54 IIIHTORY OF THE 



Gexus anas Linn^us. 



"Usually rather large-sized ducks, with the bill a little longer than the head 

 or foot, rather broad, depressed, the edges parallel, the end rouuded; speculum 

 metallic green, blue, or violet, in both sexes, usually broader posteriorly by a 

 black band; this generally succeeded by a white one." 



Anas boschas Linn. 



MALLARD. 

 PLATE IV. 



Resident; rare; in migration, abundant; begin laying the last 

 of April to first of May. 



B. .576. K. 601. C. 707. G. 283. 23. U. 132. 



Habitat. Whole of northern hemisphere. 



Sp. Char. "■Adult male: Head and neck continuous soft, brilliant metallic 

 green, showing purple and golden bronze reflections in ditferent lights; a ring 

 of pure white round the lower part of the neck, interrupted on the nape; jugu- 

 lum and upper part of the breast rich dark chestnut; interscapulars brownish 

 gray, finely waved with grayish white; scapulars and lower parts grayish white, 

 delicately waved with dark ash; outer webs of tertials dark umber brown, this 

 also tinging the adjoining scapulars; wing coverts uniform deep brownish gray, 

 the last row tipped with opaque velvety black, and with a subtermiual bar of 

 pure white; speculum rich metallic violet, with a subterminal velvety black, 

 and terminal pure white bar; primaries plain brownish gray. Rump, upper 

 tail coverts and crissum intense velvety black, showing faint reflections of blu- 

 ish green. Tail white, the feathers grayish centrally. Two middle feathers 

 black, slightly recurved; the two longer upper tail coverts greatly recurved. Bill 

 olive yellow or ochraceous olive (in life), the nail black; iris hazel; tarsi and 

 toes fine rich orange red (changing to yellowish in dried skin). Adult female : 

 Wing as in the male. Above, brownish dusky, much variegated by broad, pale 

 ochraceous edges to the feathers; beneath, pale ochraceous, the feathers dusky 

 centrally, producing a thickly spotted or striped appearance. On the top of the 

 head the dusky predominates, as it also does in a loral and auricular line, form- 

 ing a lighter superciliary stripe between this and the crown. Downy young: 

 Above, deep olivaceous, relieved by two pairs of yellowish buff spots, the first 

 pair on the back, just behind the wings, the second at the base of the tail, the 

 first not confluent with the butt' of the lower parts; wings deep olivaceous, va- 

 ried on both edges with dull greenish yellow; pileum and nape olivaceous, 

 darker on the occiput, lighter on the forehead; a broad superciliary stripe, in- 

 cluding the sides of the forehead, sides of the head and neck and entire lower 

 parts, yellowish buff, deepest on the head, paler on the anal region and crissum; 

 sides more grayish, and crossed, between the wings and thighs, by two wide 

 patches of dark olive, projecting from that of the back. Side of the head 

 marked by a narrow but very distinct stripe of dark brown from the upper basal 

 ano-le of the maxilla to the eye, thence back to the confluent with the olivaceous 



