BIRDS — ANATINAE — DAFILA. 

 List of specimens. 



775 



ANAS OBSCURA, Gm. 



Black Duck ; Dusky Duck. 



^noj obseura, Gm. Syst Nat. I, 1788, .SU.— Lath. Ind. II, 1790.— Wilson-, Am. Orn. Vrif, 1814, 141 ; pi. Ixxii, 

 f. 5.— Ib. Ord'sed. VIII, 155.— Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825,. 260— Ib. Syn. 234.— \cd. Orn. Biog. IV, 

 1838, 15; pi. 302.— Ib. Syn. 276.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843,244; pi. 386.— Eyton Men. Anat. 

 1838, 140. 



>4n<u (Boschas) obsciira, Nittall, Man. II, 1834, 392. 



Dusky Duck. — Pennant, Arc. Zool. II, 564. — Lath. Ill, ii, 545. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill greenish ; feet red. Body generally blackish brown ; the feathers obscurely margined with reddish brown ; 

 those anteriorly with a concealed V-shaped mark, more or less visible on the sides of the breast. Head and neck brownish 

 yellow, spotted with black ; the top of head and nape dark brown, with a green gloss on the sides behind. Wings dull blackish, 

 with a dull greenish gloss. Speculum violet, terminated with black. Inner tertials hoary gray towards tip. Axillars and 

 inside of wing white. Tail of 18 feathers. 



Female similar, but rather duller ; the light edges to the under feathers more conspicuous ; the sides of head without the 

 greenish gloss. The speculum bluish, with less violet. 



Length of male, 22 inches ; wing nearly 12 ; tarsus, 1.80 ; commissure, 2.56. 



Hab. — Atlantic region of North America. Not yet detected on the Pacific, nor in Europe. 



This is the most plainly marked as well as, perhaps, the largest of our river ducks, and 

 excelled by none in the excellence of its flesh. 



List of specimens. 



DAFILA, Leach. 



Dafila, "Leach," Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zoo!. XII, 1824, 126. Type .Inas acuta. 

 Phasianurus, Wagler, Isis, 1832. 



Ch. — Bill long, narrow ; considerably longer than the foot ; nearly linear, but widening a little to the end, which is truncate, 

 rounded. Nail small. Nostrils small, in the basal third of bill. Tail pointed; the two middle feathers lengthened, so as 

 nearly to equal the wings. 



