40 NOTES ON THE 



and ponds, including all of the wild rice marshes, and wheat 

 fields, will prove inadequate to maintain the supply at this 

 rate. Thanks for legislation though late, 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Head and neck bright grass green, with a violet gloss, top 

 of head duller; a white ring around the middle of the neck, 

 below which, and on the forepart and sides of the breast, the 

 color is dark brownish-chestnut; under parts and sides, with 

 the scapulars, pale gray, very finely undulated with dusky; 

 the outer scapulars with a brownish tinge; forepart of back 

 reddish brown; posterior more olivaceous; crissum and upper 

 tail coverts black, the latter with a blue gloss; tail externally 

 white; wing coverts brownish-gray, the greater coverts tipped 

 first with white, and then more narrowly with black; speculum 

 purplish-violet, terminated with black; a recurved tuft of feath- 

 ers on the rump; iris dark brown. 



Length, 28; wing, 11; tarsus, 1.70; commissure, 2.50. 



Habitat, northern parts of northern hemisphere. 



ANAS OBSCURA Gmelin. (133.) 



BLACK. 



My first local observation of the Black Ducks began in the 

 spring of 1862, during the spring migration. They were asso- 

 ciated with the Mallards, and were exceedingly shy, a single 

 one in the flock often x^roving a sad defeat to the sportman's 

 purposes towards the other species. A few usually find their 

 way into the game markets, in both migrations, and it is seldom 

 that a season passes in which I have not observed their pres- 

 ence in one or both migrations. They are never abundant, 

 indeed they are rather rare, and in small flocks in the spring 

 migrations which are somewhat larger in the autumn. I have 

 never counted more than 15 in a single flock, and more com- 

 monly not to exceed half a dozen. I had been told that they 

 bred in the southern and western sections of the State long 

 before I had an opportunity to corroborate the statement, but 

 I have long since found them doing so in the valley of the Min- 

 nesota river, and in Kandiyohi county. Their nests were in a 

 tussock of rank grass or reeds, in a marsh which had been 

 overflowed during the prevalence of high water in spring, and 

 in one instance was found as early as the 15th of May with 

 three eggs in it. Another was shown me by a citizen who 

 resided but a short distance away, containing ten, greenish- 

 brown eggs. This was May 27th, which seems to indicate about 

 the same period of nesting as for the former. Their food in 



