Male with the feathers of the head and neck short, blended, and splendent; tail much rounded, of sixteen acute feathers, of which the four central are recurved; bill greenish-yellow, feet orange-red; head and upper part of neck deep green; about the middle of the neck a white ring; its lower part anteriorly, and the fore part of the breast, dark brownish-chestnut; fore part of back light yellowish-brown, rest of the back brownish-black, the rump black, splendent with green and purplish-blue, as are the recurved tail-feathers; upper surface of wings greyish-brown, scapulars lighter, except their inner webs, and with the anterior dorsal feathers, minutely undulated with brown, speculum on about ten of the secondaries purple and green, edged with velvet-black and white, the anterior bands of these colours being on the secondary coverts; breast, sides, and abdomen very pale grey, minutely undulated with darker; lower tail-coverts black. Female with the bill black in the middle, dull orange at the extremities and along the edges; upper parts pale yellowish, streaked and spotted with dusky; feathers of the head narrowly streaked, of the back with the margins and a central streak yellowish-brown, the rest dark, the scapulars similar, but with the light streak on the outer web; speculum as in the male, but with less green; lower parts dull ochre, deeper on the lower neck, faintly streaked and spotted with brown. _Male_, 24, 36. _Female_, 22. Breeds from Texas sparingly throughout the United States. Columbia River, and Fur Countries. Abundant during winter in all the Southern Districts. Not found in Maine, or farther eastward. Mallard, Anas Borchas, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 112. Anas Borchas, Bonap. Syn. p. 383. Anas (Borchas) domestica, Mallard, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 442. Mallard Duck, Anas domestica, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 378. Mallard, Anas Borchas, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 164. 387. 2. Anas obscura, Gmel. Dusky Duck. Plate CCCII. Male and Female. Tail much rounded, of eighteen acute feathers, none of which are recurved; bill yellowish-green; feet orange-red, the webs dusky; upper part of head glossy brownish-black, the feathers margined with light brown; sides of head and a band over the eye light greyish-brown, with longitudinal dusky streaks; general colour blackish-brown, a little paler beneath, all the feathers margined with pale reddish-brown; wing-coverts greyish-dusky, with a faint tinge of green; ends of secondary coverts velvet black; primaries and their coverts blackish-brown; secondaries darker; speculum green, blue, violet, or amethyst-purple, bounded by velvet-black, the feathers also tipped with a narrow line of white; under surface of wing and axillaries white. Female more brown, with the speculum similar, but without the white terminal line. _Male_, 24-1/2, 38-1/2. _Female_, 22, 34-1/4.