THE MALLARD 277 



storms and revel in food in abundance ; but the 

 writer lias known of several fine specimens in 

 full breeding plumage being taken on our coast 

 (in Casco Bay) during the very severest of the 

 winter's weather, all male birds and nearly al- 

 ways alone. On the Pacific coast they winter 

 from the Aleutian Islands to southern Califor- 

 nia. 



The farmer is indebted to this species for the 

 common domestic duck, which is a lineal de- 

 scendant of this gallant gentleman, yet few 

 would guess from the clumsy waddle of the 

 bird of the barnyard that he had any blood in 

 common with this free courser of lake and 

 marsh. What a degenerate scion of a noble 

 race ! In his habits the domestic bird has kept 

 as closely as may be to the ways of his ances- 

 tors, but his lazy life and uneventful existence 

 have taken away well nigh all the wild bird's 

 fire and graceful action, so that he falls far 

 short of his model. 



Our hero is brilliantly appareled in showy 

 garb, and is a handsome bird, especially in his 

 spring plumage. The female, as is usually 

 the case with the duck family, is attired 

 in much more sober dress. The drake, then, 



