494 
LAMELLIROSTRAL SWIMMERS — ANSERES. 
(2.) A melanotic variety of the domesticated race is propagated at Mount Auburn, Mass., and 
in other localities in the Northern States. A fine adult male from the former place, presented by 
Dr. Brewer to the National Museum (No. 66231), has the following characters : Entire plumage 
intense coal-black, with an irregular patch of pure white on the breast, and a smaller one on the 
middle of the foreneck. Lower surface opaque, and with a slight brownish cast ; but entire upper 
surface (except primaries and rectrices), including the head and neck, glossed with a brilliant green 
reflection, changing to violet in certain lights ; the speculum is of the same changeable green or 
violet as the wing- coverts, but is broadly tipped with opaque black ; the head and neck are more 
brilliant green than the other portions. This specimen measures, wing, 11.25 inches ; culmen, 2.10 ; 
tarsus, 1.90 ; middle toe, 2.15. The bill is blackish olive, and the feet black. The latter are much 
stouter than those of the wild bird ; but this is said to be a peculiarity of the Domestic Mallard as 
distinguished from the wild bird. The size and proportions of this- specimen prove it to be a true 
Mallard, and not a hybrid with another species, though the prevalence of the metallic reflections 
over the whole of the upper parts caused an early comparison with Cairinci moschata, on suspicion 
that it might be part “ Muscovy ” — which, however, proves to be not the case. The curled upper 
tail-coverts and middle tail-feathers are precisely as in the ordinary Mallard. The characters of 
this variety are said to be very constant. 
(3.) Among the undoubted hybrids between the Mallard and other species of Ducks, there 
are three before us, represented by four examples. That of most common occurrence is a cross 
with the Muscovy ( Cairinci moschata 1 ), a Tropical American species, but common in domestication. 
These hybrids are no doubt produced in the barnyard ; but it is said that such birds do not inherit 
the tameness of their progenitors, but revert to the original wildness of both species, and escape by 
flight. Certain it is, that they are frequently shot by gunners along our coast. The two speci- 
mens before us possess the following characters : No. 17142, £ ad. has the large, broad speculum, 
and broad, lengthened tail specially characteristic of the Muscovy, and lacks the recurved feathers 
of the Mallard. Head and upper half of the neck black, with a dull green reflection, mixed with 
white on the throat and beneath the eye ; lower half of the neck, except behind, white ; breast and 
sides deep rufous-chestnut ; rest of lower parts white, the flanks and post-tibial region undulated 
with slate-color ; crissum brownish black, tinged with rufous. Above, brownish black, grizzled 
with transverse sprinkling of grayish brown, becoming uniform black on the rump and upper tail- 
coverts, which have a rich dark-green reflection. Wing-coverts uniform slate-color ; speculum 
uniform bottle-green, narrowly tipped with white ; primaries entirely immaculate pure white ; tail 
uniform dark slate. Bill yellow (pink in life ?), mottled with black ; feet orange. Head com- 
pletely feathered. Wing, 13.20 ; culmen, 2.30; tarsus, 2.20 ; middle toe, 2.60. 
No. 66617, $ ad., with the same general appearance, differs in some important particulars. It 
is destitute of the albinotic indication seen in the white primaries and neck-patch. The head and 
neck are continuous greenish bronze of a peculiar tint, intermediate between the purplish of G. 
moschata and the pure green of A. boschas. The lower portion of the neck, the breast, and sides 
1 Cairina moschata. 
Anas moschata, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 124; ed. 12, I. 1766, 199. — Nutt. Man. Water 
Birds, 1834, 403 (Lower Mississippi and Gulf Coast of U. S. !). 
Cairina moschata, Flem. Phil. Zool. 1822, 260 ; Br. Anim. 1828, 122. — Sol. & Salv. Nom. 
Neotr. 1873, 129; P. Z. S. 1876, 378 (monographic). — Coues, Birds N. W. 1874, 559 
(synonymy). 
Cairina sylvestris, Stephens, Shaw’s Gen. Zool. XII. ii. 1824, 69. 
Le Canard Musquc, Buff. PI. Enl. 986. 
El Pato grande o Fical, Azara, Apunt. III. 1805, no. 437. 
? Anas Marianne, Shaw, Nat. Misc. II. t. 69. 
Hab. The whole of tropical America, except West Indies. 
This species is most likely yet to be detected in the wild state along our southern border — in fact, 
Nuttall, as quoted above, says that it is “ occasionally seen along the coasts of the Mexican Gulf, in 
the lower part of Mississippi, and stragglers are frequently observed along the coasts of the warmer 
parts of the Union.” In its habits it much resembles the common Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), its favorite 
haunts being swampy woods and the forest-border of streams, where it nests in hollows of the trees, and 
perches on the branches in true arboreal fashion. 
