BIRDS OF NEW YORK 187 



This species pairs in March or earlier and begins to lay from April 

 18 to May 12, concealing its nest very carefully among the grass or brush- 

 wood of swamps or waste fields, sometimes a long distance from water. 

 The eggs are from 8 to 1 2 of a dingy white or yellowish drab color and measure 

 2.4 X 1.75 inches. The ducklings are olive-brown above with three pairs of 

 buffy spots, one on the wings, one on the sides of the back and one on the 

 sides of the rump ; sides of the head and neck, and under parts dingy white 

 tinged with buff ; sides of the head with a narrow dusky streak through the 

 eye, and a dusky ear patch. 



The larger form of Black duck which is common in New York late in 

 the fall and throughout the winter was described by Mr Brewster as a dis- 

 tinct subspecies in 1902, but is now considered untenable. The name 

 rubripes, however is found to be the only tenable name for the species. 



Chaulelasmus streperus (Linnaeus) 



Gadwall 



Plate 12 



Anas strepera Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 10. 1758. 1:125 



DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 343, fig. 243 

 A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 2. 1895. No. 135 



chauletas'mus, Gr. x«"i<-tos, protuberant, and cAxis/tids, plate, referring to 

 the strainers; stre'perus, hat., noisy 



Description. Male: Head and neck grayish brown or buffy barred 

 and speckled with black; lower neck, breast, back and sides marked with 

 half rings and wavy bars of black and white, sometimes quite dark on lower 

 neck; rump, tail coverts and crissum, black; belly white marked with gray; 

 middle wing coverts chestnut -red ; longer coverts velvety black at their 

 ends next to the mirror; speculum white; feet dull yellowish with dusky 

 webs; bill bluish black; lamella fine, numerous, 30 of them protrusive; 

 iris reddish brown. Female and young: Head, neck and upper parts 

 varied with dusky and grayish white or pale and ocherous buff in pattern 

 similar to Mallard duck; belly grayish white speckled with dusky; mirror 

 white; bill dusky, marbled with dull orange; feet dusky yellowish; lining of 

 wings white as in Mallard and Black duck. 



Length, male, 20-22 inches; female, 18; extent 34; wing lo-ii; tail 4.5; 

 tarsus 1.6; middle toe and claw 2.2; bill 1.6-1.75. 



