ANATIX.E — THE DUCKS — ANAS. 



493 



breast, as in No. 12718, Washington, D. C. (December), in which the entire lower parts, except 

 the sides, are tinged with rich cream-color. 



The single European specimen in the collection differs from all the North Atnorican males in its 

 considerably smaller size. It measures : Wing, 10.20 inches ; culmen, 2.00 ; tarsus, 1.50 ; middle 

 toe, 1.80. The smallest North American male, among a large series of sijecimens, measures : 

 Wing, 11.00 inches ; culmen, 2.10 ; tarsus, 1.60 ; middle toe, 2.00 ; while the average is consider- 

 ably larger. The European specimen differs also in markings, the speculum being much narrower 

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

 side of it are not nearly so broad. There is no diflference, however, in color. Two females from 

 Europe measure : Wing, 9.70-10.00 

 inches; culmen, 2.00-2.10 ; tarsus, 1.65 

 -1.70 ; middle toe, 1.80-1.85.1 The 

 only tangilile difference in pattern of 

 coloration consists in the narrower bars 

 of the speculum, the terminal white one 

 being reduced to a narrow line, instead 

 of a quite broad bar. 



Even in its feral state, the Mallard 

 varies greatly in size and markings, al- 

 though the proportionate number of 

 " abnormal " examples is of course small. 

 Many of these variations are due to by- 

 bridisni with other species ; liut very 

 many examples occur in which no con- 

 nection with another species can be 

 traced. The latter are usually consid- 

 erably larger thaii the ordinary wild 

 bird, and the colors wholly indetermi- 

 nate, the range of variation in this re- 

 spect being fully equal to that in the 

 domesticated bird. Such examples are 



frequently killed during the migrations, eitlier mixed singly with flocks of the ordinary bird, 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 : — 



(1.) An autumnal female from Jlount C'armel, 111., is so different from all other specimens exam- 

 ined that there is some doubt whether it is pure A.boschas ; the differences from the normal female of 

 A . boschas involve the proportions as well as the colors. The bill is very broad, measuring 1.00 inch 

 in width near the end, and .95 at the base ; its length along the culmen being 2.00 inches, and its 

 height througli the base .95. Its color is black, except the terminal third, whicli is briglit orange, 

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

 the wings, is a dee\> and very uniform ochraceous ; the head and neck are very finely streaked with 

 narrow lines of black, except on the chin and throat, which are immaculate ; this streaking is so 

 uniform, that tliere is no indication of a darker loral stripe or lighter one above it, the post-orbital light 

 stripe alone being perceptible. Each feather of the lower parts has a medial stripe of black, these 

 markings being of uniform size and shape throv.ghout the entire hirer surface. The back and scapulars 

 are more irregularly variegated, the lilack being nearly in the form of T-shaped markings, though 

 they vary on different featliers. The rump and upper tail-coverts are almost cinnamon-color, each 

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

 wings are normal in coloration, except that the coverts are more conspicuously bordered with white 

 than is usual. The measurements of this specimen are as foUow's : Wing, 10.90 inches ; culmen, 

 2.00 ; tarsus, 1.95 ; middle toe, 2.30. 



' Messrs. Sharpe & Dresser, however, in their "History of the Birds of Europe" (part xvii. ) give 

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

 10.50 : tail, 4.00 ; tarsus, 1.85." 



Female. 



