84 A IX GALERICULATA 



years. Of course birds in a private collection seldom live to attain a great age, for 

 accidents are all too common. I see no reason to think that [Mandarins or Carolina 

 Ducks are much shorter-lived than the more typical ducks, Mallard, Indian Spot- 

 bill, Australians, etc. Unfortunately I kept no longevity records in my own flock but 

 I think some must have been in my pond for at least eight or ten years. 



Remarks on Proposed Geographical Races 



What appears to be a doubtful, or at best poorly marked race was described by Austin II. Clark from 

 southern Japan and eastern China (Aix galericulata brunnescens Clark, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 

 vol. 27, p. 87, 1914). The wing of the type specimen now in the U.S. National Museum measured 

 according to my own notes only 236 mm. and another specimen from much farther north (Vladivos- 

 tok) has just as large a wing so the character of large size cannot count for much. The plumage 

 characters proposed for the form brunnescens, namely, more buffy than white appearance of the cen- 

 tral stripe of the elongated neck feathers and the black border of the tertial fan wider than in the 

 typical bird, do not seem to me important and certainly do not hold well in the specimens I have 

 examined. 



