764 THE MALLARD. 
ers. Like the other Mergansers again, the male deserts his mate as soon as the 
eggs are laid, leaving her to feed herself and attend to the young. 
Almost as soon as the eggs are hatched, the female transports the babies 
to the water, carrying each one carefully in her bill, as is probably the habit of 
all tree-nesting ducks. This is the rule, but I have been informed on what I 
believe to be good authority, that these birds occasionally nest on the ground, 
laying their eggs in a hollow in the moss, beneath the low-spreading branches 
of some fir or cedar. 
J. H. Bow es. 
No. 307. 
MALLARD. 
“A O. U. No. 132. Anas platyrhynchos Linn. 
Synonyms.—Gray Mariarp. “Witp Duck” (par excellence). GREEN- 
HEAD. 
Description.—Adu/t male: Whole head and neck soft, shining, dark green; 
fore-neck and breast rich dark chestnut, with a purplish tinge, separated from 
green of neck by narrow white collar not meeting behind; sides of breast, belly, 
sides and crissum grayish white, finely undulated with dusky; the same continued 
on back, but largely overlaid or suppressed, except on scapulars, by rich brown of 
various shades; speculum (terminal portion of secondaries) shining metallic blue 
or purplish violet, bordered on either side immediately by black and then by white, 
—the anterior bars furnished by the tips of the greater coverts, the posterior by 
the tips of the secondaries; rump sooty brown; upper tail-coverts deep black with 
greenish gloss, the longer central feathers curled upward; under tail-coverts deep 
purplish black; tail grayish white with dusky speckling and central areas; bill 
olive-yellow with black nail; iris hazel; feet orange red. Adult female: Quite 
different; speculum much as in male, but remaining plumage dusky and ochrace- 
ous or brownish buff, the former centrally on feathers, broadly and prevailingly on 
upperparts, the latter narrowly or obscurely in crescentic, U-shaped, and irregular 
markings ; below brownish buff predominant, brightest on breast, fading on belly ; 
head and neck buff, sharply and finely streaked except on throat and usually chin, 
where immaculate. Adult male in summer: Much like female, but somewhat 
darker (Sharpe and Dresser). Length 20.00-25.00 (508-635); wing 11.00 
(279.4) ; tail 3.35 (85.1); bill 2.25 (57.2); tarsus 1.75 (44.5). Female averages 
smaller than male. 
Recognition Marks.—The standard of measurement for ducks (size of Do- 
mestic Duck). Green head of male; metallic blue speculum, bordered by black 
and white, of both sexes. 
Nesting.— Nest; on the ground, usually near water, well hidden in weeds or 
rushes, sometimes under sage-bush, at foot of tree in woods, ete.; lined with 
trash and feathers. Eggs: 6-12, yellowish drab, pale olivaceous, green, or green- 
ish white. Av. size, 2.30 x 1.70 (58.4 x 43.2). Scason: c. May Ist; one brood. 
