82 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



1, 1904, numbers were seen in Merrymeeting Bay, (Noble, J. M. 0. S. 1905, p. 

 11). Somerset; accidental, one shot November 7, 1893, (Morrell). Wash- 

 ington ; accidental, (Boardman). 



From October through April they occur quite rarely along 



the entire coast, and occasionally in the interior spring and 



fall, though some exceptional years they may be even locally 



common along the coast. The eggs are pale cream buff or 



bluish or greenish white, and are six to ten in number. Ten 



from North Dakota are pale greenish white. They were found 



in a nest on the ground on the open prarie, near the roadside, 



about two hundred yards from a large slough. The nest was 



made of dried grass, weed stalks and warmly lined with down 



from the breast of the parent. It was found May 28, 1897. 



The eggs measure 2.07 x 1.60, 2.09 x 1.65, 2.10 x 1.58, 2.09 



X 1.60, 2.10 X 1.63, 2.07 x 1.58, 2.10 x 1.57, 2.12 x 1.55, 2.07 



X 1.60, 2.02 X 1.58. The nests are usually placed near sloughs 



and meadow marshes. The Mallard is the ancestor of many 



of our varieties of domestic Ducks and the quack of this species 



is not different from that of the domestic species. Their diet 



is largely vegetable matter, tender buds and roots of Vallis- 



neria and other water plants, also insects, frogs, tadpoles and 



other water life. 



"133. Anas ohscura Gmel. Black Duck. 



Plumage of adult male and females : speculum purple, bordered by black ; 

 top of head fuscous, slightly huffy streaked ; sides of head and throat buffy, 

 blackish streaked; below brown, feathers all bordered with yellowish or 

 buffy; above slightly darker brown, feathers buffy margined. Downy 

 young : above olive brown with six light buff spots : below dingy buff, paler 

 on belly ; a dusky streak from bill to eye, and back of eye ; a dusky line 

 from ear backward. Wing 10.50 to 11.50 ; culmen 2.20 ; tarsus 1.75. 



Geog. Dist. — North America west to Utah and Texas; breeding from 

 Illinois and New Jersey northward to Newfoundland and eastern coast of 

 Labrador ; winters from Massachusetts south to the Greater Antilles. 



County Records. — Androscoggin ; common migrant, a few remain to breed, 

 (Johnson). Aroostook ; breeds on many of the lakes and streams, (Knight). 

 Cumberland; common, (Brock). Franklin; common summer resident, 

 (Swain). Hancock; common in spring and fall, some remain all summer 

 and nest both along the coast and inland, have seen no winter birds of this 



