Anas abscura rubripes. 
I 88 Brewster, An Undescribed Form of Black Duck. [ Apr . 
head and neck they are quite typical of that form. The original 
coloring of the soft parts is not noted on any of the labels, but that 
of the legs in the three specimens which still possess these 
appendages was apparently bright red. As would be expected, 
the light edging on the feathers of the pileum is much narrower 
and less conspicuous than in birds in fresh winter plumage. 
From this evidence it seems reasonably safe to assume that the 
breeding range of true obscura extends, coastwise, to the north and 
east at least as far as Newfoundland and Southern Labrador an 
that throughout this maritime belt, as well as in New England and 
to the southward, rubripes occurs only during migration or in 
winter. The summer distribution of the latter remains to be 
definitely ascertained, but besides occupying the shores of Hud¬ 
son Bay and those of northern Labrador it probably frequents 
more or less of the vast interior region lying between the points 
lust mentioned and the St. Lawrence River. The frequency of 
its occurrence in late autumn at Lake Umbagog indicates that a 
srood many of the birds which breed about Hudson Bay or to the 
southward take the shortest possible route to their winter quarters 
on the coast of New England. Others, no doubt, move directly 
southward for there is a typical red-legged bird in the Museum of 
Comparative Zoology which was taken in Mississippi County, 
Arkansas, on Nov. 5, iSSy. 1 Those which pass their summers m 
northern Labrador probably follow the Atlantic coast line during 
migration for Mr. Batchelder has a specimen of rubripes which 
was shot at Custlett, Newfoundland, on November 6 1S90. 
It is interesting to note that in respect to one of the more es¬ 
sential of its distinguishing characters - viz., the immaculate buffy 
throat-the more southern of the forms just considered shows a 
slight but significant approach to the Black Duck of Florida {Anas 
fulviguld) which has not only the entire throat, but also the jugu 
and the greater part of the cheeks, entirely free from mark- 
ings. __ 
. It is probable that a large proportion of the birds which occur in antumn 
region is the one above mentioned. -/£ V. 
A«k. XXX, April., 1902, P p- 
