MALLARD 
132. Anas platyrhynchos. 23 in. 
Male.—Head, green; speculum  purplish-blue; bill 
olive-green; legs orange; eyes brown. The female most 
closely resembles the Black Duck but is lighter colored, 
more brownish, and the speculum, or wing patch, is 
always bordered with white. This species is one of 
the handsomest and most valuable of ducks. It is the 
eogener of the domestic ducks, and is largely used as 
a table bird. 
Their food consists chiefly of mollusks and tender 
grasses. These they usually get in shallow water by 
“tipping up,” that is, reaching the bottom without go- 
ing entirely under water. They also visit meadows and 
the edges of grain and rice fields for food. 
Notes.—A nasal “ quack,” often rapidly repeated when 
they are feeding. 
Nest.—Of grass, lined with downy feathers, concealed 
in tufts of grass near the water’s edge. The 6 to 10 
eggs are buffy or olive-greenish (2.25 x 1.65). 
Range.—Breeds from the northern tier of states north- 
ward; winters in southern half of the U.S. 
