124 INDIAX DUCKS. 



(22) ANAS BOSCAS. 

 THE COMMOX WILD DUCK oii MALLAED. 



Anas boschas, Jenlon, B. I. iii, p. 398; Hume, Nests ij- J^i/f/s, p. 642; id. 



Sir. Feath. i, p. 261; ScuUij, ibid, iv, p. 199; Hume, ibid, viii, p. 119; 



id. Cat. no. 158 ; Barnes, B. of Bom. p. 402. 

 Anas boscas, Hume tf- Mar. Game-B. iii, p. lol ; Hume, Nests >^- Ege/s 



(Oates ed.), iii, p. 288 ; Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxvii, p. 180 ; Blanford, 



B. I. iv, p. 435; Oates, Game-B. ii, p. 257. 



Description. Adult male. — Head aud upper neck bright and very glossy dark 

 green, interrupted on the nape, pure white ; upper back and scapulars brownish- 

 grey, changing into dark brown on the back and lower neck ; upper back 

 vermiculated with dark brown ; rump aud upper tail-coverts and four central 

 rectrices deep black ; outer rectrices light grey, edged white. AVing-coverts 

 dark grey or gi'ey-brown, the greater coverts tipped black and subtipj^ed white, 

 forming two distinct wing-bars ; speculum glossy bluish-purple or violet ; after 

 this two or more bars formed by the black subtips and white tips of the outer 

 secondaries ; exposed inner secondaries and remaining quills dark brown ; upper 

 breast chestnut; lower breast, flanks, and abdomen greyish-white, very finely 

 barred with dark brown ; under tail-coverts rich black. 



" The colours of the soft parts vary, I have found the legs and feet most 

 commonly reddish-orange, but also coral and vermilion-red, and again pure 

 orange ; the claws are black or dusky, and more or less of the webs are often 

 more or less dusky ; the irides are brown, sometimes deep, sometimes com- 

 paratively liglit ; the nail of the bill is black ; the rest of the bill is normally a 

 rather dingy olive, more yellow at base, greener at tip ; the lower mandible is 

 generally more or less orange at the base, and I have killed birds (females) with 

 the bills black on the culmen and a considerable portion of the upper mandible 

 and orange-yellow elsewhere ; others with brown replacing the black, and 

 brownish-yellow replacing the orange ; and I killed one male with the bill a 

 distinct orange-green — a colour such as I never saw in any other bird." 

 (^Hume.) 



" Bill yellowish-green, black at the tip ; under mandible reddish-yellow at 

 the base; irides brown ; legs aud feet reddish-orange." {Salvadori.) 



" Length 22-3 to 24-5 inches, wing 10-45 to 1 1-3, tail from vent 4-2 to 8, 

 tarsus 1-6 to 1-85, bill from gape 2*5 to 2'75. Weight if in fair condition 2 lbs, 

 8 ozs. to 3 lbs., but I have shot them up to 4 lbs." (Hume.) 



"Total length about 24 inches, wing 10-50 to 11-50, tail 4-4, culmen 2-2, 

 tarsus 1-85." (Sah'adori.) 



Adult male in non-breeding plumage. — Similar to the female, but usually a 

 good deal blacker. 



Female. — Chin and throat pale butt'; remainder of upper and lower parts 



