112 



THE MALLARD. 

 AJVAS BOSCHAS. 

 [Plate LXX.— Fig. 7.] 



Lath. Syn. Ill, p, 489. — Bewick, II, ]). 291. — Lc Canard Sawvage, Biiiss. YT, p, 318. 4. — Buff. 



IX, p, 115. j}L 7, 8. — Pbale's Museum, Js^o. 2864^. 



THE Mallard, or common Wild Drake, is so universally 

 known as scarcely to require a description. It measures twenty 

 four inches in length, by three feet in extent, and weighs upwards 

 of two pounds and a half; the bill is greenish yellow; irides hazel; 

 head and part of the neck deep glossy changeable green, ending in 

 a narrow collar of white ; the rest of the neck and breast are of a 

 dark purplish chesnut; lesser wing coverts brown ash, greater 

 crossed near the extremities with a band of white, and tipt with 

 another of deep velvetty black ; below this lies the speculum, or 

 beauty spot, of a rich and splendid light purple, with green and 

 violet reflections, bounded on^ every side with black ; quills pale 

 brownish ash; back brown, skirted with paler; scapulars whitish, 

 crossed with fine undulating lines of black; rump and tail coverts 

 black glossed with green, tertials very broad and pointed at the 

 ends ; tail consisting of eighteen feathers, whitish, centered with 

 brown ash, the four middle ones excepted, which are narrow, black 

 glossed with violet, remarkably concave, and curled upwards to a 

 complete circle ; belly and sides a fine grey, crossed by an infinite 

 number of fine waving lines, stronger and more deeply marked as 

 they approach the vent; legs and feet orange red. 



The female has the plumage of the upper parts dark brown 

 broadly bordered with brownish yellow; and the lower parts yel- 

 low ochre spotted and streaked with deep brown ; the chin and 



