382 Bigelow, Hybrids between Mallard and other Ducks. [o"t k 



1904, p. 718) who says: "wintering in Florida and other Gulf 

 States," these statements are misleading and inaccurate, for the 

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher winters regularly on the coast of South Caro- 

 lina. I have long known this fact, for on December 15, 1885, I saw 

 about a dozen birds near Charleston and shot four specimens; while 

 in January, 1886, others were noted during the memorable blizzard, 

 and which was the coldest weather up to February, 1899. I here- 

 with mention a few dates on which others were taken: January 10, 

 18S9, one; January 2, 1893, one; December 26, 1898, saw two 

 and obtained one; February 4, 1903, one. All the specimens taken 

 are apparently immature birds and the question is where do the 

 adults winter ? As they are presumably more hardy than the young 

 the assumption would be that they, or at least some of them, winter 

 at points along the coast to the northward of Charleston. This is, 

 however, not the case as there are no records of the birds wintering 

 in North Carolina. Why the young of this species should winter 

 and not the adult is certainly very strange. 



ON HYBRIDS BETWEEN THE MALLARD (ANAS 

 BOSCHAS) AND CERTAIN OTHER DUCKS. 



BY HENRY B. BIGELOW. 



The collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Har- 

 vard University contains four hybrid ducks which are well worthy 

 of description. In all one parent is Mallard, the other being 

 Black Duck, Pintail and Baldpate respectively. All of these 

 crosses have been previously noted, the Black Duck cross repeatedly, 

 but very few specimens have been described in detail ; or with any 

 special reference to the relations of colors to color patterns in 

 parents and hybrid offspring. A complete summary of all de- 

 scriptions of Hybrid birds published previous to 1906 will be found 

 in Suchetet. 1 



1. Mallard (Anas boschas) X Black Duck (Anas obscura). 



1 Des Hybrides a l'etat sauvage. . . .des Oiseaux, 1897. 



