Ducks booting 73 



eggs are collected daily, six being left for the bird 

 to hatch, and once the downy nest itself is taken. 

 The muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), a large 

 and handsome species which inhabits tropical 

 America, has been recorded from Louisiana and 

 Indiana, but' as it is frequently kept in captivity, 

 mating with the domestic ducks, it is believed 

 that these specimens are not wild birds. The 

 male is a large bird, measuring nearly three feet 

 in length, and the female two feet. On the sides 

 of the forehead of the male are rose-red carun- 

 cles ; the head, neck, and lower parts are brownish 

 black, the upper parts metallic blackish green 

 glossed with purple, and the wing-coverts white. 

 The female has a much duller plumage, entirely 

 brownish black, except for a white feather or so 

 on the wing-coverts and a greenish metallic lustre 

 to the upper parts. 



MALLARD 



(Anas boschas) 



Adult male — In fall, winter, and spring, head and neck, soft, brilliant, 

 metallic green, showing purple and bronze reflections in differ- 

 ent lights ; a ring of pure white around lower neck, interrupted 

 on the nape ; upper breast, dark chestnut-brown ; wing-coverts, 

 uniform brownish gray, the last row tipped with black and with 

 a subterminal bar of white ; speculum, metallic violet, with a 

 subterminal bar of black and a terminal one of white ; primaries, 

 plain dark gray ; rump, upper tail-coverts, and crissum, black, 

 with soft greenish reflections ; tail, white, feathers grayish in 

 the centre, two middle feathers, black, slightly recurved, the two 

 longer upper coverts greatly recurved. Bill, olive-yellow ; nail, 



