HO ARRIGONI DEGLI ODDI. 



Anas boscas, L. — Common Mallard. 



N° 3002 of my Collection. — Adult male. — Semi-albino 

 variety. 



Bill dark yellowish-green, with a brownish shade 

 towards the tip, unguis black ; irides dark brown; 

 general colour pure white slightly rusty on all the under- 

 parts ; on the space between the eye and bill, beyond the 

 eye, on the sides of neck, but more especially on the an- 

 terior central line of neck, from the chin to the base of 

 neck, numerous dark black feathers with rieh glossy 

 green reflections ; legs and toes orange, the interdigital 

 membranes darker. 



This fine bird was killed in the Valle Miilecmnpi, but it 

 inhabited for about two months the open-lagoons, where 

 it was approached sometimes by the punt-gunners, but 

 without success, being very shy ; on the morning of 

 February the 1^^ of this year it flew on the lake named 

 Secco in the Sacahe dei Millecampi (closed lagoon in the 

 Province of Padua) and was killed by Mr. Guillion's wild- 

 fowl shooter I. Molon, being resting upon the water very 

 far from the decoys ; wounded it dived for a long time 

 and afterwards was keptalive by Mr. A. Guillion Mangilli, 

 who after a few days very kindly gavo me this rare speci- 

 men. There is no doubt that this Mallard is a wild bird. 



N° 428 of my Collection. — Adult female. — Semi-albino 

 variety. 



Bill and unguis orange-yellow spotted with black ; 

 irides black : feathers of the head and neck black with a 

 dark black spot on the centrc ; lower part of neck pure- 

 white ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts white with 

 black or greyish-black spots and stripes ; underparts 

 yellowish-white, some darkish spots on the throat, 

 feathers of breast with black drop-spots on the tip, some 

 reddish-coloured spots here and there ; on the under 

 tail-coverts some black spots ; the outer margin of the 



