ZOOLOGY. 
253 
I Avas told by several gunners, at different times, of a small kind of brant occasionally seen, 
which A\ T as not much larger than a mallard, and had a white ring above the middle of the neck. 
It Avas said to keep to the middle of the bay, and to be difficult to shoot. On January 30, 1855, 
1 saAV four among a flock of the preceding species swimming near the mouth of the bay. 
They were about a third less in size, and did not shoAv so much Avhite in their plumage, but 
were too far off to be seen distinctly. I inquired of hunters in California, but they knew 
nothing of such a bird.—C. 
Sub-Family ANATINAE.—True Ducks. 
ANAS BOSCH AS, Linn. 
Mallard; Green Head. 
Anas boschas, Linn. Syst. Nat I, 1766, 205.— Wilson, Am. Orn, VIII, 1814, 112; pi. lxx.— Aud. Orn. Eiog. Ill, 
1835, 164; pi. 221. —Ib Syn 276. —Ib Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 236; pi. 385. — Baird, Gen. Eep. 
Birds, 774. 
Anas ( Boschas) domettica, Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831. 412. — Nuttall, Man. II, 1S34, 378. 
Sp. Cii .— Male: Head and neck bright grass green, with violet gloss, the top of the head duller; a white ring round the 
middle of the neck, below which, and on the fore part and sides of the breast, the color is dark brownish chestnut. Under 
parts and sides, with the scapulars, pale gray, very finely undulated with dusky ; the outer scapulars with a brownish tinge. 
Fore part of back reddish brown ; posterior more olivaceous. Crissum and upper tail coverts black, the latter with a blue 
gloss. Tail externally white ; wing coverts brownish gray, the greater coveits tipped first with white, and then more 
narrowly with black. Speculum purplish violet, terminated with black ; a recurved tuft of feathers on the rump. 
Female with the wing exactly as on the male. The under parts plain whitish ochrey, each feather obscurely blotched 
with dusky. Head and neck similar, spotted and streaked with dusky ; the chin and throat above unspotted. Upper parts 
dark brown, the feathers broadly edged and banded with reddish brown, parallel with the circumference. 
Length of male, 23; wing, 11; tarsus, 1.79; commissure of bill, 2 50. 
Bab —Entire continent of North America, and greater part of Old AVorld. 
This duck is exceedingly common in the western portion of both Territories. It is especially 
abundant on the brackish marshes at the mouths of the Nisqually, and other rivers emptying 
into the sound. 
By the Nisqually Indians it is called the ‘ ‘ Halit-haht,’ ’ in imitation of its note of alarm.—S. 
The mallard' is an abundant and resident species in the Territory, frequenting fresh water 
and small creeks near the sea as long as the ice does not drive it from its feeding grounds, 
Avhen they sometimes return to the open bays. They build near their favorite Avaters, though 
I once saiv a nest a quarter of a mile from any pond.—C. 
DAFILA ACUTA, (Linn.) Jenyns. 
Pintail; Sprigtail. 
Anas acuta, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766,202. — Gmelin, I, 258. — AVilson, Am. Orn. VIII, 1814, f. 2; pi. Ixviii. — Aud. 
Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 214: V, 615; pi. 227.—In. Syn. 279 .—Ib. Birds Amer. AH, 1843,266; pi. 390. 
riiasianurus acutus, AVaglek, Isis, 1832, 1235. 
Anas (Dafila ) acute, -Jenyns, Man. 1835,232. Europ. sp. 
Dofila acuta, Bon. List. 1838.— Baird, Gen. Eep. Birds, 776. 
Anas ( Boschas) acuta, Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 38G. 
Anas caudaiuta, Eay, Sat. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 441. 
Sp. Ch.—T ail of 16 feathers. Bill black above and laterally at the base ; the sides and beneath blue. Head and upper 
part of neck uniform dark brown, glossed with green and purple behind. Inferior part of neck, breast, and under parts, 
white ; the white of neck passes up to the nape, teparating the brown, and itself is divided dorsally by black, which, below, 
