2]0 ANATID^. 



pallide arenariis, nigro anguste striolatis ; corpore eubtus rufescenti-fulvo, nigro multi-maculato, prs- 

 pectore praecipue nigro maculatim notato ; pectore et abdomine pure albis ; alis et axillaribus sicut in mari 

 coloratis, sed tectricibus medianis minus saturate castaneis : rostro aurantiaco-bninneo, nigro variegate. 

 Long, tota circa 19-0, alae 9-8, caudle So. (Descr. feminae adulfcse ex Zacatecas. Mus. nostr.) 

 Juv. feminee adultae similis, sed corpore subtus toto nigro maculate, et tectricibus alarum medianis minime 

 castaneis. 



Hab. North America, breeding chiefly within the United States ''. — Mexico, San Diego, 

 Sonoia [Bohinette^), Eio Janos, Chihuahua (Kennerly ^°), Mazatlan (Grayson^), 

 Presidio [Forrer ^^j, Guanajuato, Guadalajara (Duges ^), Zacatecas [Richardson ^i), 

 Valley of Mexico [Herrera^^), Tehuacan, Puebla, Lagunadel Rosario, Vera Cruz, 

 Barra de Santa Ana {Ferrari-Perez ^). — West Indies '^'^. — Temperate portions of 

 Northern Europe and Asia, wintering in N.E. Africa, India, and China i^. 



The Gadwall is an inhabitant of the temperate portions of Europe and North 

 America, wintering southward of its breeding-range. Grayson states that it is abundant 

 in the neighbourhood of Mazatlan, from November until late in the spring. 



In habits C. streperus resembles the Mallard, but is in every respect a freshwater 

 Duck, feeding on water-plants and small molluscs. The species is rather shy, 

 frequenting marshy places, where it easily finds a hiding-place. The nest is placed 

 on the ground or in a tuft of reeds and is well-concealed. The eggs vary from nine to 

 thirteen in number, and are of a pale creamy-yellow. 



MARECA. 



Mareca, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xii. pt. 2, p. 130 (1824) ; Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvii. 

 p. 227 (1895) ; Gates, Man. Game-Birds of India, ii. p. 168 (1899). 



The members of this genus may be distinguished from the rest of the true Ducks by 

 their short bill, which is wider at the base than at the tip, the lamellae of the upper 

 mandible being hardly perceptible when the bill is viewed laterally. The sexes, as 

 pointed out by Mr. Gates, differ greatly, not only in general colour, but in that of the 

 speculum also. 



Three species are known — M. penelope, inhabiting the Palaearctic Region, and 

 21. americana. North and Central America, while M. sibilatrix is found in the southern 

 parts of South America. 



1. Mareca americana. 



Anas americana, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. 2, p. 526 ' ; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 187, 328 " ; Allen, 



Bull. Amer. Mus. N. H. v. p. 32'; A. O. U. Check-1. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 4Q\ 

 Mareca americana, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 231 ' ; P. Z. S. 1876, p. 394 ' ; Salv. Ibis, 1865, p. 193 ' ; 



Duges, La Nat. i. p. 143 ' ; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 315 ' ; Sumichr. La Nat. 



V. p. 234'°; Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. i. p. 520" ; Salvad. Cat. Birds 



Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 233". 

 Anas penelope, Wagler (nee Linn.), Isis, 1831, p. 532". 



