208 MALLARD. 



an intruder from her brood, feigning lameness or other injury, until they are out of 

 danger. The young birds are frequently the prey of pike, when swimming or sporting 

 in the waters frequented by them. The eggs of the Wild Duck are readily hatched 

 under the domestic hen, and ordinarily, the young birds never become entirely recon- 

 ciled to the loss of their natural liberty; in others they become very tame, and readily 

 associate with their domestic relations, shewing but little of their wild origin, beyond 

 occasional flights to some little distance. 



The female sometimes assumes the plumage of the male, but the colours are not so 

 bright or distinct. 



Hybrids have been met with between this bird and the Egyptian Goose, the Pintail, 

 Shieldrake, and the Muscovy Duck. The produce of this last union is of a very large 

 size, and is much admired for the table. We have seen it in the hands of Mr. Graham, 

 of York; and in some parts of the North Riding of Yorkshire it is by no means 

 uncommon, as we are informed by the Reverend Robert Pulleine, of Kirkby Wiske. 



In the adult male, the bill is greenish yellow; irides, hazel. Head and upper half 

 of neck, of a deep changeable glossy green; at the bottom of this is a narrow white 

 collar; lower neck and breast, dark rich chestnut; back, brown; rump and upper tail 

 coverts, darker — nearly black. Tail of eighteen feathers; the four middle ones, deep 

 black, and curled upwards; the other feathers are of an ashy brown, with white edges. 

 Lesser wing coverts, brownish ash; the greater coverts tipped with deep velvety black, 

 inside which is a white bar. Primaries, brownish ash; the speculum, of a rich light 

 purple, reflecting green and violet, and bounded with a black bar tipped with white. 

 Tertials, light reddish brown, very broad, and with pointed ends. Belly and sides, 

 gray, marked transversely by numerous narrow waving darker lines. Under tail coverts, 

 black. Legs and feet, orange colour. 



The female has the bill of a blacker tinge; the upper parts of a dark brown, the 

 feathers with a broad edge of light brown. Chin and throat, pale brown; lower parts 

 of a pale yellowish brown, streaked and spotted with dark brown. Legs and feet as 

 in the male. 



The Mallard weighs about two pounds and a half, and measures two feet in length. 



The female weighs less, and measures also two inches less in length. 



