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Distribution. — Circumpolar, it is 

 widely distributed in Europe, Asia, and 

 North America, and is also found as far 

 South as North Africa and Jamaica. 

 It is a common winter visitant on the 

 lakes and ponds of the Yangtse Valley. 



Notes. — This well known duck is 

 interesting not only as being the object 

 of the sportsman's search, but also aa 

 being the form of wild duck which baa 

 been domesticated and made of service 

 on our yards. It is believed to be the 

 ancestral stock from which most of 

 our domestic breeds have come. 



YELLOW NIB DUCK. 



polionetta zonoehyncha 

 (swinhoe) 



Anas zonorhyncha (Sw.) 



Description. — Bill black, tipped 

 with yellow. Feet orange-yellow. 

 The general color of the plumage is 

 brown, in this it is like the female 

 Mallard, from which it is readily dis- 

 tinguished by the bill. The female 

 Mallard's bill being yellow with a 

 black tip, while in this duck it is black 

 with a yellow tip. It is somewhat 

 larger than the Mallard and has a 

 longer neck which may be readily 

 noted when on the wing. The lower 

 parts are somewhat darker than in the 

 female Mallard and there is a distinct 

 light streak on each side of the head 

 over the eye. The sexes are alike. 



Distribution. — Across Japan and 

 China to Mongolia and Eastern 

 Siberia. This is one of China's 

 resident ducks which sometimes 

 remains to breed in the Yangtse 

 Valley, though it is much more com- 

 mon in winter, when it mixes freely 



