MALLARD, OR WILD DRAKE. 361 



DESCRIPTION. 



" 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 tipped 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 reflections, 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 yel- 

 low ochre, spotted and streaked with deep brown ; the chin and 

 throat, for about two inches, plain yellowish- white ; wings, bill, 

 and legs, nearly as in the male. 



" The windpipe of the male has a bony labyrinth, or bladder-like 

 knob, puffing out from the left side. The intestines measure six 

 feet, and are as wide as those of the canvas-back. The windpipe 

 is of uniform diameter until it enters the labyrinth." 



Like most wild fowl, the mallard breeds in the Far North, 

 and makes its appearance in the autumn among the first of our 

 ducks. It is common throughout all our rivers and fresh-water 

 lakes, but is seldom met with on the sea-coast. As the winter 



