494 



LAMELUROSTUAL SWIMMERS - AXSERES. 





\ 



(2.) A iiioliuintic variety <>f the ili)nii'Kticatt'<l nn'c in priiiiii-^iitt'd nt Mnimt Auburn, Miixt*., and 

 in otlicr locaiiticM in tlu' Noilhi'rn Sliitcs. A line juliilt niair Ironi tiie t'nrnicr iiiatc, iiri'scnti'ii by 

 Dr. IJrcwur to tin: Natiunal MuMi-uni (N'o. (I(i2:)l), liat tin' billowing' ciiarariiTu ; Entire |ilunia;^o 

 intun^c roal-black, witii an irregular iiatcli of |iuru whitu on the breast, ami a smaller one on the 

 miiMle ol' tli(! b)rene('k. Lower NUiliice oiiaijiie, anil with a slij,'lit l>riiwniHh ciihl ; l)ut entire U|)]ier 

 Hurtaee (exicpt priniaiies ami reclriio), incliulinj,' tlie lu'ail ami neelc, |,'lo»Me(l with a brilliant j,'reen 

 reflection, ehauKinj,' to violet in certain li^ilits; the s|ieculnni is of the same chan;;eal)le (,'reen or 

 vioh't as tile \vin^,'-coviTls, l)ut is liroadly li|)|)c(l uilb o|iai(Me bhiik ; the head and neck are more 

 brilliant ^reen than tlie other iioilions. This s|uMiinen nicisures, winj,', [l.2't inches; culnien, 2. i(> ; 

 tarsus, l.tM) ; niiildle toe, 2.ir>. Tlie bill is blackish olive, and the feet bhick. The latter are much 

 stouter than those of the wild bird ; l>ut this is said to be a peculiarity of the Domestic Mallard as 

 distinj,'uislied from the uiltl binl. The size and iiro|iorlions of this siiecimen prove it to lie a true 

 Mallard, and not a liyl)ri<l with another species, though the prevalence of the metallic rellections 

 over the whole of the ujiper parts caused an early comparison with Vairimi momihatit, on Hus|pieit)n 

 that it mi;,dit be part " Muscovy '' — which, however, jiroves to be not tiie caHe. The curled upper 

 tail-coverts and middle tail-feathers are precisely as in the ordinary Mallard, The charactei-s of 

 this variety are saiil to be very constant. 



(3.) Anions; the undoubteil hybrids lietweeu the Mallard and other species of Ducks, there 

 are tnree liefore us, represented liy four examiiles. That of most common occurrence is a cross 

 with the Muscovy {Cuirina moncluitit '), a Tropical American .species, but common in domestication. 

 These hybrids are no doubt produced in the barnyard ; but it is saiil that such l)inl»donot inherit 

 the tameness of their proj,'enitors, but revert to tlie (U'iginal wildiiess o!' both species, and escape by 

 flij,']it. Certain it is, tliat they are frequently shot by gunners along our coast. The two speci- 

 mens before us possess the tollowing characters : No, 17142, g ad. has the large, broad speculum, 

 and broad, lengtheniil tail specially characteristic of the Muscovy, ami lacks the recurved feathers 

 of the Mallard. Head and uipper liilf of the neck black, with a dull green reflection, mixed with 

 white on the throat and beneath the eye ; lower half of the neck, except behind, white ; breast and 

 sides deep rufous-chestnut ; rest of h)Wer ])Mrts white, the flanks and post-tibial region lualulated 

 with slate-color ; erissum brownish black, tinged with rufous. Above, brownish black, griz/.led 

 with transverse sprinkling of grayish brown, becoming uniform black on the rump and ujiper tail- 

 covert.s, which have a rich dark-greeii rellectiou. Wing-coverts uniform slate-color ; speculum 

 uniform bottle-green, narrowly tipped with white ; primaries entirely immaculate pure white ; tail 

 uniform dark .slate. J'ill yellow (pink in life I), mottled with black ; feet orange. Head com- 

 pletely feathered. Wing, 1.3.20 ; eulmen, 2.3(>; tarsus, 2.20 ; middle toe, 2.60. 



No. 06()17, J ad., with the same general appearance, differs in .«ome important particulars. It 

 is destitute of the albinotic indication seen in the white primaries and neck-iiatch. The head and 

 neck are continuous greenish bronze of a peculiar tint, intermediate between the purplish of G. 

 moschata and the pure green of .1. boschas. The lower ]iortiou of the neck, the breast, and sides 



1 Caibina moschata. 



Ams moschain, Link. S. X. od. 10, 1. IT.'iS, 124; cd. 12, I. 1760, 199. --Nutt. Man. Water 



Birds, 1834, 40.3 (Lower Missi.ssipiii ami (lulf Coast of U. S. I). 

 Cairina mo/n-luita, Fi.km. Phil. Zool. 1822, 260 ; Br. Anim. 1828, 122. —Sol. & Salv. Nom. 



Neotr. 1873, 129; I'. Z. S. 1876, 378 (monographic). — Coue.s, Birds N. W. 1874, 559 



(synonymy). 

 Cairina siilvfdris, SrF.riir.xs, .Shaw's Ocn. Zool. XII. ii. 1824, 69. 

 Lr, Canard Musqiu; Buff. PI. Enl. 986. 

 El Palo grande n Heal, AzAitA, Apunt. III. 1805, no. 437. 

 « Anas Mariana-, SuAW, Nat. Mi.so. II. t. 69. 



Hab. The whole of tropical America, except West Indies. 



This species is most likely yet to be detected in the wild state along our southern Iwrder — in fact, 

 Nuttall, as quoted above, .says that it is " ocwisionally .seen .ilong the coasts of the Mexican Gulf, in 

 the lower part of Mississipjii, ami stragglers are frequently observed along the coasts of the warmer 

 parts of the Union." In its habits it much resembles the common Wood Duck {Aix sponsa), its favorite 

 haunts being swampy woods and the forest-border of streams, where it nests in hollows of the trees, and 

 perches on the branches in true arboreal faahioii. 



