crown; head and neck finely streaked with dusky, except occasionally on upper 

 throat ; breast variously spotted and streaked ; sides with large irregular U-shaped 

 markings of brownish dusky; upper parts dusky or greenish fuscous, lightly or 

 heavily marked and striped with dull ochraceous or ochraceous-buff ; wing much 

 duller than in male, altho pattern traceable ; wing-coverts fuscous narrowly white- 

 edged and tipped; the tips of posterior row scarcely broader, white; speculum 

 dusky with faint purplish and greenish gloss ; axillars more heavily mottled with 

 grayish brown. Adult male in breeding plumage: Similar to adult female, but 

 wing as in ordinary plumage (Ridgw.). Young male: Like adult female but 

 more ochraceous below and more uniformly streaked ; slightly transverse-barred 

 above, and wing early showing adult characteristics. Young female: Similar 

 to adult, but more heavily tinged below, and more heavily streaked and striped 

 above ; specidum light brown dappled with dusky. Adult male length 26.00-30.00 

 (660.4-762.) ; wing 10.60 (269.2) ; tail 6.25-9.50 (158.8-241.3) ; bill 2.10 (53.3) ; 

 tarsus 1.70 (43.2). Females average smaller; tail 4.00-5.00 (101.6-127.). 



Recognition Marks. — Mallard size or less; lengthened tail-feathers of adult 

 male; head hair-brown; fore-neck and below white (adult male). The female 

 and young of this bird present difficulties. Look first for the wedge-shaped tail, 

 and top of head suffused with cinnamon-brown and heavily streaked with black- 

 ish ; then eliminate other species by careful attention to speculum and wing-coverts. 



Nesting. — Nest, on the ground, usually in a bunch of tall grass not far from 

 water. Eggs, 8-12, pale greenish gray or buffv white. Av. size, 2.20 x 1.48 (55.9 

 x37.6). 



Each in Its Own Way 



There's never a rose in all the world 



But makes some green spray sweeter; 

 There's never a wind in all the sky 



But makes some bird-wing fleeter; 

 There's never a star but brings to heaven 



Some silver radiance tender; 

 And never a rosy cloud but helps 



To crown the sunset splendor; 

 No robin but may thrill some heart 



His dawnlight gladness voicing; 

 God gives us all some small, sweet way 



To set the world rejoicing. 



— Selected. 



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