THE MALLARD. 187 



dark brown ; these spots on the breast become larger, 

 and crescent shaped ; back and scapulars, dark brown, 

 edged and centred with yellow ochre ; belly, slightly 

 rufous, mixed with white ; wing, nearly as in the male. 

 On dissection, the labyrinth in the windpipe of the 

 male was found to be small ; the trachea itself seven 

 inches long ; the intestines nine feet nine inches in length, 

 and about the thickness of a crow quill. 



259. ANAS BOSCHAS, LINNJEUS. THE MALLARD. 

 WILSON, PLATE LXX. FIG. VII. EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 



THE mallard, or common wild drake, is so universally 

 known as scarcely to require a description. It measures 

 twenty-four inches in length, by three feet in extent, 

 and weighs upwards of two pounds and a half; the bill 

 is greenish yellow ; irides, hazel ; head and part of the 

 neck, deep glossy changeable green, ending in a narrow 

 collar of white; the rest of the neck and breast are of 

 a dark purplish chestnut ; lesser wing-coverts, brown 

 ash, greater crossed near the extremities with a band 

 of white, and tipt with another of deep velvety black ; 

 below this lies the speculum, or beauty spot, of a rich 

 and splendid light purple, with green and violet reflec- 

 tions, bounded on every side with black ; quills, pale 

 brownish ash ; back, brown, skirted with paler; scapulars, 

 whitish, crossed with fine undulating lines of black ; 

 rump and tail-coverts, black, glossed with green ; 

 tertials, very broad, and pointed at the ends; tail, 

 consisting of eighteen feathers, whitish, centred with 

 brown ash, the four middle ones excepted, which are 

 narrow, black, glossed with violet, remarkably concave, 

 and curled upwards to a complete circle ; belly and 

 sides, a fine gray, crossed by an infinite number of fine 

 waving lines, stronger and more deeply marked as they 

 approach the vent ; legs and feet, orange red. 



The female has the plumage of the upper parts dark 

 brown, broadly bordered with brownish yellow ; and 

 the lower parts yellow ochre, spotted and streaked with 



