BIRDS — ANATINAE — DAPILA. 

 List of specimens. 



775 



ANAS OBSCUEA, Gm. 



Black Duck; Dusky Duck. 



JInas ohscura, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 541.— Lath. Ind. II, 1790.— Wilson, Am. Orn. VIII, 1814, 141 ; pi. Ixxii, 

 f. 5.— Ib. Ord's ed. VIII, 155.— Bon. Obs. Wils. 1835, 260— Is. Syn. 234.— 4nD. Orn. Biog. IV, 

 1838, 15; pi. 302.— Ib. Syn. 276.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843,244; pi. 386.— Eyton Mon. Anat. 

 1838, 140. 



Jinas {Boschas) obseura, Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 392. 



Dusky Duck. — Pennant, Arc. Zool. II, 564. — Lath. Ill, ii, 545. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill greenish ; feet rod. Body generally blackish brown ; the feathers obscurely margined with reddish brown ; 

 those ariteriorly with a concealed V-shaped mark, more or Jess visible on the sides of the breast . Head and neck brownish 

 Jellow, spotted with black ; the top of head and nape dark brown, with a green gloss on the sides behind. Wings dull blackish, 

 with a dull greenish gloss. Speculum violet, terminated with black. Inner tertials hoary gray towards tip. Azillars and 

 inside of wing white. Tail of 18 feathers. 



Female similar, but rather duller ; the light edges to the under feathers more conspicuous ; the sides of head without the 

 greenish gloss. The speculum bluish, with less violet. 



Length of male, 22 inches ; wing nearly 12 ; tarsus, 1.80 ; commissure, 2.56. 



Hab. — Atlantic region of North America. Not yet detected on the Pacific, nor in Europe. 



This is the most plainly marked ag well as, perhaps, the largest of our river ducks, and 

 excelled by none in the excellence of its flesh. 



List of specimens. 



DAFILA, Leach. 



Dafila, "Leach," Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zoo?. XII, 1824, 126. Type .Snas acuta. 



Phasianurus, Wagler, Isis, 1832. 

 Ch. — Bill long, narrow ; considerably longer than the foot ; nearly linear, but widening a little to the end, which is truncate, 

 rounded. Nail small. Nostrils small, in the basal third of bill. Tail pointed ; the two middle feathers lengthened, so as 

 nearly to equal the wings. 



