A NA TID.E — A NA TIN.E : HI VER D UCKS. 



913 



silvery-gray. Lesser wing-coverts plain gray; greater tipped with reddish-buff or cinnamon, 

 fratning speculum anteriorly ; this beauty-spot is of coppery- or purplish-violet iridescence! 

 framed posteriorly with black sub-tips and white tips of secondaries, internally with silvery and 

 black stripes. Tail-feathers gray, the long central ones blackish ; sides and roots of tail varied 

 with blackish and bull'. It is thus a very handsome Duck in full plumage, aside from the trim 

 and clipper-like build. Length very variable, up to 30.00, according to development of tail, 

 which is sometimes 9.00 long, usually 5.00-6.00; extent 3H.00; wing 11.00; bill 2.25 ; tarsus 

 LC7; middle toe and claw 2.25. Adult 9: Smaller; lacking special development of tail; 

 length 24.00 or less ; wing 10.00 or less; taU 4.00-5.00. Only traces of speculum, in green 

 specks on a brown 

 area between white 

 or whitish tips of sec- 

 ondaries and those of 

 greater coverts. Bill 

 blackish ; feet dull 

 grayish-blue; iris 

 brown. Whole head 

 finely speckled, and 

 whole neck finely 

 streaked, with dusky- 

 brown and grayisii- 

 brown or yellowish - 

 brown ; under parts 

 pale ochrey, or dingy 

 wliitish, freckled witli 

 dusky at least ou the 

 belly, fianks, and cris- 

 sum ; upper parts va- 

 riegated with brown- 

 ish-black and yellow- 

 ish-brown, on the fore parts the lighter color in angular or rounded bars on each feather. 

 Young (J like 9- The 9 and young are thus plainly dressed "gray" Ducks, generally re- 

 sembling some other species ; observe color of bill and feet, light tips of secondaries and 

 greater coverts, and couple these marks with size and generic characters. Northern Hemi- 

 sphere ; North America at large, wintering and migrating in U. S. and beyond, to Cuba and 

 Panama ; breeding from N. W. border of U. S. to far north ; also Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Ari- 

 zona, etc. ; more numerous in the interior than along either coast. I have found it breeding 

 abundantly in parts of North Dakota and ^Montana. Nest on ground; eggs G-IO-12, smooth, 

 elongated ellipsoidal, 2. 10-2..'J0 X about 1.50; uniform dull grayish-olive; larger than those 

 t)f the Shoveller. 



A'NAS. (Lat. anas, a Duck.) Stock Ducks. Common Di'('K.s. Mai.i..\ki)S, Bi..\< k 

 Ducks, etc. Hill not shorter than head, rather longer tiian tarsus, broad and about parallel- 

 sided, higher tiian wide at base, then much depressed and Hattened, the end ronmled; nail 

 narrow, less tlian ^ as wide as end of bill. Nostrils higli up, in basal half of bill. Feathers 

 reaciiing to about the same distance on forehead, clieoks, and chin. Tail rounded, less than ^ 

 as long as wing, of 16-18 pointed feathers. Bill greenish, or blackish blotched with orange. 

 Feet bright-colored. Speculum violet, etc., framed in black and white (in botii se.\es). 

 Sexes unlike (boscas) or alike (obscitra). Of the genus Anas in its thus most restricted sense 

 we have two strongly marked species, and a third clo.stly resembling one of these ; there are 

 about 15 others of various parts of the worhl. 



58 



Fig. 639. — Pin- tail Duck, $ (f. (From Lewi., 



