326 duck. 



Buenos Ayres, in South America. Although the Wigeon is not 

 known to breed in this kingdom at large, we are informed that it 

 has in confinement ; and not only so, but has paired with the 

 opposite sex of a different species. We learn from Lord Stanley, 

 that a male Wigeon had connected itself with a female Pintail, and 

 produced nine or ten young the first year, and six the second. The 

 hybrid birds, on growing up, resembled the female, appearing more 

 like the male Wigeon about the head. These birds seemed to be 

 endowed with the usual sensations of different sexes, but no produce 

 took place. One remarkable circumstance attended the above union, 

 which was, that there were female Wigeons in the same pond where 

 the male attached itself to the female Pintail ; and further, that a 

 male Wigeon has been observed to pair with a female of the common 

 Duck, and that the eggs were prolific. 



A.— Anas Kogolka, N. C. Petr.xv. 468. 15. t. 21. Sch. d. Berl. Nat. vii. 451. No. 33. 



The bill in this is black ; irides yellow ; head ferruginous brown ; 

 neck, as far as the breast, and to the back, striped with cinereous 

 grey ; the back, wings, and tail, blackish, crossed with dull stripes ; 

 speculum silver white ; breast and belly white. 



88— BLACK-TAILED DUCK. 



Anas melanura, Ind. Orn.u. 861. Gm. Lin. i. 516. Scop. i. No. 82. 



THIS is a little smaller than the Mallard. Bill clay-colour; sides 

 of the head cinereous ; crown of the head and the back rufous ; rump 

 black, spotted with white ; breast cinereous, with a tinge of rufous . 

 quills and tail black ; legs clay-colour. 



