THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



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Common Duck or Mallard [Anas boscas), found all 

 round the northern hemisphere in a wild state, 

 and in most countries domesticated. The other 

 domestic duck, the Muscovy, is a common wild 

 bird in the warm parts of America. The wild 

 representative of the Mallard in Australasia is the 

 Grey Duck {Anas superciliosa), a dark-brown species 

 with the sexes alike and much like the female of 

 the common bird. 



The celebrated Eider-Duck (Somateria mollis- 

 sima) is a northern bird, as are all its allies, and, 

 indeed, most diving ducks. 



The Mandarin Duck of China and Eastern Asia 

 generally {Aex galericulata) is almost as well known 

 by repute on account of the wonderfully diversified 

 plumage of the male, and especially his chestnut 

 ruff and wing-fans ; it is widely kept and often 

 bred in captivity. Its near relative, the Wood- 

 Duck of North America (A. sponsa) is completely 

 domesticated in Europe, and there called the Caro- 

 lina Duck. The Wood-Duck of Australia (Chlamy- 

 dochen juhata), though also a small species, is goose- 

 like in form. These three species are perchers 

 and tree-breeders, as are also the Whistlers or Tree- 

 Ducks (Dendrocycna), long-legged birds of striking 

 but not brilliant colours, which are the charac- 

 teristic ducks of the Tropics. 



The Sheldrakes {Tadorna, Casarca, Chenalopex) 

 are large strikingly-coloured species, with long legs 

 and wings, widely distributed. The New Zealand 

 Sheldrake (Casarca variegata), the only one of this 

 group of ducks with a marked sex-difference, is 

 well known as the Paradise Duck ; the Egyptian 

 Goose {Chenalopex cegyptiacus) is well known 

 both in domestication and as a wild bird in Africa. 

 The birds called Sheldrakes in America are really 

 Mergansers {Mergus), saw-billed, fish-eating, diving 



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