332 Brewster, The Red-legged Black Duck. [f^^ 



"it should set at rest any lurking belief in the subspecific distinct- 

 ness of riibripes." He calls "attention to the fallibility of trained 

 gunners when a question of scientific importance is at stake," 

 adding: "The very man who shot my June bird had previously 

 assured me that the summer birds of Long Island did not have red 

 legs." Dr. Dwight then goes on to say that he has " noticed, without 

 a glass, that the wild birds breeding about the Central Park lakes 

 in New York City have red legs, but such evidence, derived from 

 semi-domesticated water-fowl, is not convincing in itself alone." 

 Considered in the close connection in which it occurs with the 

 passage expressing disparagement of the opinions and methods of 

 observation of "trained gunners" this last statement is rather 

 amusing. That a trained ornithologist, dealing wuth a question of 

 scientific importance, should have made it without perceiving that 

 so far from strengthening, it positively tends to discredit, some of 

 his other evidence and conclusions, is not a little surprising. For, 

 as almost everyone knows, the water-fowl now kept in such numbers 

 and variety in or near New York, Boston, and various other large 

 cities are, for the most part, of obscure if not unknown origin. 

 Purchased from Sportsman's Shows or from dealers in remote 

 parts of North America and the Old World they intermingle and 

 probably also interbreed, producing offspring of even more uncer- 

 tain antecedents than their own. Some of them are pinioned but 

 many are not thus handicapped, having free use of their wings and 

 unrestrained liberty, wander more or less widely, returning to the 

 park ponds every now and then or deserting them altogether, as 

 circumstances or inclination dictate. They often join, or are 

 joined by, wild migrants of the same or of allied species and even 

 occasionally mate with them it is thought — although not as yet 

 definitely ascertained. In such collections of living water-fowl the 

 Red-legged Black Ducks are often rather numerously represented. 

 Their presence in them has, of course, no more significance than has 

 that of the Wood Ducks kept in such profusion in ornamental 

 ponds in various cities in Europe. In view of all these facts why 

 is it not possible — or rather probable — that the "June bird" 

 shot on Long Island came originally from some of the lakes in 

 Central Park or the Bronx? It may even have been one of the 

 very ducks — "wild" or "semi-domesticated," which are we to 



