l66 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Genus Anas Linnaeus . 

 Subgenus Anas lyinnseus. 

 30. (132). Anas l>os(-/ias lyinn. Mallard. 



The Mallard, or t3'pical "wild duck," from its close resemblance 

 to its domesticated descendants, is probably the best known of all 

 the species of ducks. It is a common migrant in all parts of the 

 state, and at times abundant locally. Indeed, as Mr. Brewer has 

 once said, during the migration season ducks are liable to alight 

 wherever there is as much as a wash-basin of water. The Mallard 

 nested very commonly in Iowa, particularly in the northern part 

 of the state, until within a few years ago, and broods are still not 

 infrequent in localities where undrained marshes are found of suf- 

 ficient size to hide the young during the period of growth. The 

 nest is almost invariable' placed on dry ground, but not far from 

 water. 



T. M. Trippe (Proc. Bost. Soc, xv, 1872, 241) states that "a 

 few remain all summer and breed. Said to have been in large 

 numbers formerly" (Decatur and Mahaska). C. F. Henning 

 (West. Orn., v, 3, 1900, 54-5) says that in former years the Mal- 

 lard bred extensively in Boone county, but now only a few pairs 

 remain. Most observers give the Mallard the status of only a 

 migrant in Iowa. A few additional notes are given: 



Blackhawk — " Common summer resident; nesting" (Walters); 

 "abundant summer resident; nests" (Salisbur}'); "common 

 migrant" (Peck). Jackson — "common resident" (Giddings). 

 Hancock — "rather rare summer resident. Found a nest with 

 nine fresh eggs. May 5, 1894, i^ Ellington township. The 

 nest was on the ground, on a small knoll near a slough, placed 

 under a .small wnllow bush in high grass" (Anderson). Lee — 

 "resident; breeds" (Praeger); "resident, not common; abundant 

 migrant" (Currier). Pottawattamie — Mills — "abundant migrant; 

 formerly rare summer resident" (Trostler). Poweshiek — "rarely 

 breeds" (L,. Jones). Linn — "no recent records of breeding here, 

 though formerly they bred, according to 'old settler' reports" 

 (Keyes). Winnebago — "found one nest in May, 1901, near Rake" 

 (Halvorsen); "abundant migrant; formerly a common summer 

 resident, but now rare, although a few still nest in the county" 

 (Anderson). Woodbury — "common summer resident" (Rich). 



