150- INDIAN DUCKS 



(21) ANAS PLATYRHYNCHA. 



THE COMMON WILD DUCK OR MALLARD. 



Anas platyhynchos, l,nm. S. N. x. ed., 1, \>. 125 (1758) (Sweden). 

 Anas boschas, Jcnhn, H. oj I. iii, p. 398 ; lluinc, Xc-^ts and Eijijs, p. 612 ; 



/(/. ,S'. F. i, p. 261 ; Sctillji, ibid, iv, p. 199 ; Huinc, ibid, viii, p. 119; 



/(/. Cul. No. 158; Bunir.s, B. of Bom. p. 402. 

 Anas boscas, Hanir il' Muisli. Gaiiie-B. iii, p. 151 ; Hitiiic, Nests and 



l'i<lij>> (Gates' ed.), iii, ]i. 288; Salvadon, Cat. B. 21. xxvii, p. 189; 



Blanfoid, Avifuuna B. I. iv, p. 435; (hites, Gainc-B. ii, p. 257; 



Stuart Baker, J. B. N. II. S. xii, p. 1 ; Ilariiujtoii, ibid, xix, p. 313 



(1909); Mosse, ibid, xx, p. 856 (1911); Higijins, ibid, xxii, p. 399 



(1913) ; Colvni, ibid, xxvi, p. 291 (1918). 

 Anas platyrhyncha platyrhyncha, Harlcit, \'o<i. Pal. p. 1308 (1920). 



Description. Adult Male.— Head and upper nock bi-it^ht and very glossy 

 dark-f;;reen : a ring round neck, interrupted on the nape, pure white ; upper 

 back and scapulars brownish-grey, changing into dark-l)rown on tlie back 

 and lower neck ; upper back vermiculated with dark-brown ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts and lour central rectrices deep-ljlack ; outer rectrices 

 light-grey, edged white. Wing-coverts dark-grey or grey-brown, the 

 greater coverts tipped black and subtipi)eil white, forming two distinct 

 wing-l)ars ; speculum glossy bluish-purple or violet; alter this two bars 

 formed b>' the black subtijjs and white tips of the outer secondaries ; 

 exposed inner secondaries and remaining (luills dark-brown ; upper breast 

 cliestnut ; lower breast, flanks, and abdomen greyish-white, very finely 

 barred with dark-l)rown ; under tail-coverts rich black. 



Colours of soft parts.— "The colours of the soft parts vary. 1 have 

 found the legs and feet most connnonK reddish-orange, but also coral 

 and ^■ermilion red, and again pure orange ; the claws are black or dusky ; 

 the irides are brown, sometimes deep, sometimes comparatively light ; the 

 nail of the bill is black : the rest of the bill is normally rather dingy 

 olive, more > ellow at base, greener at tip; the lower mandible is generally 

 more or less orange at the base; and I have killed birds (females) with 

 the bills black on the cidmen and a considerable portion of the upper 

 manilible and orange-yellow elsewheie ; others witli brown replacing the 

 black, and brownish-yellow replacing the orange; and 1 killed one male 

 with I he bill a, distinct orange-green — a colour such as I never saw in 

 an>' other bird." (llunie.) 



" iJill yellowish-green, black at the tip. under mandible reddish-\ellow 

 at tlie base ; irides hrown ; legs and feet re.idish-orange." (Sidcudon.) 



