288 FEATHERED GAME 



wildfowler of my acquaintance claims that this 

 duck never goes near the inland waters, but 

 is entirely a maritime race. This seems hardly 

 probable, but there is certainly more reason for 

 this bit of ^'feather-splitting" than for many 

 other cases already admitted to good standing 

 in the ornithologist's list. Mr. William Brew- 

 ster, of Cambridge, Mass., has given this north- 

 ern form official sanction and the scientific 

 name of Anas ohscura ruhripes. 



It may be well to state that in the southern 

 part of its range there are two varieties of 

 this duck known to the scientist, although the 

 average gunner would not be likely to note a 

 difference; these are the Texan and the Flor- 

 idan Black Duck. The Floridan race is of 

 lighter color than the typical bird; cheeks and 

 throat very pale buff, almost, if not quite, with- 

 out streaking; bill yellowish olive with a black 

 nail and a patch of black at the base of upper 

 mandible, resembling somewhat more the fe- 

 male mallard than the type of the Black Duck. 

 Speculum sometimes greenish, sometimes pur- 

 plish, and often the feathers making it are 

 white-tipped. 



The Texan race has a dirty gray color on 



