78 



MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



does not dive for its food, and in fact even when wounded seldom attempts 

 to escape by diving. It often visits stubble fields and meadows at long 

 distances from water, going out to feed late in the afternoon and returning 

 early in the morning, sometimes affording good "pass shooting" at such 

 times. It is hunted most commonly by the use of decoys, either living 

 domesticated mallards or wooden imitations, anchored near a blind, the 

 gunner sometimes using a duck call as an additional attraction. In many 

 places where clubs or private individuals have shooting grounds which 

 can be protected the Mallards and some other ducks are regularly baited 

 with grain strewed in the shallow water. Wild rice is also extensively 

 planted for the same purpose. 



It formerly bred in suitable places everywhere in the state, nesting on 

 the ground in or near marshes, or on islands in marshy ponds. Persecu- 

 tion has driven it away 

 from many localities where 

 it formerly nested in abund- 

 ance and it is now known 

 in many parts of the state 

 mainly as a migrant. 



It breeds rather early, 

 and most eggs probably 

 are laid in May, the duck- 

 lings being most commonly 

 seen in early June. The 

 nests are hollows in the 

 ground lined with grass and 

 other dry vegetable matter 

 with a good deal of gray 

 down from the bird's 

 breast. The eggs range 

 from eight to fifteen, are greenish or grayish buff, and average 2.32 

 by 1.67 inches. The mother is said to be very brave in defence of the 

 eggs or young, not only trying to decoy the intruder away but in some 

 cases threatening or even attacking man or dog. 



Fig. 13. Wing of mallard, to show speculum. (Original.) 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



In the adult male the head and neck are rich green, bordered below by a white collar, 

 with clear chestnut below the white. The speculum is metallic blue or purple bordered 

 all around by black, and with a white bar outside the black both in front and behind. 

 The under parts are grayish white vermiculated with black, and the under tail-coverts 

 are deep black in strong contrast. The adult female is a totally different looking bird, 

 the only strong similarity to the male being in the wings where the speculum is nearly the 

 same. The remainder of the plumage is brown and black in streaks and mottlings, darker 

 above and lighter below. The adult male frequently has several of the upper tail-coverts 

 curled upward, but tliis is by no means always the case. Bill greenish; legs and feet, 

 reddish-orange. The drake cannot be confounded with any other; the female and young 

 might be taken for those of the dusky duck or black duck. Length of adult, 22 to 25 

 inches; wing, 10 to 12; culmen, 2 to 2.40. 



34. Black Duck. Anas rubripes Brewst. (133) 



Synonyms: Black Mallard, Dusky Duck, Dusky Mallard, Red-legged Duck. — Anas 

 obscura rubripes, Brewster, 1902. — Anas obscura, Gmel., 1788, and of most authors. 



It may be recognized by its general brownish black color, violet speculum 

 tipped with black but without the white bands characteristic of the Mallard 

 wing. 



