On the Hybridising of Ducks. 249 



of rufous buff with small dark sub-terminal spot on each 

 feather. 



A pure white Drake with deep yellow bill and feet has 

 been reared in one of the broods of this cross. 



Mallard — Spotbill — Pintail — New Zealand. 



Cross (1) [ (M c, S) o, (P c-, M) ] light variety <^ Z. 



Cross (2) [(Mc,S) c-, (P c, M)] dark variety c-, {Z e-, 

 [(M^S)c^M]}. 



Of Cross (1) one brood of two $ and $ only has been 

 reared and are described below. They have been paired 

 together and proved quite fertile but no young, owing to an 

 accident, were reared. 



Cross (1) Adult Drake. Full Plumage. 



Feathers of the mantle and scapulars dark brown with light 

 edgings, those on the back and rump entirely dark brown 

 with traces of light edgings on the upper tail-coverts, the 

 two central feathers of which are attenuated and slightly 

 raised at their tip. The crown of head is dark brown with 

 traces of huffish edgings, and the remainder of the head,, 

 with the exception of a narrow dark brown stripe through the 

 eye, rufous-buff grizzled with darker. The chest feathers are 

 pale chestnut with dark brown horseshoe-shaped markings ; 

 the breast, white, with slight traces of dark brown in the 

 middle of each feather, the darker colour being however entirely 

 hidden by the white margins. On the vent the feathers are 

 dark brown with narrow whitish edgings. Under tail coverts 

 dark brown with broad rufous margins. Feathers of the 

 flanks dark brown, with narrow buff -edgings and a narrow 

 Y-shaped buff bar. Bill greenish-yellow with dark marking* 

 down the culmen. Legs orange. 



Eclipse plumage : unknown. 



The Duck is very similar in general appearance to the 

 Drake but the buff margins to the feathers of the upper parts 

 are broader and more pronounced. The head is more like 

 that of the Wild Duck. Feathers of the flanks, buff, boldly 

 marked with dark brown as in the Wild Duck, but the 



