Part 135

Dusky Duck, Anas obscura, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 141.

Anas obscura, Bonap. Syn. p. 384.

Dusky Duck, Anas obscura, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 392.

Dusky Duck, Anas obscura, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 15.

388. 3. Anas Breweri, Aud. Brewer's Duck.

Plate CCCXXXVIII. Male.

Very nearly allied to the Mallard, but with the bill narrower, no recurved feathers in the tail, and the feet dull yellow; the speculum more green without white bands, and a large patch of light red on the side of the head; bill dull yellow, dusky along the ridge; head and upper part of neck deep glossy green; an elongated patch of pale reddish-yellow from the base of the bill over the cheeks to a considerable way down the neck; a space immediately over and behind the eye light dull purple; a narrow ring of pale yellowish-red on the middle of the neck, of which the lower part is dull brownish-red, the feathers with a transverse band of dusky, and edged with paler; upper parts dull greyish-brown, transversely undulated with dusky; smaller wing-coverts without undulations, but each feather with a dusky bar behind another of light dull yellow; first row of smaller coverts tipped with black; primaries and their coverts light brownish-grey; some of the outer secondaries similar, the next five or six duck-green, the next light grey with a dusky patch toward the end; rump and upper tail-coverts black, as are the parts under the tail, excepting two longitudinal white bands; tail-feathers light brownish-grey, edged with whitish; all the rest of the lower parts greyish-white edged with yellow, beautifully undulated with dusky lines, on the middle of the breast these lines less numerous, and each feather with a reddish-grey central streak.

Male, 23, 39.

One specimen procured in Louisiana.

Brewer's Duck, Anas Breweri, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 302.

389. 4. Anas strepera, Linn. Gadwall Duck.--Violon.

Plate CCCXLVIII. Male and Female.

Tail short, rounded, of sixteen pointed feathers. Male with the bill bluish-black, the feet dull orange-yellow, the webs dusky; head light yellowish-grey, its upper part and nape much darker and barred with dusky, the rest dotted with the same; lower part of neck, sides of body, fore part of back, and outer scapulars, undulated with dusky and yellowish-white, the bands much larger and semicircular on the fore part of the neck and breast; the latter white; abdomen faintly and minutely undulated with brownish-grey; elongated scapulars brownish-grey, broadly margined with brownish-red; hind part of back brownish-black, rump and upper and lower tail-coverts bluish-black; anterior smaller wing-coverts light grey undulated with dusky, middle coverts deep chestnut-red; primary coverts brownish-grey, outer secondary coverts darker and tinged with chestnut, the rest black, excepting the inner which are grey; primaries and inner elongated secondaries brownish-grey, of which colour also are the inner webs of the rest; part of the outer webs, of five of the outer black, and their terminal margins, white, of which colour are the whole outer webs of the three next to the inner elongated quills; tail brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler. Female with the bill dusky along the ridge, upper part of head brownish-black, the feathers edged with light reddish-brown; a streak over the eye, the cheeks, the upper part of the neck all round, light yellowish-red tinged with grey, and marked with small longitudinal dusky streaks, which are fainter on the throat, that part being greyish-white; the rest of the neck, the sides, all the upper parts, and the lower rump-feathers brownish-black broadly margined with yellowish-red; wing-coverts brownish-grey, edged with paler; wing with the speculum fainter; tail-feathers and their coverts dusky, laterally obliquely indented with pale brownish-red, and margined with reddish-white.

Male, 21-3/4, 35. Female, 19-1/4, 31.

Breeds in Texas, and westward to the Columbia River, Fur Countries, and sometimes in the States of New York, Massachusetts, and Maine. Rather common in autumn and spring in the middle Atlantic districts; more so in the Southern and Western States.

Gadwall, Anas strepera, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 120.

Anas strepera, Bonap. Syn. p. 383.

Anas (Chauliodus) strepera, Gadwall, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 440.

Gadwall or Grey, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 383.

Gadwall Duck, Anas strepera, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 353.

390. 5. Anas Americana, Gmel. American Widgeon.

Plate CCCXLV. Male and Female.

Tail short, pointed, of sixteen feathers. Male with the bill and feet light greyish-blue; upper part of head white, more or less mottled with dusky on the sides; loral space and cheeks reddish-white, dotted with greenish-black; a broad band from the eye to behind the occiput deep green; lower part of hind neck, scapulars, and fore part of back, minutely transversely undulated with brownish-black and light brownish-red; the hind part similarly undulated with blackish-brown and greyish-white; smaller wing-coverts brownish-grey; primary quills and coverts dark greyish-brown; secondary coverts white, tipped with black; speculum duck-green, anteriorly bounded by the black tips of the secondary coverts, black behind, internally black with white streaks, the inner elongated secondaries having their outer webs black, margined with white, their inner webs brownish-grey; tail-feathers light brownish-grey; throat brownish-black, lower part of neck in front, and fore part of breast light brownish-red; breast, belly, and sides of rump, white; sides of body finely undulated with white and dusky; rump beneath and lower tail-coverts black. Female similar, with less white on the head, the back duller and less undulated; the wings greyish-brown, the secondary coverts tipped with white, secondary quills brownish-black, inner greyish-brown, all margined with white; tail-feathers greyish-brown, edged with white, lower parts white, except the feathers of the sides and under the tail, which are broadly barred with dusky and light reddish-brown. Perhaps not distinct from Anas Penelope.

Male, 20-1/2, 34-1/2. Female, 18, 30.

Breeds in Texas, and in the Northern Districts. Abundant in the south and west in winter. Columbia River. Middle Atlantic districts in autumn and spring.

American Widgeon, Anas americana, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 86.

Anas americana, Bonap. Syn. p. 384.

Mareca americana, Steph. American Widgeon, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 445.