ANAS. 435 



Genus ANAS, Linn., 1766. 



Bill of moderate length, but little higher at the base, flat 

 anteriorly, the sides parallel or nearly so ; nostril about a quarter 

 of the distance from the forehead to the end of the bill ; wings 

 long and pointed, a metallic speculum formed by the outer webs 

 of the secondary quills ; tail rather pointed, of 18 or 20 feathers ; 

 tarsus shielded in front, hind toe with a small narrow lobe. 



The species of this genus and its near allies, such as the Gad- 

 wall and the Teals, have a habit of feeding on the bottom in shallow 

 water, with the hinder half of their bodies sticking up vertically 

 above the water. None of the Pochards do this. 



To this cosmopolitan genus 17 species are referred by Salvadori ; 

 only two are Indian, and these two differ in characters that are 

 often regarded as generic. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Sexes different ; speculum purple-blue . . A. boscas, p. 435. 



b. Sexes alike ; speculum green A. pO3cilorhynchus, p. 436. 



1592. Anas boscas. The Mallard. 



Anas boschas, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 205 (1766) ; Theobald, J. A. S. B. 

 xxiii, p. 602 ; Blyth, Cat. p. 303 ; Adams, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 510 ; 

 1859, p. 190 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 798 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 176 ; 

 Hume, N. $ E. p. 642 ; id. S. F. i, p. 261 ; vii, pp. 67, 492 ; id. 

 Cat. no. 958; Sutler t S. F. ix, p. 437; Barnes, Birds Bom. 

 p. 402. 



Anas boscas, Wharton, Ibis, 1879, p. 453 ; id. S. F. viii, p. 499 ; 

 Hume fy Marsh. Game B. iii, p. 151, pi. ; Biddidph, Ibis, 1881, p. 99 ; 

 Scully, ibid. p. 592 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 81 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 344 ; 

 Oates in Hume's N. 8f E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 288; Salvadori, Cat. B. M. 

 xxvii, p. 189. 

 Nilsir, Nir-rugi, H. ; Lily S > Lilgahi $ , Nepal. 



Coloration. Male after autumnal moult. Head and upper neck 

 glossy emerald-green ; a white ring, slightly interrupted behind, 

 round the lower neck, followed by a broad gorget of deep chestnut, 

 covering most of the breast ; upper back and scapulars finely 

 vermiculated white and brown, some outer scapulars tinged with 

 chestnut ; middle of back dark brown, lower back black ; rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, and the four middle tail-feathers the same, 

 glossed with purple or green, and the four middle rectrices curled 

 upwards at the ends ; rest of tail-feathers white, greyish brown 

 near the shafts ; quills dark brown, the secondaries white-tipped, 

 their outer webs anteriorly metallic purple, with a subterminal black 

 band ; tertiaries greyish brown, tinged on outer webs with chest- 

 nut ; wing-coverts brown, greater secondary coverts with a white 

 subterminal band and black tips ; wing-lining white ; abdomen 

 and flanks white, finely vermiculated with brown ; lower tail-coverts 

 velvety black. 



