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MALLARD. 
is immediately taken as if it required separation 
from foreign substances. 
Boschas, Sivainson . — Generic characters. — Bill 
long, depressed, broad and of equal width 
throughout, laminae nearly concealed ; nostrils 
oval, basal ; wings sharp-pointed ; tail cuneate, 
of moderate length ; feet ample, hallux free. 
Types. — B.fera, crecca, obscura, tyc. Europe, 
Asia, America. 
Note. — Gregarious ; easily domesticated ; feed on 
grain or vegetables. 
The Common Wild Deck, Boschas per a, Briss. 
— Anas Boschas, Linn., S,-c. — Common Wild Duck 
or Mallard of British authors . — This abundant and 
useful species is very commonly distributed over 
all our islands, few localities being without some 
parts suitable for their habits, and manyMistricts 
being peculiarly adapted for them ; at the same 
time, causes similar to those which have operated 
on the frequency of many other species, have very 
materially diminished the numbers of the wild duck, 
and among the most serious is the profuse system of 
drainage which has taken place in many of the 
lower lying counties of England, where decoys and 
the produco of the fens furnished a regular and 
often handsome income to the followers of an occu- 
pation now getting nearly extinct ; while in all 
