40 NOTES ON THE 
and ponds, including ali of the wild rice marshes, and wheat 
fields, will prove inadequate to maintain the supply at this 
rate. Thanks for legislation though late. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Head and neck bright grass-green, with a violet gloss, top 
of head duller; a white ring around the middle of the neck, 
below which, and on the forepart and sides of the breast, the 
color is dark brownish-chestnut; under parts and sides, with 
the scapulars, pale gray, very finely undulated with dusky; 
the outer scapulars with a brownish tinge; forepart of back 
reddish brown; posterior more olivaceous; crissum and upper 
tail coverts black, the latter with a blue gloss; taii externally 
white; wing coverts brownish-gray, the greater coverts tipped 
first with white, and then more narrowly with black; speculum 
purplish-violet, terminated with black; a recurved tuft of feath- 
ers on the rump; iris dark brown. 
Length, 28; wing, 11; tarsus, 1.70; commissure, 2.50. 
Habitat, northern parts of northern hemisphere. 
ANAS OBSCURA GMELIN. (1383.) 
BLACK. 
My first local observation of the Black Ducks began in the 
spring of 1862, during the spring migration. They were asso- 
ciated with the Mallards, and were exceedingly shy, a single 
one in the flock often proving asad defeat to the sportman’s 
purposes towards the other species. A few usually find their 
way into the game markets, in both migrations, and it is seldom 
that a season passes in which I have not observed their pres- 
ence in one or both migrations. They are never abundant, 
indeed they are rather rare, and in small flocks in the spring 
migrations which are somewhat larger in the autumn. I have 
never counted more than 15 in asingle flock, and more com- 
monly not to exceed half adozen. I had been told that they 
bred in the southern and western sections of the State long 
before I had an opportunity to corroborate the statement, but 
I have long since found them doing so in the valley of the Min- 
nesota river, and in Kandiyohi county. Their nests were ina 
tussock of rank grass or reeds, in a marsh which had been 
overflowed during the prevalence of high water in spring, and 
in one instance was found as early as the 15th of May with 
three eggs in it. Another was shown me by a citizen who 
resided but a short distance away, containing ten, greenish- 
brown eggs. This was May 27th, which seems to indicate about 
the same period of nesting as for the former. Their food in 
