Atlas obscura rubripes 
184 Brewster, An Undescribed Form of Black Duck. LApr. 
relating to the original coloring of their bills, legs and feet. As 
the more brilliant tints of these 1 soft parts ’ fade soon after death, 
and eventually nearly or quite disappear, they are not available in 
comparisons of dried skins unless recorded by the collector soon 
after his birds are killed. 
A careful study of this material has convinced me that the large, 
red-legged bird differs sufficiently from true obscura to stand as a 
distinct subspecies, which may be briefly characterized as follows : 
Anas obscura rubripes, new subspecies. Red-legged 
Black Duck. 
Subspecific characters .— Similar to A. obscura but larger; the feathers 
of the pileum conspicuously edged with grayish or fulvous ; the dark 
markings on the fore neck and the sides of the head coarser, blacker and 
more sharply defined ; the entire throat usually streaked or spotted with 
blackish; the tarsi and toes bright red; the bill yellow. 
Type, No. 30252, $ ad. Collection of William Brewster, Lake Umbagog 
(New Hampshire shore), October 8, 1889 ; W. Brewster. 
Habitat .— Occurring during migration or in winter on or near the 
Atlantic Coast from Newfoundland to Virginia (Cobbs Island); in the 
interior as far to the south and west as Arkansas. Summer range not 
definitely known but breeding specimens examined from Northern Labra¬ 
dor, James Bay and the west shore of Hudson Bay. 
Measurements. 
Wing. 
Tarsus. 
Middle toe 
without nail. 
Culmenfrom 
base (chord). 
Culmen from 
nostril. 
A nas obscura 
A. 0. rubripes 
A nas obscura 
A . 0. rubripes 
average of 7 males 
“ “ 21 “ 
average of 15 females 
H 19 “ 
10.52+ 
10.99+ 
10.14+ 
10.47+ 
1.65 — 
1.68 — 
1.61 — 
1.60-t- 
2.20 — 
2.26—J- 
2.09 
2.15+ 
2.05 — 
2.13 — 
1-93 — 
2.03-!- 
1 1 + 1 
OO^vO 
I have had repeated opportunities for comparing the two forms 
when living or immediately after death. They are sufficiently 
unlike in respect to size and proportions, as well as in coloring, to 
be distinguished, under favorable conditions, at more than gun¬ 
shot distance when flying, and when freshly killed and placed 
side by side they may be separated at a glance. The larger bird 
usually has the entire bill (excepting the nail) yellow, varying from 
