174 WILD FOWL OF INDIA. 



There are two or three types of coloration in this genus, even 

 as restricted. The first in our list has the most variegated and 

 richest plumage, is of extensive geographical distribution, and 

 makes long migrations. 



15. Anas boschas, Linnaeus. 



Blyth Cat. 1771 — Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 361 — Niroji, 

 Sindh. — Nil sir, H. 



The Mallard. 



Descr. — Male, head and upper half of neck deep emerald-green 

 approaching to black on the cheeks and forehead ; a white collar 

 round the neck ; hind neck brown, with fine transverse grey lines ; 

 mantle chesnut-brown, with pale margins to the feathers ; rump 

 and upper tail-coverts blackish-green, the sides of the rump grey- 

 ish white, with fine transverse undulating lines of clove-brown ; 

 scapulars greyish- white, with cross wavy brown marks, and some 

 of the outer ones chesnut, with darker cross lines ; wing-coverts 

 and primaries brown ; speculum deep prussian-blue, with purple 

 and green reflections, bounded on each side by a double border, the 

 inner one velvet-black, the outer white ; tail greyish-brown, all 

 the feathers bordered with white ; the four central feathers curled 

 upwards ; lower neck and breast dark chesnut ; abdomen and 

 flanks greyish-white, with transverse undulating lines of brown ; 

 under tail-coverts blackish-green. 



Bill pale greenish-yellow ; irides red or hazel brown ; legs orange. 

 Length 24 inches; wing 11 J; extent 36 ; tail 3^; bill 2J; tarsus 

 If; middle toe 2£. 



The female is smaller, and has all the upper plumage brown, 

 of different shades, the feathers edged with pale reddish-brown ; 

 the head and neck creamy-white or yellowish with dusky streaks ; 

 speculum much as in the male ; throat buff or whitish ; breast and 

 under parts yellowish-brown, obscurely spotted and streaked with 

 darker brown ; the central tail feathers not turned up. Bill 

 greenish-grey. 



The Mallard is apparently not very rare in the North of India, 

 especially in the North-west, but I have never seen it South of the 





