ANAS BOSCHAS (Livy). 
THE MALLARD. 
Specific Character.—Adult in full plumage, spring ; head and neck continuous 
soft brilliant metallic green, showing purple and golden bronze reflections in differ- 
ent lights. A ring of pure white round the lower part of the neck interrupted on 
the nape; jugulum and upper part ofthe breast rich dark chestnut. Inter-scapu- 
lars brownish gray finely waved with grayish white; scapulars and lower parts 
grayish white delicately waved with dark ash. Over webs of tertials dark umber 
brown, this also tinging the adjoining scapulars; wing coverts uniform 
- deep brownish gray, the last row tipped with opaque velvety black showing faint 
reflections of bluish green. Tail white, the feathers grayish centrally. Two 
middle feathers black slightly recurved ; the two longer upper tail coverts greatly 
recurved. Bill, olive yellow or ochraceous olive, the nail black ; iris hazel ; tarsi 
and toes fine rich orange red. 
Length, 24.00 inches ; extent, 38.00 ; wing, 11.00 ; culmen, 2.10 ; tarsus, 1.60; 
middle toe, 2.00. 
Adult in summer.—Closely resembling the female, being somewhat darker in 
color. Adult female: wing as in the male; above brownish dusky, much varie- 
_ gated by broad pale ochraceous edges to the feathers; beneath pale ochraceous, 
_ the feathers dusky centrally, producing a thickly spotted or striped appearance. 
On the top of the head the dusky predominates as it also does in a loral and 
auricular line forming a lighter superciliary stripe between this and the crown. 
Habitat.—N orth America in general, south to Panama, Cuba, Bahamas, Green- 
_ land, Palearctic region. This duck has a very wide distribution both in the old 
- and new world. In North America it is found from the extreme north to the 
_ extreme south and breeds in the same localities. Throughout Ontario it is pro- 
_ bably our most common duck. It is undoubtedly the origin of the common 
domestic duck of our poultry yards, and in the wild state does not object to 
mating with ducks of other varieties, for generally if a hybrid is found it will be 
_ seen to have many of the characteristics of the Maliard. This bird is common in 
all of our lakes, ponds and rivers, breeding in any suitable locality, nesting on the 
_ ground in the vicinity of water, sometimes ina tree and laying from six to eight 
_ greenish white eggs. Upon these the female sits for four weeks, the male keep- 
ing apart to moult. The little ones are ready to run to the water as soon as 
_ hatched. The breeding season lasts from early May till June. The Mallard 
_ feeds chiefly on seeds of grasses, fibrous roots of plants, worms, mollusks, insects, 
_ grain, as wild rice, etc. It is considered one of the best ducks for the table both 
- on account of its size and its flavour. 
ae (C:). 
