tirowninli (jrnvi 

 white ; spncu- 

 liitr; iiriiimrieH 

 sliowiiif,' faint 

 rfiitliiTM lilack, 

 ■lliiw or oc'lira- 

 I (i'liaii>,'ing to 

 Kt-11.85; ciil- 

 wr : " ( 'Instcly 

 liciiij,' meri'ly 

 color. This 

 (l('},'r('CM early 

 ;,'iisl the full 

 aiii re.sunieil " 

 I. Adult fe- 

 iialu. Ahove, 

 varie},'ate(l by 

 edf^es to the 

 ■ ochraceouK, 

 ■iitruUy, ])ro- 

 ed or wtriped 

 J) of the head 

 SK, as it also 

 iiriculnr line, 

 rciliary strijie 

 •own. Win;,', 

 .00-2. .% ; tar- 

 oe, l.!)0-2.()5. 

 ive, deep oli- 

 » pairs of yel- 

 St pair on the 

 ij,'s, the second 

 the first not 

 of the lower 

 iceous, varied 

 greenish yel- 

 olivaceous, 

 ighter on the 

 ciliary stripe, 

 ;he foreliead, 

 ;k, and entire 

 ff, deepest on 

 len the wings 

 e of the head 

 angle of the 

 )ut ; beneath 



e chestnut of 

 ads over the 



This specimen 

 ngth, the bill 

 ngc, while as 

 grayish ; the 



ANATTX.K — TIFK DUCKS — A.VAS. 



493 



Its 

 e 



breast, as in No. liiTlH, Washington, 1). ('. (December), in which the entire lower parts ex.ci.t 

 the sides, are tinged with ridi cream-color. ' 



The single European specimen in the coji.rtiou differs from nil the North American males in it> 

 considerably smaller size. It measures ; Wing, l().20 inches ; .ulmen, 2.(io ; tarsus, j.no ; nii.l.ll 

 toe, 1.8((. The smallest North American male, muoi.g a large series of specimens, measures. 

 Wing, ll.(M) inches; culnien, 2.10 ; tarsus, 1.00; midille toe, 2.(M) ; while the average is rousidrr^ 

 ably larger. The Kuropean specimen differs also in markings, ilu, speculum being umch narrower 

 (the violet less than 1.00 inch wide, instead of 1.50 or more), while black and while bars on each 

 si.le of it are not nearly so broad. There is no difference, however, in color. Two females from 

 Europe measure : Wing, !».70-l().0() 

 iuclu's; (Mdinen, 2.00-2.10 ; tarsus, 1 .(i.'i 

 -1.70; middle Inc, l.8o-|.,sr).i The 

 only tangible dilfcrcMce in pattern of 

 coloration consists in the narrower bars 

 of tliespe(;uluui, the terminal white one 

 being reduced to a narrow line, instead 

 of a <iuite broad bar. 



Even in its feral state, the Mallard 

 varies greatly in si/e an<l markings, al- 

 though the pro])ortionate number of 

 " abnormal " e.xamjiles is of course small. 

 Many of these variations are diu; to hy- 

 bridism with other species ; but very 

 many examples occur in which no con- 

 nection with another s])ecies can be 

 traced. The lattca' are usually consid- 

 erably larger than the ordinary wild 

 bird, and the colors wholly indetermi- 

 nate, tlie range of variation in this in- 

 spect being fully etiual to that in the 

 domesticated bird. .Sitch examjdes are 



frecpiently killed during the migrations, either mixed singly with flocks of the ordinary biril, or in 

 companies by themselves. Without going into further details in regard to these feral varieties, we 

 will proceed to describe a few of the more remarkable specimens and hybrids which are now 

 before us : — 



(!) An autumnal female from Mount Carmel, III., is so different from all other specimens exam- 

 ined tiuit there is some doulil whether it is ]iure A.hnschan ; the dill'ereuces from the normal female of 

 A. boschas involve the pro]iortions as well as the colors. The bill is very broad, measuring 1. 00 inch 

 in width near the end, and .9.5 at the base ; its length along the culmen being 2.00 inches, and its- 

 height through the base .!)."). Its color is black, except the terminal third, which is bright orange, 

 the nail jet black ; the feet are bright orange-red. The ground-color of the entire plumage, except 

 the wings, is a deep and very uniform ochraceous ; the head and neck arc very finely streaked with 

 narrow lines of black, excej)! on the <liin and throat, which are immaculate ; this streaking is so 

 uniform, that there U no ImUrutinn of a darker Inred stripe or lif/hter one (d)ore it, the post-orliital light 

 stripe alone being jieiceptible. Each feather of the lower jiarts has a medial stripe of black, these 

 marliiiirifi being of unij'nrm si::e ttnd xhiipe thrnuyhmt the entire lomr surface. The back and scapulars 

 are more irregularly variegated, the black being nearly in the form of V-shaped markings, though 

 they vary on different feathers. Tlu- runi]) and upper tail-coverts are almost cinnamon-color, each 

 feather being broadly black medially, these black markinijs having a bright green reflection. The 

 wings are normal in coloration, exce])t that the coverts are more conspicuously bordered with white 

 than is usual. The measurements (jf this specimen are as follows : Wing, 10.00 inches ; culmen, 

 2.(M) ; tarsus, 1.95 ; middle toe, 2.30. 



» Mes,srs. Sharpe & Dn^sscr, liowcver, in their "History of the Binls of Europe" (pnrt xvii. ) give 

 the measurements of Europenii A. boschas as follows ; " Total length, 23.00 inches ; culmen, 2.60 ; wing, 

 10.50 ; tail, 4.00 | tarsus, 1.85." 



FenuUe. 



I 



i I 



