NEW MEXICAN DUCK 



159 



large circuit over the land, the male all the while keeping his position 

 directly above the female, they swung again over the river, coming head 

 up into the light wind, whereupon they set their wings and descended 

 to the water, the female slightly in the lead. Immediately upon alighting 

 copulation occurred. 



"The nest and eggs of the New Mexican Duck, so far as I know, 

 still remain to be described. Although I hunted almost daily during the 

 last half of May and the first half of June, I was not successful in locat- 

 ing a single nest." From the end of July on, "flocks of from 10 to 25 

 young accompanied by old females could be seen feeding along the river 

 bank. Even at this age they were extremely wary, and one could get 

 within range only by the greatest stealth and stalking. 



"The feeding habits of this species are similar to the Mallard. They 

 feed among the river banks, in the drainage canals, ponds, and cat-tail 

 swamps. In the spring the flooded alfalfa fields are favorite grounds for 

 food. Ever extremely wary, they pass much of the daytime on the mud 

 flats in the middle of the river. At dusk they seek their favorite feed- 

 ing grounds, a cat-tail swamp or flooded alfalfa field, even though it lie 

 close to a ranch house or small settlement. The food I found to consist of 

 green shoots of alfalfa and cat-tail, grass roots, corn, wheat, and numer- 

 ous small fresh-water shells, together with the larger seeds of weeds and 

 grasses. 



"The flight of the New Mexican Duck is similar to that of the Mal- 

 lard, but it is a stronger and somewhat faster flyer. It was during the 

 very heavy wind storms last- 

 ing two or three days that oc- 



cur in March in southwest- 

 ern New Mexico, that I no- 

 ticed the greater strength of 

 flight of this species over the 

 Mallard. One could easily dis- 

 tinguish an individual of this 

 species in a flock of Mallards 

 by its darker colour and con- 

 spicuous pyrite yellow bill. 



"While feeding in the 

 ponds and flooded alfalfa 

 fields it keeps a short distance 

 away from the other ducks. 

 Food is obtained in the deep- 

 er water by thrusting the 

 head straight down and keep- 

 ing the body nearly sub- 

 merged by the use of the feet, 

 the tail only standing straight 

 up above water. I have never 

 seen this duck dive even when 

 wounded. Several times while 



