62 - QUERQUEDULA STREPERA. 



with dusky, the throat, sides and fore part of the neck yellow- 

 ish-red, similarly dotted, but the markings on the throat almost 

 obliterated. The lower part of the neck all round dusky, 

 undulated with semicircular Avhite bands ; the fore part of 

 the back similar, with the Avhite bands gradually narrowed ; 

 the middle part of the back and the scapulars dusky, finely 

 undulated with dull white ; some of the posterior scapulars 

 grey, and a few margined Avith reddish ; the rest of the back 

 black, at first brownish, then gradually tinged with blue; the 

 tail-feathers grey, most of them narrowly edged with white, 

 and the outer three dusky toward the end. The smaller wing- 

 coverts are dull grey, widely undulated with reddish-white ; 

 some of the middle coverts deep chestnut-red ; the primary 

 coverts and quills brownish-grey, with the inner webs paler ; 

 the seven outer secondary quills grey, tinged with red at the 

 end, several of the next deep black, the inner deep grey. 

 Two outer secondaries grey, six next gradually changing to 

 deep black, with the terminal margins Avhite, three next 

 white, five inner grey. The wing spot is thus black exter- 

 nally, Avhite internally. The lower parts are greyish-white, 

 the middle of the breast pure white ; the flanks undulated 

 with dusky grey ; the abdomen more obscurely undulated ; 

 the feathers below the tail, like those above, deep bluish- 

 black. The axillars and lower wing-coverts white. 



Length to end of tail 21 inches ; extent of wings 34 ; wing 

 from flexure lO-fO- ; tail 4^ ; bill along the ridge 1^4 ; its 

 height at the base -^ ; its breadth toward the end -^ ; tarsus 

 H ; hind toe -j^, its claw -fj ; second toe l-j^, its claw -^ ; 

 third toe 1^, its claw -f^ ; fourth toe l^f , its claAv J^. 



Female. — The female, which is considerably smaller, has 

 the upper mandible dusky, on the sides dull orange, the 

 lower mandible chiefly of the latter colour ; the iris broAvn ; 

 the feet of a paler dull orange. The upper part of the head 

 dusky, variegated with light reddish-brown ; a pale streak, 

 dotted with dusky, over the eye ; the sides of the head and 

 upper neck all round light yellowish-red, with small dusky 

 streaks, the throat greyish-white. On the rest of the neck, 

 and all the upper parts, the feathers are brownish-black, 



