260 
vermiculated with dark browiij which colour asserts itself again on the lower fore neck ; speculum very con- 
spicuous, and bordered above with a white band edged with black. Bill and feet yellow. 
? . General plumage pale brown, with darker shaft-lines ; upper parts prettily banded and mottled, partaking 
more of the appearance of a wild bird than a domestic one ; vertex dark brown, with a slight gloss ; throat 
and fore neck prettily stippled with black, just as in A. gibherifrons ■, speculum distinct, velvety black in 
its outer portion, and bordered above and below with a well-defined band of white; tad-feathers dark brown, 
with whitish edges. Bill yellow, with the unguis dark brown, and a broad mark of the same colour across 
the middle. 
with darker markings, inclining to white on lower part of breast, throat, and cheek ; a dark line passing through the eye, as in 
A.superciliosa : beak brownish yeUow ; legs dull yeUow ; speculum blue, outer side black, margined with white, as in Domestic 
Duck. The drakes very similar to English Wild Duck, and having the curled tail-feathers; speculum blue. Could fly fairly 
well, but with reluctance. 
“ No. 2. One of these half-bred Ducks mated with a Grey Duck (A. mpercUiosa), and one Duck was reared, which in colour 
and size was almost identical with A. supercUiosa, but had the speculum green, margined with white, and a slight touch of 
white on some of the secondary feathers of wing. Could fly strongly. 
“ No. 3. This Duck, when mated with a drake of Anas supercUiosa, produced a brood in type and colour like the latter, some 
of which have reverted to a wild state. Eor several seasons the first brood have been all dark-coloured, and the second brood 
includes pure white, or albinoes, and white with markings or dark pencillings of rufous ; speculum green ; dark-coloured 
bill and legs ; curled tail-feathers wanting. 
“ No. 4. A drake, bred inter se, might be described as in foundation-colour like A. supercUiosa ; slightly tinged on the head 
with green ; light colour on cheeks ; dark mark through eyes ; breast rufous ; specvflum green ; tail and tail-coverts inclining 
to black, edged with brown ; two small curled feathers in tail. 
“ No. 5. This season (1885) there was a brood of six, reared by a hybrid Duck, which might be easily mistaken for a 
coloured call-duck, and which was mated to A. supercUiosa. The Ducks were slightly larger than the latter ; foundation-colour 
and markings similar, having a washed-out look ; sides of breast forward of thigh white-grey, same as lower part of breast of 
A. hoschas. Bill blackish green in some, with legs the same ; yellow in others, chequered with black, and legs yellowish black ; 
speculum green, the outer edge black, margined with a white band above and below. The drake was identical in general 
appearance to Anas hoschas ; green head, white ring on front of neck, one curled tail-feather only. Colour of speculum green, 
margined with white. Can fly, but are thoroughly domestic. As in the MaUard, the bright colouring changes with the seasons. 
“ The hybrids lay twice in the season, but few young are reared, owing to want of convenient mates ; and numbers are 
destroyed by dogs, cats, hawks, and rats. The latter are very destructive.” (Trans. N.-Z. Inst. vol. xviii. pp. 134, 135.) 
In my Introduction (pages xviii to xxxv) I have given an account of the various ancient forms of 
New-Zealand birds known to us by their fossil remains. To these must be added the extinct Duck, 
apparently allied to Ams cUorotis, of which a skeleton from the Earnscleugh Caves, in Otago, has 
been described *, under the name of Anas finschi, by Van Beneden, who supposes that this bird 
disappeared from the land at the same time as Binornis. This writer says “ In comparing these 
bones with the two species known in Europe, we have been quite struck with their resemblance to 
the fossil species which inhabited in great numbers the shores of the lakes, the bottoms of which at 
the present day constitute a considerable portion of the department of Allier, and to which M. 
Alphonse Milne-Edwards has given the name of Anas Uancliardi The principal^ difference 
between them and Anas finschi is that the head is not so long as in the New-Zealand species ; and if 
there is but a slight difference in the size of the head, there is, on the other hand, a remarkable 
difference in the size of the bones of the limbs. The wings, as well as the feet, are stronger in the 
New-Zealand species ; the clavicle is wider ; but it is with difficulty one discerns differences between 
the sternums and plastron. That which is especially surprising in comparing these bones of a New- 
Zealand form with the European species is that one finds so faithfully reproduced all the characters 
peculiar to the birds of this family.” 
* Annales de la Soc. Gdol. de Belg. vol. ii. p. 123. 
