166 APPENDIX 



22 (latest, Dec. 11, 1890); central Iowa (twelve years), 

 Nov. 15 (latest, Nov. 27, 1903) ; central Nebraska, Nov. 

 18 (latest, Nov. 26, 1899.) 



Anas obscura Gmel. Black Duck. 



Breeding Range. The group of "black," or "dusky," 

 ducks comprises several species which closely resemble 

 each other and which have been distinguished only in re- 

 cent years. The black duck is the common breeding duck 

 of New England and northern New York, south of which 

 it breeds not rarely on Long Island and locally in Penn- 

 sylvania (Bradford County), New Jersey (Long Beach), 

 Delaware and Maryland (Ocean City, Barrow Springs.) 

 To the westward the breeding range extends south to 

 Ohio (formerly), Indiana (Lake County), Illinois, Iowa 

 (Spirit Lake) and Minnesota (Kandiyohi County.) It 

 breeds rarely and locally over much of Wisconsin, but 

 breeds more commonly in Michigan and southern On- 

 tario. It is a very common summer resident of Quebec, 

 New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the islands of the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence. The most northern points at which it 

 breeds are in southern Labrador and Newfoundland. 

 Somewhere in Labrador and in northern Ontario this 

 form meets the more northern form, the red-legged duck 

 (Anas obscura rubripes), but the dividing line between the 

 two is unknown. A specimen from the Straits of Belle 

 Isle is obscura; one from Okak, Labrador, is intermediate 

 and one from Ungava Bay, only a few miles farther north, 

 is rubripes. 



The black duck breeds so early that young have been 

 found at Old Saybrook, Conn., May 5, and eggs at Reho- 

 both, Mass., April 30. 



