ANATID.t:. 



THE MALLARD. 



Anas boscas, Linnceus. 



The Mallard, or Common Wild Duck, was formerly more numerous 

 in the British Islands than — owing to the progress of drainage and 

 the consequent extension of agriculture — it is at present; yet, thanks 

 to protection, its numbers have increased of late. As a rule it 

 is resident during the year in suitable localities throughout the 

 United Kingdom, but the birds which breed with us are few in 

 proportion to the numbers which annually arrive from the Continent 

 during the cold months ; and there are still places where decoys are 

 worked with profit, as shown by Sir R. Payne-Gallwey in his ' Book 

 of Duck Decoys,' to which the reader is referred for information on 

 that interesting subject. 



This species visits Greenland, and is abundant during the summer 

 in Iceland ; while it is generally distributed throughout Europe south 

 of the Arctic circle, and breeds in suitable localities down to the 

 Mediterranean, as well as in Northern Africa. The range of the 

 migrants from the north extends to the Canaries, Madeira, and the 

 Azores, a few pairs remaining to nest in the last-named group. In 

 Asia the Mallard is found — -wherever the water does not freeze for 

 any length of time — from Turkestan to China and Japan ; it breeds 

 as far south as Kashmir, and visits India and Upper Burma in the 

 cold season. It inhabits the temperate portions of North America, 

 wintering as far south as Panama ; but in the north-east of that 

 continent its place is in some degree taken by the closely-allied 



