MALLARD. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Anas Bochas. A. cinerea ; rectricibus intermediis (maris) re- 
curvatis, rostro recto, torque alba. Linn. Syst. 
Nat . Gmel. 1 . p. 538. 
Ash-coloured j middle tail feathers (in the male) 
strongly curled upwards ; bill straight ; a 
white incomplete circle round the lower part 
of the neck. 
Anas fera. Briss. Av. 6. p. 318. no. 4. 
Wild Duck. Will. Orn. p. 308. t. 72. 75. 
All. Av. 1. 1 . 99. 2. t. 10. Buff. Birds, v. 9. 
p. 100. 
Mallard. . Penn. Brit. Zool. 2. p. 591. pi. 97. Arct. Zool. 2. 
p. 503. no. 494. Lath. Syn. 3. p. 489. no. 43. 
A particular description of the plumage of a bird 
so well known as the mallard would be superfluous ; 
we shall, therefore, immediately proceed to mention 
whatever may be interesting in its natural history ; 
and after having traced the young ones from the egg, 
we shall give some account of the manner, which 
the inhabitants of the fenny countries employ to 
catch the prodigious numbers that are annually sold 
in our markets. 
2 N 
VOL. I, 
