Anatinae, and the salt-water ducks the subfamily, 

 Fu'ligilinas. These two families can easily be distin- 

 guished by their feet. If a salt-water duck, the hind 

 toe will be found to have a small web or flap on the 

 under side, but if the bird belongs to the fresh-water 

 group, the toe will be as clean as any land bird. 



THE MALLARD 



(Anas boschas) 



The mallard is possibly the best known duck in Amer- 

 ica, it being found in greater or less numbers every- 

 where from the Arctic to Central America. It is a resi- 

 dent species throughout the Pacific Coast, breeding on 

 the mountain lakes and streams from Mexico to Alaska, 

 and even to a considerable extent on the lower marshes 

 of California, Oregon and Washington. On the fresh 

 water ponds and overflows they congregate in great 

 numbers during the winter months and a bag limit of 

 twenty is no uncommon thing. Like all of the fresh- 

 water ducks of this Coast, they, too, are often found 

 in considerable numbers on the tide lands and salt 

 marshes. 



The mallard of the Pacific Coast can hardly be said 

 to be a migratory duck, for it breeds from Mexico north. 

 Its migrations consisting more of altitudinal move- 

 ments than of longitudinal. While it breeds on the 

 mountain lakes of Mexico, it is rarely seen in the higher 

 altitudes during the winter months. 



Hybrids between the mallard and the pintail and 

 the mallard and the widgeon have been occasionally 

 met with on the marshes of the Coast. This is most 

 likely caused by the mating of cripples that had not the 

 strength to make the flight to their usual breeding 

 grounds. 



Color Male Head and neck, dark green with a me- 

 tallic luster; white ring around the neck at the bottom 

 of the green; back, gray; breast, chestnut brown; un- 

 der parts dirty white; tail, black with two feathers 

 curled upwards; speculum, (see diagram) purple, bor- 

 dered with black and white. 



Female Head, dark buff; breast, lighter buff with 

 brown mottlings; legs, orange colored; speculum same 

 as the male; bill, yellow, blotched with brown. 



Nest and Eggs The nest is placed on the ground and 

 lined with grass, feathers and down. The eggs num- 

 ber eight to a dozen and are of a greenish tinge. 



Measurements Male Total length, from 20 to 25 

 59 



