ANATIKffi — THE DUOIvS — ANAS. 
493 
breast, as in No. 12718, Washington, D. C. (December), in which the entire lower parts, except 
the sides, are tinged with rich cream-color. 
The single European specimen in the collection differs from all the North American males in its 
considerably smaller size. It measures -: Wing, 10.20 inches ; culmen, 2.00 ; tarsus, 1.50 ; middle 
toe, 1.80. The smallest North American male, among a large series of specimens, measures : 
Wing, 11.00 inches ; culmen, 2.10 ; tarsus, 1.60; middle toe, 2.00; while the average is consider- 
ably larger. The European specimen differs also in markings, the speculum being much narrower 
(the violet less than 1.00 inch wide, instead of 1.50 or more), while black and white bars on each 
side of it are not nearly so broad. There is no difference, however, in color. Two females from 
Europe measure : Wing, 9.70-10.00 
inches; culmen, 2.00-2.10 ; tarsus, 1.65 
-1.70 ; middle toe, 1.80-1. 85. 1 The 
only tangible difference in pattern of 
coloration consists in the narrower bars 
of the speculum, the terminal white one 
being reduced to a narrow line, instead 
of a quite broad bar. 
Even in its feral state, the Mallard 
varies greatly in size and markings, al- 
though the proportionate number of 
“ abnormal ” examples is of course small. 
Many of these variations are due to hy- 
bridism with other species ; but very 
many examples occur in which no con- 
nection with another species can be 
traced. The latter are usually consid- 
erably larger than the ordinary wild 
bird, and the colors wholly indetermi- 
nate, the range of variation in this re- 
spect being fully equal to that in the 
domesticated bird. Such examples are 
frequently killed during the migrations, either mixed singly with flocks of the ordinary bird, or in 
companies by themselves. Without going into further details in regard to these feral varieties, we 
will proceed to describe a lew of the more remarkable specimens and hybrids which are now 
before ns : — 
(1.) An autumnal female from Mount Carmel, 111., is so different from all other specimens exam- 
ined that there is some doubt Avh ether it is pure A. boschas ; the differences from the normal female of 
A. boschas involve the proportions as well as the colors. The bill is very broad, measuring 1.00 inch 
in width near the end, and .95 at the base ; its length along the culmen being 2.00 inches, and its 
height through the base .95. Its color is black, except the terminal third, which is bright orange, 
the nail jet black ; the feet are bright orange-red. The ground-color of the entire plumage, except 
the wings, is a deep and very uniform ochraceous ; the head and neck are very finely streaked with 
narrow lines of black, except on the chin and throat, which are immaculate ; this streaking is so 
uniform, that there is no indication of a darker loral stripe or lighter one above it, the post-orbital light 
stripe alone being perceptible. Each feather of the lower parts has a medial stripe of black, these 
markings being of uniform size and shape throughout the entire lower surface. The back and scapulars 
are more irregularly variegated, the black being nearly in the form of Y-shaped markings, though 
they vary on different feathers. The rump and upper tail-coverts are almost cinnamon-color, each 
feather being broadly black medially, these black markings having a bright green reflection. The 
wings are normal in coloration, except that the coverts are more conspicuously bordered with white 
than is usual. The measurements of this specimen are as follows : Wing, 10.90 inches ; culmen, 
2.00 ; tarsus, 1.95 ; middle toe, 2.30. 
1 Messrs. Sharpe & Dresser, however, in their “History of the Birds of Europe” (part xvii. ) give 
the measurements of European A. boschas as follows : “ Total length, 23.00 inches ; culmen, 2.60 ; wing, 
10.50 ; tail, 4.00 ; tarsus, 1.85.” 
