RIVER AND POND DUCKS 191 



acting under direction, scatter and seek cover in every direction, while 

 the female gives a remarkable and courageous exhibition of partial 

 helplessness. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES 



I. Wing under 8-50. 



a. Lesser wing-coverts gray. 



139. GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 138. EUROPEAN TEAL. 



b. Lesser wing-coverts blue. 



6 1 . Cheeks slate-color, a broad white mark near the front of the face. 



140. BLUE-WINGED TEAL (& ad.). 

 6 2 . Cheeks and underparts chestnut-rufous. 



141. CINNAMON TEAL (c? ad.) 

 c 1 . Cheeks finely streaked with blackish. 



c 2 . Underparts whitish, sometimes washed with brownish, streaked or 



spotted with blackish 140. BLUE-WINGED TEAL 9. 



c 3 . Underparts heavily washed with chestnut-rufous and mottled 



with black 141. CINNAMON TEAL 9. 



II. Wing over 8' 50. 



A. Belly white or grayish white, not conspicuously streaked or spotted. 



a. Whole head shining dark green 132. MALLARD (c? ad.). 



b. Center of head white or whitish, a large streak behind the eye. 



137. BALDPATE (& ad.). 



c. Throat white, crown green or grayish green, tips of primaries greenish. 



144. WOOD DUCK. 



d. Throat blackish, center of crown buffy, rest of head rufous. 



136. WIDGEON (<? ad.). 



e. Throat and sides of head olive-brown, darker on the crown. 



143. PINTAIL (9 ad.). 

 /. Throat, crown and sides of head more or less finely streaked with 



blackish. 



f 1 . Wing-coverts with more or less chestnut .... 135. GADWALL. 

 g l . No chestnut in wing-coverts. 



g 2 . Axillars* and sides barred with black 143. PINTAIL 9. 



s . Axillars white or speckled with black, sides plain brownish. 



137. BALDPATE 9. 

 g*. Axillars white, sides thickly spotted or barred with black. 



135. GADWALL 9. 



B. Underparts conspicuously mottled, spotted, or streaked, or feathers 



margined with chestnut-rufous or belly chestnut. 

 o. With white conspicuous in wing-coverts. 



a 1 . Lesser wing-coverts ashy blue 142. SHOVELLER. 



6 1 . Lesser wing-coverts brownish gray, bordered with white or tipped 



with black. 



6 2 . Speculumf purple 132. MALLARD 9. 



6 s . Speculum gray and white 135. GADWALL 9. 



6. No conspicuous white in wing-coverts. 

 * fe 1 . Throat fulvous or buffy, without streaks. . . 134. FLORIDA DUCK. 



6 2 . Throat finely streaked with black 133. BLACK DUCK. 



132. Anas platyrhynchos Linn. MALLARD. (Fig. 34a.) Ad. <?. 

 Whole head and throat glossy greenish or bluish black; a white ring around 

 the neck; breast rich chestnut; belly grayish white, finely marked with wavy 

 black lines; under tail-coverts black; upper back dark grayish brown; rump 

 and upper tail-coverts black; four middle tail feathers recurved; speculum 

 rich purple, bordered at the base and tip by narrow bands of black and white. 

 Ad. 9 . Top and sides of head streaked with fuscous and buffy; back fuscous, 

 the feathers with internal rings or loops and sometimes borders of pale ochra- 



* See Fig. 82. |A colored patch in the wing. 



