140 
THE MALLARD. 
inclies 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 chestnut ; lesser wing- 
coverts, brown ash ; greater, crossed near the extremities with 
a band of white, and tipt with another of deep velvety black ; 
below this lies the speculum, or beauty-spot, of a rich and 
splendid light purple, with green and violet reflections, bound- 
ed 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, centred 
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, strong- 
er 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 
yellow ochre, spotted and streaked with deep brown ; the chin 
and throat, for about two inches, plain yellowish white ; wings, 
bill, and legs, nearly as in the male. 
The windpipe of the male has a bony labyrinth, or bladder- 
like knob, puffing out from the left side. The intestines mea- 
sure six feet, and are as wide as those of the canvass-back. 
The windpipe is of uniform diameter, until it enters the 
labyrinth. 
This is the original stock of the common domesticated duck, 
reclaimed, time immemorial, from a state of nature, and now 
or curled up. Some specimens want the white ring round the neck, and in some 
parts this variety is so common, as to be distinguished by the herds and country 
people. — ^E d. 
