Wiip Duck. NATATORES. ANAS. 309 
in the mean time the young ones either dive or secrete them- 
selves in the bushes or long herbage, so that it rarely hap- 
pens that more than two or three are captured out of a large 
brood. The eggs are from ten to fourteen, of a bluish- 
white; and the Duck, during incubation, when she quits 
the nest for food, is in the habit of covering them with down 
and other substances, in all probability from an instinctive 
idea of concealing them from observation, and which  prac- 
tice is pursued by many birds as well of this as other fami- 
lies. The trachea of the Mallard is furnished at its lower 
extremity with a labyrinth * (not unlike that of the Gadwall 
in shape and position, but considerably larger), yet the tube 
itself is of nearly equal diameter throughout its length.—The 
food of the Wild Duck consists of insects, worms, slugs, and 
all kinds of grain, &c. 
Prate 50. Represents the Mallard, of the natural size. 
Head and neck glossy duck-green, with the lower part 
surrounded by a narrow collar of white. Breast deep 
chocolate-red. Under parts greyish-white, with fine 
zigzag transverse lines of grey. Mantle chestnut-brown, 
with the margins of the feathers paler. Scapulars grey- 
ish-white, rayed with zigzag brown, those next to the 
wing being rich brown, rayed with black. Lower part 
of the back, rump, and under tail-coverts velvet-black, 
with green reflections... The four middle tail-feathers 
black, and curled upwards ; the rest hair-brown, deeply 
margined with white. Lesser wing-coverts hair-brown, 
tinged with yellowish-brown. Greater coverts having 
a bar of white, and being tipped with velvet-black. 
Speculum rich glossy Prussian blue, passing into black, 
and tipped with white. Quills pale hair-brown. Bill 
* For illustrations and descriptions of the different tracheas of the 
Duck, &c. I refer my readers to Mr Yarretu’s excellent paper, published 
in the 15th volume of the Transactions of the Linnean Society. 
Food. 
General 
descrip- 
tion. 
Male. 
