560 Mr. Ni A. Vigors on the 



hidh ferrugiriea, isto nigro-lineato, hoc parcfe nigro-sparso. 

 Pectus, dorsum, uropygium, abdominisque latera fusca ferru- 

 gineo-marginata. Abdomen subtus album. Rectrices me- 

 diae fuscae, lateralibus liaud longiores. Ala, pedesque ut in 

 mare. 



Longitudo corporis, rostro incluso, 15^ ; rostri ad frontem 1-jV, ad 

 rictum 2 ; alee a carpo ad remigem secundam 8^ ; tarsi 1^. 



In Mus. nost. 



The male of this species was first described by Mr. Pennant in 

 his " Bi^itish Zoology," under the name of Bimaculated Duck, and 

 introduced as an inhabitant of the British Islands in the following 

 words : — " Taken in a decoy in 1771, and communicated to me 



by Poore, Esq.*" The same bird was afterwards described 



and figured by Dr. Pallas in the "Acta Stockholmiensia" for 1779 

 as a native of Siberia, frequenting Lake Baikal and the River 

 Lena ; and was named by him Anas glocitans. On the autho- 

 rity of Mr. Pennantt the species has subsequently been included 

 among the Birds of Great Britain by writers on British Orni- 

 thology ; but no further account has reached us of the speci- 

 men alluded to by that distinguished naturalist, nor has it been 

 ascertained whether it was preserved after it was communicated 

 to him. The specimens of both male and female, from which I 



' * Vol. ii. p. 603. 



t I take Mr. Pennant's authority (see Arctic Zoology, p. 575.) for determining that 

 his Bimaculated Duck and the Anas glocitans of Dr. Pallas are the same species. 

 From the figure given in the "Acta Stockholmiensia," I could scarcely myself draw 

 that conclusion ; the round spots on the side of the head in the former species being 

 superseded by long narrow stripes in the figure of the latter ; while the tail is com- 

 pletely rounded, the two middle feathers not being longer than the rest. Mr. Pen- 

 nant's own figure of this bird is an excellent representation. I must here notice what 

 appears to be a slight difference between our two birds. In the British Zoology the 

 species is described as having twelve tail-feathers : in my specimens, both of male and 

 female, there are sixteen. 



have 



