Family ANATID^E. Genus Anas. 



Subfamily Anatia/E. 



MALLARD. 



ANAS 'EOSCB.hS.—Linnaus. 



Geographical Distribution. — British .• Commonest species 

 of fresh-water Duck, and generally distributed throughout the 

 British Islands, breeding in every part suited to its needs, in- 

 cluding the Orkneys and Shetlands, the Hebrides and Ireland. 

 Much rarer in the extreme north of Scotland during winter ; 

 otherwise it is even more widely dispersed at that season, then 

 extending to the Channel Islands, and its numbers are largely 

 increased by migrants from more northern regions. It frequents 

 the coasts as well as inland swamps and waters. Foreign : Cir- 

 cumpolar, Palaearctic, and Nearctic regions ; Oriental and Neo- 

 tropical regions in winter. Breeds throughout Europe south of 

 the Arctic Circle, but only sparingly in the basin of the Mediter- 

 ranean ; and throughout Asia, south of that limit (but only locally 

 and in small numbers) to Cashmere and probably Mongolia. In 

 the Nearctic region it breeds from the Arctic Circle southwards to 

 the United States. Its winter range in Europe extends to North 

 Africa, as far south as Madeira, the Canaries, and the Azores 

 (where a few pairs are said to breed) in the west, and to Nubia 

 in the east. In Asia it is found during that season in Persia, 

 Northern India, China, and Japan; and in America, in the 

 Southern States, Mexico, the West Indies, and the extreme 

 northern portion of South America. 



Allied Forms. — -Anas obscura, an inhabitant of the north- 

 eastern portion of the Nearctic region, more southerly in winter. 

 Differs from the Mallard in being much duller in colour, both 

 sexes resembling the female of that species. 



