72 BULLETIN 126, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Fall. — Mr. Moore says, in the notes referred to above — 



that in August, September, and the first part of October parties of from 5 to 20 of 

 thia species leave the fresh ponds and fly across the bay to sand bars on the inner 

 sides of the Keys, where they spend the night in the pools or coves near the man- 

 groves and return at sunrise the next morning. Those at this time were all males; 

 but in January, February, and March mated birds, flying in pairs, spend their nights 

 in the same places. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — Florida, mainly in the southern half. Said to be 

 absent from northeastern Florida, but breeds on the eastern coast 

 at least as far north as northern Brevard County and Orange County 

 (Banana River and St. Johns River) and probably farther. Breeds 

 along the northwestern coast of Florida and probably intergrades 

 with maculosa between Florida and Louisiana. 



Winter range. — Apparently the same as the breeding range, but 

 perhaps some of the West Indies may be included. 



Egg dates. — Florida: Fifteen records, February 28 to May 22; eight 

 records, April 9 to 25. 



ANAS FULVIGULA MACULOSA Sennett. 



MOTTLED DUCK. 



HABITS. 



Mr. George B. Sennett (1889) first called attention to the charac- 

 ters which separated the ducks of the species Anas fulvigula which 

 inhabit Louisiana and Texas from those found in Florida. He de- 

 scribed the Texas bird as a new species and, as the two forms hav^e 

 not, apparently, been shown to intergrade, perhaps he was justified 

 in doing so. In his description he sums up the characters, as follows: 



The most marked differences between A. maculosa and A. fulvigula are that the 

 cheeks of the former are streaked with brown, while those of the latter are plain buff; 

 the speculum is purple instead of green; the general effect of the coloration, espe- 

 cially on the under sides, is mottled instead of streaked ; the light color everywhere is 

 a pale buff or Isabella color instead of a rich, deep buff; and the tail markings also 

 are different, as indicated. 



Dr. D. G. Elliot (1898), in commenting on these characters, says: 



The streaked cheeks are to be seen among some individuals of the Florida dusky 

 duck, and the color of the speculum is at times merely a question of liglit, purple and 

 green in metallic hues, being often interchangeable. An ornithologist might readily 

 recognize to which form most of his specimens belonged, but the ordinary observer 

 would probably have difhculty in distinguishing them. 



Dr. John C. Phillips (1916), who has made a careful study of these 

 ducks, has this to say on the subject: 



In January, 1914, while paying a visit to Mr. E. A. Mcllhenny, at Avery Island, 

 Louisiana, I was able to collect a series of seven of the mottled ducks from the Ver- 

 milion Bay region. There are six adult males and one female. Taken as a whole, 



