 13 to December 1. 



133a. Anas obscura rubripes Brewster. Red-legged Black 



Duck. 



Geog. Dist. — The breeding range of this lately separated sub- 

 species includes northern Labrador and the Hudson Bay region. 

 The southern limit has not yet been determined. It winters 

 somewhat farther north than the Black Duck, as far north as 

 Nova Scotia and as far south as South Carolina. In migration 

 it has been taken as far west as Nebraska, and as far south as 

 Mississippi Co., Arkansas (Nov. 5, 1887), but nothing is known 

 of its winter home in the interior. 



A specimen in the possession of Mr. Emmett Cole of Malta 

 Bend was taken in Saline Co. and, if students will pay more 

 attention to the separation of the different subspecies, this 

 more northern form of Black Duck will probably be found to 

 be a regular transient visitant in our state. 



135. Chaulelasmus streperus Linn. Gadwall. 



Anas strepera. Gray Duck. 



Geog. Dist. — Northern hemisphere. The breeding range in 

 America extended formerly from the upper Mississippi Valley to 

 the Pacific, now chiefly through the prairie region of Canada, 

 north to lat. 68°, and from the Rocky Mountains west to British 

 Columbia, south to Colorado and nearly throughout California. 

 It is rare, even as a mere straggler, in Ontario and Quebec and 



