Chap. 3. 



BIRDS OF VERMONT. 



1G9 



THE SUMMER, OR WOOD DUCK. 



THE MALLARD. 



Under such circumstances numbers of 

 them are frequently shot. 



Genus Anas. — Linn. 



Generic Characters. — Bill broader tlian high 

 at the base, vvidfrjing more or less at ihe cxlremi- 

 ty, somewhat flattened, ohiiise and much dt- 

 pressfd towards ihc point ; maruinal teelii lamel- 

 liform, weals ; upper mandible convex, curved and 

 furnished with a slender nail at the end ; the low- 

 er narrower, flat, and entirely covered by the mar- 

 gins of the iip])ur : nostrils basal, approaching to- 

 gether, oval, open, pervious, and partly closed by 

 a membrane ; tonc;ue stout and obtuse, fringed at 

 the sides ; neck about the length of the body ; feet 

 central, small, weak, web entire ; wings moder- 

 ate acute ; riuills long, 1st and 2d longest ; tail of 

 from 14 to 16 feathers. Plumage of the se.vcs dif- 

 ferent. 



SUMMER, OR WOOD DUCK. 



..4?trt5 sponsa. — LinnjEus. 



Description. — Top of the head, crest, 

 and about the cjes, different shades of 

 green, with purple reflections ; crest and 

 side of the head marked by two white 

 lines, one terminating- beliind the eye and 

 the other extending to the bill ; a black 

 patch on each side of the neck ; chin, 

 back part of the cheek, and ring round 

 the neck white ; lower part of the neck 

 and breast bright chestnut-brown, spotted 

 with white ; back, scapulars, wings and 

 tail exhibiting a play of green, purple, 

 blue, gray, and velvet black ; a liair-like, 

 splendent, reddish purple tuft on each 

 side of the rump; belly whitish; flanks 

 yellowish gray, beautifully waved with 

 black, the tips of the long feathers, and 

 also those on the shoulder, broadly barred 

 with white and black. On most of the 

 plumage is a play of colors with metallic 

 lustre ; bill higher than wide at the base, 

 narrowed towards the point, flesh color 

 above, with a black spot between the nos- 

 trils and at the tip; black below; tail of 

 14 wide rounded feathers, longer than the 

 folded winos. Female without the tufts 



on the rump, the fine lines on the flanks, 

 with shorter crest, and less vivid plumage, 

 mostly of a brownish hue. Length ol'the 

 specimen before me (male) 2U inches ; the 

 folded wing 8.;^. 



History. — The Wood Duck is one of 

 the most beautiful birds seen in this state, 

 and is one of the very few permanent res- 

 idents here. Their food consists of tad- 

 poles, insects and worms, and also of 

 beechnuts and various kinds of berries. 

 Their flight is rapid and graceful, and 

 they also swim and dive well. Their 

 sense of hearing is very quick, and when 

 alarmed they sometimes conceal them- 

 selves in tlie water, witii the bill only 

 above the surflice. Their nests are upon 

 trees, usually in the hollow of a broken 

 and decayed trunk, or large limb, and the 

 eggs, from 8 to 14, are yellowish white, 

 and a little smaller than those of tlie com- 

 mon hen. The young, when hatched, 

 are carried down in the bill of the parent, 

 and then conducted to the water. The 

 flesh of this Duck is esteemed for food. 



THE MALLARD. 



Jlnas hoschas. — Linn. 



Description. — Head and upper part of 

 the neck green, with blue and dark pur- 

 ple reflections; collar around the neck 

 white; feathers of the breast dark reddish 

 chestnut, slightly edged with white; 

 scapulars, back and parts beneath sprink- 

 led and waved with blackish on a white 

 ground, much lighter towards the tail; 

 rump and tail coverts blackish green; 

 sides of the rump partly, and interior of 

 the wings wholly, white ; folded wing 

 shorter than the tail ; bill yellow ; iris 

 reddish brown ; legs orange ; Female and 

 yovng brownish varied with yellov/ish 

 and blackish. Length of the specimen 

 before me, which is a male, 26 inches; 

 folded wing 11; bill 2.1; tarsus 1.8; 

 longest toe 2.4 ; width of the bill 1 .1 . 



History. — This is our common domes- 

 tic duck in its wild state. It is freqtient- 

 ly seen in small flocks in lake Chamjjlain, 

 but is more plentiful at the south and 

 southwest. The specimen from which 

 the above description was made, was shot 

 in the lake near Burlington in May 1842. 

 It is finely preserved and is now in the 

 museum of tjie College of Natural Histo- 

 ry of the Vermont University. Their 

 nest is made upon the borders of rivers 

 and lakes at some distance from the wa- 

 ter. The eggs, from 10 to 18, are bluish 

 white. The female frequently covers her 

 eggs when she leaves them. The young are 

 led to the water as soon as hatched and 

 are at once able to swim and dive with great 



