ANATIN.K — TIIK DrCKS — ANAS. 491 



brownish lilack, tlie throat iiiiinaL-ulatc ; l)ill light yeUovvish brown, darker on culnien ; 

 sjieculuni dark grass-green, changing to blue and violet, followed, successively, by a 

 velvety black subterminal and a pure white terminal bar, each about .35 of an inch 

 wide. Wing, 8.50 inches; culmen, 1.G5; tarsus, 1.30; middle too, 1.70. Hah. Western 

 Mexico (Mazatlan). 



Anas boschas.' 



THE MALLABD. 



Anas boschas, LiXN. S. N. ed. 12, I. 1766, 205. — WiLs. Am. Urn. VIII. 1S14, 112, pi. 70, f. 7. — 

 AuD. Oru. Biog. III. 1835, 164, pi. 221 ; Synop. 1S39, 276 ; B. Am. Vi. 1S43, 236, pi. 385.— 

 Baiud, B. N. Am. 1858, 774 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 576. — CouEs, Key, 1872, 285 ; Check 

 List, 1873, no. 488 ; B. N. W. 1874, 559. 



Anas hoscas, \Vh.\ktos, Ibis, 1879, 453. — Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1S81, no. 601. — CouEs, Check 

 List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 707. 



Anas domcstim, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 538. 



Aiu(s (Rosdias) doinestica, Sw. &B10H. F. B. A. II. 1831, 442. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 378. 



Anasfera, " Bkiss." — Leach, Cat. Brit. Mus. 1816, 30. 



Anas adunca, Linn. S. N. ed. 12, I. 1766, 206. —Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 538. 



Hab. Xoitli America in general, south to Panama ; Cuba ; Bahamas ; Oreenland. Pala;arctic 

 Region. 



Sp. Chau. Adult inale in fall, winter, and spring : Head and neck conlintuius soft brilliant 

 metallic green, showing purple and golden-bronze reflections in different lights. A ring of pure 

 white round the lower part of the neck interrupted on the nape ; jugulum and upper part of the 

 breast rich dark chestnut. Interscapulars brownish gray, finely waved witli grayish white ; scap- 

 ulars and lower parts grayish white, delicately waved with dark ash. Out(^r welis of tertials dark 



portion) consisting of a metallic speculum of dark grass-green, varying to blue and violet in certain lights. 

 Tertials opaipie velvety black exteriorly, the inner webs brownish slate ; primary-coverts and primaries 

 brownish slate, the latter edged with lighter. Tail brownish gi'ay, the feathers edged and coarsely spotted 

 with light buff. Bill light yellowish brown, dai'ker on the culmen, the unguis dusky ; feet liglit yellowish 

 (probably orange in life). Wing, 8.50 inches ; tail, 3.25 ; culmen, 1.65 ; gi-eatest width of the bill, .60 ; 

 depth of ma.\illa through the base, .50 ; tar.'iu.s, 1.30 ; middle toe, 1.70. 



Ty]ie, No. 12,789, U. S. Nat. Mus. ; Mazatlan, Mexico ; Colonel Abeut. 



Remarks. This remarkable little Duck is very difiVrent from any other known species. In its small 

 size, and, to a certain extent, the narrow bill, it is like the species of QucrqucduJa, but its coloration calls 

 instantly to nnnd the Anasfulvigtcla from Florida, and the species {A. WyvUliana) from the Sandwich 

 Islands recently described by Mr. Sclater. The specimen is marked as being a female, so it is possible 

 that the male may be more biilliant in plumage. 



In addition to the characters given above, it may be mentioned that there is a distinct indication of a 

 narrow, dusky, postocular streak, and of a wider and less distinct loral stripe, thus separating a light 

 superciliary stripe from the light color of the cheeks. The lining of the wing and the axillars are pure 

 white, tlie latter with a segregation of dusky spots near the carpo-metacai'pal joint. 



1 The following names also have been referred to this species, as designating varieties or hybrids with 

 other species : — 



" Anas curvirostra, Pall." (Gray.) 



"Anas Frcycineti, Bo^iAF." (Gray.) 



Ajias archiboschas, siibboschas, conbosckas, Breiim, Viig. Deutschl. 862, 864, 865. 



Anas purpurcmiridis, Schinz. 



Anas maxima, GossE, Birds .Jam. 1847, 399 (= hybrid with Cnirina mosclm/a). 



Anas bicolor, Donovan, Br. Birds, IX. pi. 212. 



Anas Breweri, Ann. Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 302, pi. ZZ?, (" glocilans") ; Synop. 1839, 277 ; B. 



Am. VI. 1843, 252, pi. 387. [Perhaps adult $ o( A. boschas in changing plumage.] 

 Anus Auduboni, Bonap. List, 1838, 56 {" bimaculata"). {S^me as Breweri.) 

 Fuligula viola. Bell. Ann. Lye. N. Y. V. 1852, 219. 

 Anns inporcia, Phil. Wiegm. Archiv, I. I860, 25 ; P. Z. S. 1866, 531. 



