ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS ET EXAMENS D'XPRÈS NATURE 691 



l'Aiik (1). L'Oiseau fut tué dans une petite bande de Mallards 

 {A. hoxchas} sur les terres de l'ile de Narrow, dans le Cnrriluck 

 Sound (Caroline du Nord), eu janvier 1892. Cet Oiseau, dit M. Elliot, 

 est environ de la taille d'un Canard ordinaire (Mallard) ; il est du 

 sexe mâle. Le caractère qui tout d'abord attire l'attention est le l)ec 

 qui est semblable, par sa forme (sliape), à celui du VVidgeon 

 {penelopi'). mais un quart plus grand et de couleur bleu clair avec 

 la pointe noire. Voici du reste comment cet auteur décrit ses diffé- 

 rents cai-aetères • 



« The liead and neck are brilliant emerald ^reen like the Mallard, 

 » with dots on tlie lores and fore part of tlie cheeks, and a conspi- 

 » cuous bulîywiiile Une, the fealhers lipped with black.broadesl in 

 .» ils upper portion, and running from the ears down the neck. 

 » Front, and a line on top of the head, blackish, with rusty tips 

 I) to the fealhers on toj) of the head. Mantle and wings crossed with 

 » Une irregular lines of black and bulï, this last hue becoming 

 » pale but! on the apical half of the tertiaries. Greater, médian, 

 » and lessercoverls, pale brownish gray, with a narrow while bar, 

 » succeeded by a narrow black one the tips of the last row of the 

 » greater coverts. Secondaries pale gray, with half of the outer 

 » web black edged with whitc. A brilliant, metallic, emerald green 

 » spéculum two innermost secondaries silvery gray without any 

 » black. Primaries blackish brown like the webs. The inuer webs 

 » alongthe shaftsare silvery gray. Back and rump brownish black, 

 » fiuely vei-miciilàted with bulî. on the rump a few black blotches, 

 )) and feathers of lower part, extending over the tail, irregularly 

 » crossed with black and white. 



» Breast dark cheslnut with nuinerous black spots in the centre 

 » forming a narrow line from base of the neck, and widening out. 

 » in a fan shape towards the lower part of breast, where the chesl- 

 » nul color changes to a pnrplish shade and graduâtes inio the 

 » buify wiiite of the lower parts. Featiiers of llanks crossed irre- 

 » gulary with narrow black and wbite lines. Abdomeu ami vent 

 » whitish, indislinctly barred wilh fine blakish brown lines. and 

 » fainlly blotched witii bulI. On each side of rump a conspicuous, 

 M large, white patch, some of the feathers faintly barred with black. 

 » Tail : médian feathers velvety black, sharply graduate and 

 » e-xtending beyond tlie other feathers about an inch. Latéral 

 » fealhers grayish brown edged wilh white on outer webs and tips. 



(I) N» (l'avril 1892. p. 165. flrbridism, and a Description of a lirbrid 

 beUveen Anas boachas ami Anas americana. 



