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--Boundary_(ID_35MyRppHywBzVjuR4ftdmA) Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Can's resist a reply to Billy's note. No comment on the first group, which is indeed an example of strange bedfellows, but of course the second example is not strange at all, since the mallard and black duck quite freely interbreed and probably should be united/lumped into a single species. My suspicion about why the "experts" have not lumped the blallards or mack ducks is because then the "floodgates" would be open to possible other lumpings, since all of the ducks, especially the dabblers or surface-feeding ducks, are prone to mixing up their genes. In my experience in Canada's "duck basket" on the prairies, it was not unusual to see two different kinds of ducklings in a single brood, and occasionally three kinds! There are some nice paintings of hybrid ducks and ducklings? in Kortwright's classic, titled something like Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America?? As I recall, one of the hybrids documented was between two different subfamilies of ducks, namely goldeneye with a merganser?? Cheers from Jim in Wolfville ----------------------- Begin forwarded message: > From: bdigout@seaside.ns.ca > Date: May 21, 2009 7:33:11 AM ADT > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: [NatureNS] strange bed...I mean duck-fellows > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > Yesterday in Strachan's Cove in St. Peter's, a pair of Red-breasted > Mergansers was accompanied by a Blue-winged Teal, while nearby a male > Mallard and female Black Duck were together. > Billy > --Boundary_(ID_35MyRppHywBzVjuR4ftdmA) Content-type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> Can's resist a reply to Billy's note. =A0No comment on the first group, = which is indeed an example of strange bedfellows, but of course the = second example is not strange at all, since the mallard and black duck = quite freely interbreed and probably should be united/lumped into a = single species. =A0My suspicion about why the "experts" have not lumped = the blallards or mack ducks is because then the "floodgates" would be = open to possible other lumpings, since all of the ducks, especially the = dabblers or surface-feeding ducks, are prone to mixing up their genes. = =A0In my experience in Canada's "duck basket" on the prairies, it was = not unusual to see two different kinds of ducklings in a single brood, = and occasionally three kinds! =A0There are some nice paintings of hybrid = ducks and ducklings? in Kortwright's classic, titled something like = Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America?? =A0As I recall, one of the = hybrids documented was between two different subfamilies of ducks, = namely goldeneye with a merganser??<div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim = in Wolfville</div><div>-----------------------<br><div><br><div>Begin = forwarded message:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:bdigout@seaside.ns.ca">bdigout@seaside.ns.ca</a></font></di= v><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">May 21, 2009 7:33:11 AM ADT</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>[NatureNS] strange bed...I mean = duck-fellows</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">Yesterday in Strachan's Cove in St. Peter's, a pair = of Red-breasted</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Mergansers was accompanied by a = Blue-winged Teal, while nearby a male</div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Mallard = and female Black Duck were together.</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; = ">Billy</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> = </blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_35MyRppHywBzVjuR4ftdmA)--
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