lOG AYTHYA FERINA. 



and upper tail-coverts brownish-black ; the tail greyish-brown. 

 The rest of the upper parts are minutely undulated with dark- 

 grey lines on a greyish-white ground. The primary quills 

 are brownish-grey, tipped with dusky-brown ; the secondaries 

 ash-grey, terminally edged with white, but the inner like the 

 back ; the coverts grey, obscurely dotted and undulated with 

 whitish. The breast is pale grey, its hind part and sides un- 

 dulated like the back, but more obscurely ; on the abdomen, 

 w^hich is also undulated, greyish-brown prevails, and the 

 feathers under the tail are blackish-brown. The axillars are 

 Avhite, the lower wing-coverts greyish-white. 



Length to end of tail 18 inches ; extent of wings 25^ ; 

 bill along the ridge 2, from frontal angles 2-^, along the edge 

 of lower mandible 2, its breadth -^ ; wing from flexure 8^ ; 

 tail 2-^; tarsus 1-;^; first toe -^, its claw -^i second toe 1-^4, 

 its claw -j^ ; third toe 2^, its claw -^ ; fourth toe 2-^, its 

 claw -^. 



Female. — The female, which is considerably less than 

 the male, has the bill, eyes, and feet similarly coloured, but 

 with the blue band on the bill narrower. The head and hind 

 part of the neck are reddish-brown, the fore part of the cheeks, 

 a space beneath and behind the eye, and the throat paler ; 

 the lower part of the neck all round, with a portion of the 

 bieast greyish-brown, the feathers terminally edged with 

 brownish-white. The upper parts of the body are dull grey- 

 ish-brown, the fore part of the back and the scapulars slightly 

 undulated with whitish; the wings as in the male, but 

 tinged with brown, and without dots ; the tail greyish -brown. 

 The middle of the breast is greyish- white, the flanks dusky, 

 the hind part of the abdomen greyish brown ; the lower 

 wing-coverts pale grey ; those in the middle and the scapulars 

 white. 



Length to end of tail 17 inches ; extent of wings 24 ; bill 

 along the ridge 2 ; wing from flexure 8 ; tail 2^ ; tarsus 1-j^ ; 

 middle toe 2-^, its claw ^. 



Variations. — Adult males vary considerably in size ; the 

 red of the head and neck varies in tint ; the lower neck and 



