DUCKS AND ALLIED SPECIES. 13 



1. Tadorna Casarca. Ruddy Shielduck. Bill slightly 

 rearcuate, without basal protuberance, and, together with the 

 feet, black ; plumage mostly light yellowish-red ; hind part 

 of back and tail, and a narrow ring on the neck, greenish- 

 black ; wing-coverts white. 



2. Tadorna Vidpanser. Burrow Shielduck. Bill bright 

 red, considerably rearcuate, with a fleshy knob at the base ; 

 feet flesh-colour ; head and upper neck greenish-black, lower 

 neck white ; fore part of body light red, the rest white, ex- 

 cepting a medial band on the breast and abdomen, a patch 

 on each side of the back, and the primary quills and coverts, 

 which are black. 



GENUS II. ANAS. DUCK. 



Bill about the length of the head, higher than broad at 

 the base, gradually depressed, becoming a little broader toward 

 the end, and very slightly rearcuate ; upper mandible with 

 the frontal angles short and pointed, the ridge flattened and 

 gradually narrowed, the unguis obovate, decurved, the sides 

 convex, at the base nearly erect, the lamella? with their 

 outer ends thin and scarcely apparent externally ; legs short, 

 tibia bare for a very short space ; tarsus short, compressed, 

 anteriorly with small scutella, and a shorter outer series, con- 

 tinuous with those of the outer toe ; hind toe very small, 

 with a very narrow membrane ; fourth toe a little shorter 

 than the third ; interdigital membranes full ; claws small, 

 compressed, rather blunt ; feathers of the head and upper 

 neck short and silky ; wings of moderate length and breadth, 

 pointed, the second quill longest ; inner secondaries elon- 

 gated, broad, rather pointed ; tail short, much rounded, of 

 eighteen acute feathers. 



1. Anas Boschas. Common Duck. Bill reddish-yellow, 

 tinged with green ; feet orange ; head and upper part of 

 neck glossy deep green ; a narrow white collar ; breast dark 

 brownish-chestnut ; speculum bluish-green and purple, mar- 

 gined before and behind with black and white ; tail-feathers 

 twenty, the four medial recurved, compressed, black. 



2. Anas glocitans. Bimaculated Duck. Bill greenish- 



