5 86 THE GADWALL. 



Recognition Marks. Spotting of throat and red legs most distinctive. 



Nest, and Eggs probably not different from those of preceding form. 



General Range. Atlantic Coast during migration from Newfoundland to 

 Virginia and west to Arkansas ; breeding range not definitely known, but includes 

 northern Labrador and Hudson Bay region. 



Range in Ohio. Imperfectly known as yet. Probably the common bird 

 during migrations. Winters irregularly and sparingly throughout the state. 



THE recent elaboration of this well-marked subspecies has left us quite 

 in doubt as to its status in Ohio. From a comparison of museum material, 

 it would appear quite possible that this may prove to be, as Jones suggests, 

 the more common form. Sportsmen would do well to report to some central 

 authority, as to the Secretary of the Wheaton Club, in Columbus, the pro- 

 portion which the red-legged birds bear to the others in their daily bags. 



No. 284. 



GADWALL. 



A. O. U. No. 135. Chaulelasmus streperus (Linn.). 



Synonym. GRAY DUCK. 



Description. Adult male : Head and upper neck buffy, spotted or streaked 

 with dusky ; top of head darker brownish ; breast and lower neck all around dusky 

 and white, each feather with five to eight concentric half-rings of alternating colors, 

 presenting a handsomely scaled appearance; sides, back and scapulars similarly 

 varied with dusky and white, buffy, or ochraceous-white, in semi-concentric, zigzag, 

 or fine, wavy lines ; the posterior inner scapulars, not thus marked, dull cinnamon- 

 brown, darker centrally and edged with lighter, lanceolate; lower back dusky, 

 becoming velvety black on lower tail-coverts and around on sides of crissum ; 

 middle wing-coverts bright chestnut; the lesser dull brownish gray, the greater 

 velvety black; speculum white, rather narrowly, the outer secondaries black and 

 dusky, the bounding tertials plain fuscous ; belly white or grayish, obscurely barred 

 posteriorily ; axillars and lining of wings white ; bill blue-black ; legs and feet dull 

 orange, the webs dusky. Adult male in breeding season : "Similar to winter male, 

 but colors duller, crown dusky, rump and breast tinged with rusty, and under parts 

 more spotted with dusky" (Ridgway). Adult female: "Head and throat as in 

 the male ; back fuscous margined with buffy ; breast and sides ochraceous buffy, 

 thickly spotted with blackish; belly and under tail-coverts white, more or less 

 thickly spoted with blackish ; little or no chestnut on wing-coverts ; speculum ashy 

 gray and white; axillars and under wing-coverts pure white" (Chapman). (No 

 specimen in O. S. U. collection.) Length 19.00-22.00 (482.6-558.8) ; wing 10.60 

 (269.2) ; tail 4.50 (114.3) : Ml T -^7 (4 2 -4) I tarsus 1.60 (40.6). Female smaller. 



Recognition Marks. Something under Mallard size ; white speculum dis- 

 tinctive. 



