274 ANATID^E. 



the other parts of the continent of Europe ; is found east- 

 ward as far as Japan ; westward over North America, the 

 United States, and Greenland, and was obtained by Cap- 

 tain Beechey during a voyage to the Pacific and Behring's 

 Straits ; it is probably jndigenous to the greater part of 

 the northern hemisphere. 



The Wild Duck is the undoubted origin of many of the 

 varieties of our domestic Ducks ; but in these one curious 

 difference of habit is observable : the Wild Duck is strictly 

 monogamous ; our most common domestic Ducks, on the 

 contrary, are polygamous ; they are also very prolific, one 

 Duck has been known to produce one hundred and eighty 

 eggs in one season. The Common Duck has bred with the 

 Egyptian Goose, the Shelldrake, the Muscovy Duck, the 

 Wigeon, and the Pintail Duck. 



In the adult male the bill is yellowish-green ; the irides 

 hazel ; all the head and the upper half of the neck rich 

 glossy green ; below that a narrow ring of white ; the 

 neck behind and the back greyish chestnut brown, becom- 

 ing dark on the lower part of the back, and bluish-black 

 on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; the four middle tail- 

 feathers velvet black, and curled upwards ; the rest lancet- 

 shaped, ash grey in the middle, margined with white, the 

 most outer feathers having the broader margins ; scapulars 

 a mixture of brown and grey ; the small wing-coverts ash 

 brown ; the greater coverts with a bar of white near the 

 end, and tipped with velvet black ; primaries ash brown ; 

 the secondaries the same on the inner web, the outer 

 portion towards the end of the outer web rich shining pur- 

 ple, forming a speculum, but bounded by a bar of velvet 

 black, and tipped with white ; tertials pale chestnut brown, 

 the outer webs darkest in colour ; front and sides of the 

 neck below the white ring rich dark chestnut, each feather 

 at the commencement of winter edged with white ; breast, 



