764 Till-. .MAl.l.AKl). 



ers. Like the nilit-r Mergansers again, tiie male deserts his male as soon as tlie 

 eggs are laid. lea\ing lier to feed herself and attend to the young. 



.Almost as soon as the eggs are hatched, the female transports the babies 

 to the water, cai'r\ing tach one carefulh' in her bill, as is pmbabK' the habit of 

 all tree-nesting ducks. This is the rule, but 1 ha\e l)een informed t)n what I 

 believe to Ije go(.)d auihoritx, that these l)ir(ls occasionally nest on the ground, 

 la\ing their eggs in a hollow in the moss, bcncith the lo\\-s])reading Ijranches 

 of some fir or cedar. 



T. H. Bowi.Ks. 



No. 307. 



MALLARD. 



A. ( ). U. No. 132. Anas platyrhynchos Linn. 



Synonyms. — CiR.w ]\r.\Li..\Ki>. 'AX'!!,!) Dcck" I j^ar cxccUciicc). Grekn- 



liK.M). 



Description. — ./(/;;// iinilr: Whole head and neck soft, shining, dark green; 

 fore-neck and breast rich dark chestnut, with a ])urplish tinge, separated from 

 green of neck by narrow white collar not meeting beliind ; sides of breast, lielly, 

 sides and crissum grayish white, finely undulated with dusky : the same continued 

 on back, but largely overlaid or suppressed. e.xceiJt on scapulars, by rich brown of 

 various shades ; speculum ( terminal portion of secondaries ) shining metallic l)lue 

 or pur])lish violet, bordered on either side immediately by black and then by white, 

 — the anterior bars furnished by the tips of the greater coverts, the posterior by 

 the tips of the secondaries ; rump sooty brown ; up]ier tail-coverts deep black with 

 greenish gloss, the longer central feathers curled upward : under tail-coverts deep 

 purplish black: tail grayish white with dusky speckling and central areas; bill 

 olive-yellow with black nail; iris hazel; feet orange reil. .Iihilt female: Quite 

 different; sju'culum much as in male, InU remaining plumage dusky and ochrace- 

 ous or brownish buif , the former centrally on feathers, broadh' and prevailingly f)n 

 upperparts, the latter narrowh' or obscurely in crescentic, U-shaped, and irregular 

 markings; below brownish liuff i)redominant, brightest on breast, fading on belly; 

 head and neck buff', sharplv and lincl)- streaked exce])t on throat and usually chin, 

 where immaculate. .Idiilt iiiaU' in siiiiiiiirr: Much like female, but somewhat 

 darker ( .Sharpe and Dresser). Length 20.00-25.00 (508-635); wing ii.oo 

 (279.4) ; tail 3.35 1S5.1 ) ; bill 2.2^ ^57-^^ '■ tarsus T.75 (44.5I. Female averages 

 smaller than male. 



Recognition Marks. — The standard of measurement for ducks (size of Do- 

 mestic Duck I. (ireen head of male; metallic blue speculum, bordered by black 

 and white, of both sexes. 



Nesting. — Xrst: on the ground, usually near water, well hidden in weeds or 

 rushes, sometimes under sage-bush, at foot of tree in woods, etc. ; lined with 

 trash and feathers. lu/us: 6-12, yellowish drab, pale olivaceous, green, or green- 

 ish white. .-\v. size, 2.30 x 1.70 (58.4x43.2). Season: c. May ist; one brood. 



