﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  1 
  87 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  pairs 
  in 
  March 
  or 
  earUer 
  and 
  begins 
  to 
  lay 
  from 
  April 
  

   18 
  to 
  May 
  12, 
  concealing 
  its 
  nest 
  very 
  carefully 
  among 
  the 
  grass 
  or 
  brush- 
  

   wood 
  of 
  swamps 
  or 
  waste 
  fields, 
  sometimes 
  a 
  long 
  distance 
  from 
  water. 
  

   The 
  eggs 
  are 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  1 
  2 
  of 
  a 
  dingy 
  white 
  or 
  yellowish 
  drab 
  color 
  and 
  measure 
  

   2.4 
  X 
  1.75 
  inches. 
  The 
  ducklings 
  are 
  olive-brown 
  above 
  with 
  three 
  pairs 
  of 
  

   buffy 
  spots, 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  wings, 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  

   sides 
  of 
  the 
  rump 
  ; 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  neck, 
  and 
  under 
  parts 
  dingy 
  white 
  

   tinged 
  with 
  buff; 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  with 
  a 
  narrow 
  dusky 
  streak 
  through 
  the 
  

   eye, 
  and 
  a 
  dusky 
  ear 
  patch. 
  

  

  The 
  larger 
  form 
  of 
  Black 
  duck 
  which 
  is 
  common 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  late 
  in 
  

   the 
  fall 
  and 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter 
  was 
  described 
  by 
  Mr 
  Brewster 
  as 
  a 
  dis- 
  

   tinct 
  subspecies 
  in 
  1902, 
  but 
  is 
  now 
  considered 
  untenable. 
  The 
  name 
  

   rubripes, 
  however 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  only 
  tenable 
  name 
  for 
  the 
  species. 
  

  

  Chaulelasmus 
  streperus 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

   Gadwall 
  

  

  Plate 
  12 
  

  

  Anas 
  strepera 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  1758. 
  1:125 
  

  

  DeKav. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  343, 
  fig. 
  243 
  

   A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  135 
  

  

  chatdelas' 
  mus 
  , 
  Gr. 
  x^i^'^'os, 
  protuberant, 
  and 
  eAas/xos, 
  plate, 
  referring 
  to 
  

   the 
  strainers; 
  stre'perus, 
  Lat., 
  noisy 
  

  

  Description. 
  Male: 
  Head 
  and 
  neck 
  grayish 
  brown 
  or 
  buffy 
  barred 
  

   and 
  speckled 
  with 
  black; 
  lower 
  neck, 
  breast, 
  back 
  and 
  sides 
  marked 
  with 
  

   half 
  rings 
  and 
  wavy 
  bars 
  of 
  black 
  and 
  white, 
  sometimes 
  quite 
  dark 
  on 
  lower 
  

   neck; 
  rump, 
  tail 
  coverts 
  and 
  crissum, 
  black; 
  belly 
  white 
  marked 
  with 
  gray; 
  

   middle 
  wing 
  coverts 
  chestnut 
  -red 
  ; 
  longer 
  coverts 
  velvety 
  black 
  at 
  their 
  

   ends 
  next 
  to 
  the 
  mirror; 
  speculum 
  white; 
  feet 
  dull 
  yellowish 
  with 
  dusky 
  

   webs; 
  bill 
  bluish 
  black; 
  lamella 
  fine, 
  numerous, 
  30 
  of 
  them 
  protrusive; 
  

   iris 
  reddish 
  brown. 
  Female 
  and 
  young: 
  Head, 
  neck 
  and 
  upper 
  parts 
  

   varied 
  with 
  dusky 
  and 
  grayish 
  white 
  or 
  pale 
  and 
  ocherous 
  buff 
  in 
  pattern 
  

   similar 
  to 
  Mallard 
  duck; 
  belly 
  grayish 
  white 
  speckled 
  with 
  dusky; 
  mirror 
  

   white; 
  bill 
  dusky, 
  marbled 
  with 
  dull 
  orange; 
  feet 
  dusky 
  yellowish; 
  lining 
  of 
  

   wings 
  white 
  as 
  in 
  Mallard 
  and 
  Black 
  duck. 
  

  

  Length, 
  male, 
  20-22 
  inches; 
  female, 
  18; 
  extent 
  34; 
  wing 
  lo-ii; 
  tail 
  4.5; 
  

   tarsus 
  1.6; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  2.2; 
  bill 
  i. 
  6-1. 
  75. 
  

  

  