134 The Wilson Bulletin. 



A NEW BIRD FOR OHIO. 

 Red-LEGGED BLACK DUCK — (Anas obscura rubripes.) 



BY REV. W. F. HENNINGER. 



The recent article of Mr. Wm. Brewster in the Auk, (Vol. 

 XIX., April, 1902, pp. 183-188), and his foot-note that prob- 

 ably a large proportion of the autumn birds in the Missis- 

 sippi Valley and about the Great Lakes belong to the form 

 rubripes of the Black Duck, brought back to my memory 

 the fact that I received on March 27, 1901, a very large 

 Black Duck, in which I noticed the very bright red feet and 

 yellow bill, and my notebook still contains the remark con- 

 cerning this specimen, "tarsus red." On examining the 

 dried skin the feet still show an orange color, the pileum and 

 nape are typical rubripes and the spots on the throat and 

 down the sides of the neck are almost typical rubripes. This 

 shows up still more, when comparing the specimen, a male, 

 with a typical specimen in my collection (shot March 

 25, 1899, sex unknown), but the head has a more 

 grayish tinge, the throat almost an orange color. 



No. 204 (coll. W. F. H.), March 25, 1899, typical obscura, 

 measures: wing 24.3 cm., length without bill 52.5 cm., ex- 

 tent 78 cm. 



No. 429 (coll. W. F. H.), 5 March 8, 1901, the interme- 

 diate, measures: wing 25 cm., length without bill 53 cm., 

 extent 87 cm. 



No. 438 (coll. W. F. H.), March 27, 1901, $, typical ru- 

 bripes measures: wing 28.5 cm., length without bill 55cm., 

 extent 94 cm. 



Measurements taken in the flesh. 



Mr. Brewster has given a very accurate description of 

 this new subspecies, which is more common in Middle 

 Southern Ohio in the spring than in the fall. All of 

 these specimens were taken at Waverly, but I believe a 

 careful investigation of the material in this state by Ohio 

 ornithologists will prove rubripes to be found quite frequent- 

 ly almost anywhere. 



