St. Marks River Fauna 37 



Remarks — The mallard prefers freshwater lakes and marshes 

 (Sprunt 1954). 



Aythya sp. indet. 



Material — Right carpometacarpus, UGAMNH2073; left distal 

 tibiotarsus, UGAMNH2077. 



Aythya collaris (Donovan) 

 Ring-necked Duck 



Material— Humerus shaft, USNM209899; left humerus, 

 USNM209884, 209878, 209886, 209890, 209894, USNM209910; right 

 humerus, USNM209877, 209893, 209903; left ulna, 209885, 209888, 

 209897; right ulna, USNM209878, 209892, 209905-209907; left tibia, 

 USNM209880, 209908; right tibia, USNM209909; left 

 carpometacarpus, 209898, 209900; right tarsometatarsus, 

 USNM209881, 209889; left tarsometatarsus, USNM209887; 

 tarsometatarsus, USNM209902; right coracoid, 209895, 209896; proximal 

 radius, USNM209882; distal radius, USNM209883; radius, USNM209904; 

 right scapula, USNM209891; cervical vertebra, USNM209901. 



Remarks — This species is associated most commonly with wooded 

 lakes, ponds, and rivers, but also is reported from saltwater systems 

 (Sprunt 1954). 



Branta canadensis (Linnaeus) 

 Canada Goose 



Material — Right coracoid, UGAMNH2074; right tarsometatarsus, 

 USNM209875; right distal carpometacarpus, USNM209876. 



Remarks — Both USNM specimens from the 1970s are noted by 

 Storrs Olson (personal communication) as small and possibly represent 

 either a small subspecies or juveniles. The UGAMNH specimen from 

 1987 is large. Sprunt (1954:53) states the center of abundance in 

 Florida for modern Branta canadensis is the St. Marks Refuge. This 

 coracoid could possibly be assigned to Branta cf. B. dickeyi on the 

 basis of size. Steven Emslie (Point Reyes Bird Observatory, personal 

 communication) examined the St. Marks River specimen and thought 

 it could be assigned to B. dickeyi. Measurements of the coracoid are 

 larger than modern B. canadensis, but there is some overlap. Emslie 

 (personal communication) reported a large B. dickeyi from the early 

 Pleistocene of Florida. We refer the coracoid conservatively to B. 

 canadensis. The species prefers freshwater lakes, rivers, and marshes 

 (Sprunt 1954). 



