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BIRDS OF AMERICA 



FLORIDA DUCK 



Anas fulvigula fulvigula Ridgway 



A. O, U. Number 134 



Length. — 22 inches. 



Color. — Lighter colored than the Black Duck, the 



buff markings in excess of the dark ones, giving a 

 lighter general tone ; cheeks, chin, and throat, plain pale 



The Florida Duck is one of our little-known 

 species of water-fowl because its range is very 

 limited and nowhere does it seem to be abundant. 

 It closely resembles the common Black Duck of 

 the northern States, practically the only dif- 

 ference being the absence of streaks on the neck 

 and also the fact that it is of smaller size. So far 

 as known at the present time it is confined to 

 Florida and the coast country of Louisiana. On 

 the palmetto prairies of Hillsboro County, 

 Florida, I discovered some one summer swim- 

 ming about with their young in the small sloughs 

 and grassy ponds of the region. When pursued 

 the female would flutter away with a great 

 splashing and giving every evidence of a highly 

 nervous state of mind. The young meantime 

 scampered for cover, with bodies raised high out 

 of the water, propelling themselves forward at 

 a most astonishing rate. The male bird was in 

 no case seen in company with his family. An- 

 other time I came upon several of them at Lake 

 Flint and again at Lake Hicpochee in the Oke- 

 chobee country. Here they were feeding in the 

 shallow water in company with numerous Coots 

 which abound in the region. They are great 

 birds to dabble and seem thoroughly to enjoy the 



buffy ; bill, olive; nail, black and dark spot at base; 

 feet, orange-red ; iris, brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Similar to the Black Duck. 



Distribution. — Northwestern to southern Florida. 



sensation of muddying the waters. Frequently 

 they quacked to each other, but their notes seemed 

 to me to be indistinguishable from the call of 

 the Black Duck. 



Along the Louisiana coast there exist extensive 

 salt and brackish water marshes through which 

 wide creeks or bayous wind their serpentine way 

 to the open sea. This is a haven for the myriads 

 of Ducks and Geese that repair here to spend 

 the winter. Upon the approach of spring, how- 

 ever, they depart for their northern breeding 

 grounds and the deserted marshes are left to 

 the mosquitoes, the snakes, and the alligators. 

 And yet a few scattered birds tarry and brave 

 the discomforts of the sweltering summer days. 

 Should you at this season quietly paddle a 

 pirogue along the smaller bayous, there would 

 be a chance of coming upon the rare, elusive 

 Florida Duck and her brood, and you might get a 

 glimpse, or even a quick photograph, of them 

 before they hurry into the marsh and disappear. 



T. Gilbert Pearson. 



The Mottled Duck [Anas fulvigula maculosa) 

 is a geographical variation of the Florida Duck 

 and is resident in southern Texas and southern 

 Louisiana. The two forms differ but little. 



GADWALL 



Chaulelasmus streperus (Linnceus) 



A. 0. U. Number 135 See Color Plate 12 



Other Names. — Gray Duck; Gray Widgeon; Creek 

 Duck; Bleating Duck; Speckle-belly; Blarting Duck; 

 Red-wing. 



General Description. — Length, 22 inches. Males are 

 brownish-gray above and gray below ; females are like 

 female Mallards, but smaller and wing-patch is like that 

 of the male. The only River Duck with a pure white, 

 black-bordered wing-patch. Wings, long and pointed; 

 tail with 16 feathers. 



Description.— Adult Male: Wide low crest on top 

 of head. Head and neck, grayish-brown, darker on 

 crown and nape ; sides of head, throat, and neck, speckled 

 with dusky; lower neck, breast, sides of body, and fore- 

 back, dusky with crescentic bars of whitish on breast 

 and waved with lighter along sides; lower back, dusky 

 shading into black on rump and upper tail-coverts ; 



shoulders, tinged with brown ; lesser wing-coverts, gray; 

 middle coverts, cliestiiut: speculum, zcliite, formed by 

 outer webs of secondaries, framed in velvet-black of 

 greater coverts and bordered behind with black and 

 ash ; abdomen, white minutely zig-zagged with gray ; 

 under tail-coverts, velvet-black. Adult Female : No 

 crest. Above, variegated with dusky and tawny-brown, 

 very similar to female Mallard, without any crescentic 

 or wavy marks of male; breast and abdomen, white 

 with dusky spotting ; wing as in male, without chestnut 

 coverts. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: A slight hollow in a bunch 

 of grass or reeds, usually near water; constructed of 

 dry grass ; lined with down and feathers. Eggs : 8 to 12, 

 creamy or buffy-white. 



Distribution. — Nearly cosmopolitan ; in North .\mer- 



