1891.] MR. W. T.. SCLATER ON A HYBRID DUCK. 213 



The Secretary called attention to the breeding of the beautiful 

 Antelope Tragelaphus gratus in the Gardens of the Zoological 

 Society Natura Artis Magistra of Amsterdam {cf. P. Z. S. 1889, 

 p. 220), and exhibited a water-colour drawing of the female and 

 young two days old of this species, forwarded to him by Dr. C. 

 Kerbert, the Director. The following extract from Dr. Kerbert's 

 letter on this subject was read : — "Enclosed I have the pleasure to 

 forward to you the coloured drawing of the female Tragelaphus 

 gratus with young two days old, and I beg to add a few particulars 

 about them. The male was received very young about 5 years ago, 

 two females two years later, and the third was purchased last year, 

 all of them from the West Coast of Africa. The first female was 

 covered the 16th March, 1890, and the young born the 11th 

 November; the second female was covered the 1st August, and 

 within a short time we expect another young one. 



"The young is growing very rapidly, and is at this moment 

 60 cm. high." 



The Secretary exhibited on behalf of Mr. W. L. Sclater, F.Z.S., 

 a specimen of a Duck apparently a hybrid between the Mallard 

 {Anas boscas) and the Gadwall {A. strepera), and read the following 

 extracts from a communication received from Mr. W. L. Sclater on 

 this subject : — 



" A specimen of a very curious Duck was brought to the Museum 

 the other day ; it was brought here alive, and there can be no 

 doubt that it was obtained somewhere in the vicinity of Calcutta. 



" I puzzled over it for some time, but was quite unable to identify 

 it with any of the Indian Ducks or others of which I could easily 

 find figures. 



" Mr. Fraser, of this Museum, has suggested that it may be a hybrid 

 between the Mallard and the Gadwall, and I have now little doubt 

 that he is correct in his surmise. 



"The following is a description of the bird, which proved on 

 dissection to be a male: — Forehead and crown dark reddish brown, 

 sides of the head and nape bright green, the green extending round 

 the neck so as to form a ring, which is edged with a very thin band 

 of white posteriorly and ventrally ; cheeks and chin lightish brown ; 

 fore part of the back and scapulars grey barred with brown, getting 

 darker till on the rump is blackish green ; no recurved feathers in 

 the tail ; tail ashy, sHghtly edged with grey ; primaries ashy grey ; 

 secondaries almost black, but with the typical bottle-green speculum ; 

 greater secondary coverts grey, broadly tipped with black ; median 

 coverts shghtly tipped with chestnut-red ; beneath, fore part of the 

 breast red with black spots, the colour and spots gradually fading 

 posteriorly, where the plumage is white narrowly barred with black ; 

 under tail-coverts black ; axillaries white. Beak black on the 

 culmen throughout the whole length ; on either side a broad yellow 

 band from the lores to the tip ; feet bright red, nails black. 



" A perusal of the description given above will, 1 think, convince 



