■21. ANAS. 201 



p. 297 (1866) ; Coues, Pr.Ess. Inst. v. p. 298 (1868) : ? id. Pi: Bost. 



Soc. N. H. xii. p. 721 (South Carolina, winter) (1868) ; Allen, Mem. 



Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 502 (Iowa, summer) (1868) ; Turnb. B. E. Pa. 



p. .35 (1869) ; Eyt. St/n. Anat. p. 97 (1869) ; Mayn. Guide, p. 147 



(Massachusetts, breeding) (1870) ; id. Pr. Bost. Soc. xiv. 1871, 



p. 384 (1872) ; ? Coues, Pr. Acad. Philad. 1871, p. 36 (North 



Carolina) ; G. R. Gr. Hand-list, iii. p. 82, n. 10649 (1871) ; Gieb. 



Thes. Oni. i. p. 359 (1872) ; Coues, Key, p. 285 (part.) (1872); 



id. Check-list, n.489 (1873) : Sclnt. ^- Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotrop. 



p. 129 (1873) ; Corns, Birds K- West, p. 560 (1874) ; Sclat. S,- Snlv. 



P. Z. S. 1876, p. 380 ; Sclat. P. Z. S. 1880, p. 517 : Pidyw. No7n. 



N. Am. B. n. 602 (1881) ; Coues, Check-list, 2nd ed. p. 113, 



11.708(1882); Rchm. Or?i. Centralhl. 1882, p. 18; id. Voq. d. 



zool. Gtirt. p. 50 (1882) ; Salv. Cat. B. Strickl. Coll. p. 534(1882); 



Sclat. List Vert. An. 8th ed. p. 430 (1883) ; Coues, Key N. Am. 



B. 2nd ed. p. 691 (1884) ; B., B., ^- R. Water-B. N. Am. i. p. 499 



(1884) ; A. O. U. Check-list, p. 115, n. 133 (1886) ; Ridrjio. Man. 



N. Am. B. p. 91 (1887) ; Tristr. Cat. Coll. B. p. 49 (1889) ; 



Hartert, Kat. Vo(/elsamml. p. 230(1891); Sharpe, Cat. Osteal. 



Specim. Coll. Surg. iii. p. 300 (1891) ; Hatch, B. of Minnes. p. 40 



(1892). 

 Anas boschas, var. obscnra. Less. Tr. d'JOrn. p. 634 (1831). 

 Anas (Boschas) obscura, Nutt. Man. ii. p. 392 (1834). 



Adult male. Prevailing colour brownish black or dusky, the 

 feathers edged, more or less distiuctly, with pale greyish fulvous ; 

 upper part of the head darker than the cheeks and upper part of 

 tlie neck, which are greyish fulvous, streaked with dusky ; a dusky 

 stripe back from the eye ; the chin and throat more sparingly 

 streaked, but not immaculate ; speculum deep glossy violet, sur- 

 rounded witli velvety black ; before the anterior black band, formed 

 by the last row of coverts, there is a narrow pale band almost 

 obsolete ; at the tip of the secondaries a narrow white band ; mar- 

 ginal under wing-coverts dusky with white edges, the inner ones 

 and axillaries white ; primaries and tail-feathers dusky black, the 

 latter with narrow pale edges : " bill yellowish green, the unguis 

 dusky ; iris dark brown ; feet orange-red, the webs dusky " {Awlu- 

 ion). Total length about 21 inches, wing 10-50-11, tail 4, culmen 

 2-2-35, tarsus 170-1-80. 



" Some examples have a slight tinge of metallic green on the 

 sides of the head, behind the eye" (B., B., lJ- 1L). 



Female. Similar to the male. 



Younff in down. " Above olivaceous brown, faintly relieved by 

 eix inconspicuous markings of light brownish buff, situated as 

 follows : one on the posterior border of each arm-wing ; one (small, 

 and sometimes nearly obsolete) on each side of the back, behind the 

 wing, and one, more distinct, on each side of the rump, near the 

 base of the tail ; pilcum and nape (longitudinally) brown, like the 

 back ; rest of the head and neck, with lower parts, light dingy 

 brownish buff, paler on tlie abdomen ; sides of the head marked 

 with a narrow dusky stripe running from the upper basal angle to 

 the eye, thence back towards the occijtut, but scarcely confluent 

 with the brown on the latter ; an indistinct spot on the auricular 



