867 



ANAS BOSCHAS (Linn). 



THE MALLARD. 



Specific Character. — Adult in full plumage, spring ; head and neck continuous 

 soft brilliant metallic green, showing purple and golden bronze reflections in differ- 

 ent lights. A ring of pure white round the lower part of the neck interrupted on 

 the nape; jugulum and upper part of the breast rich dark chestnut. Inter-scapu- 

 lars brownish gray finely waved with grayish white ; scapulars and lower parts 

 grayish white delicately waved with dark ash. Over webs of tertials dark umber 

 brown, this also tinging the adjoining scapulars ; wing coverts uniform 

 deep brownish gray, the last row tipped with opaque velvety black showing faint 

 reflections of bluish green. Tail white, the feathers grayish centrally. Two 

 middle feathers black slightly recurved ; the two longer upper tail coverts greatly 

 recurved. Bill, olive yellow or ochraceous olive, the nail black ; iris hazel ; tarsi 

 and toes fine rich orange red. 



Length, 24.00 inches ; extent, 38.00 ; wing, 11.00 ; culmen, 2.10 ; tarsus, 1.60 ; 

 middle toe, 2.00. 



Adult in summer. — Closely resembling the female, being somewhat darker in 

 color. Adult female : wing as in the male ; above brownish dusky, mucli varie- 

 gated by broad pale ochraceous edges to the feathers ; beneath pale ochraceous, 

 the feathers dusky centrally, producing a thickly spotted or striped appearance. 

 On the top of the head the dusky predominates as it also does in a loral and 

 auricular line forming a lighter superciliary stripe between this and the crown. 



Habitat. — North America in general, south to Panama, Cuba, Bahamas, Green- 

 land, Palsearctic region. This duck has a very wide distribution both in the old 

 and new world. In North America it is found from the extreme north to the 

 extreme south and breeds in the same localities. Throughout Ontario it is pro- 

 bably our most common duck. It is undoubtedly the origin of the common 

 domestic duck of our poultry yards, and in the wild state does not object to 

 mating with ducks of other varieties, for generally if a hybrid is found it will be 

 seen to have many of the characteristics of the Mallard. This bird is common in 

 all of our lakes, ponds and rivers, breeding in any suitable locality, nesting on the 

 ground in the vicinity of water, sometimes in a tree and laying from six to eight 

 greenish white eggs. Upon these the female sits for four weeks, the male keep- 

 ing apart to moult. The little ones are ready to run to the water as soon as 

 hatched. The breeding season lasts from early May till June. The Mallard 

 feeds chiefly on seeds of" grasses, fibrous roots of plants, worms, mollusks, insects^ 

 grain, as wild rice, etc. It is considered one of the best ducks for the table both 

 on account of its size and its flavour. 



28 (c.) 



