WATER BIRDS. 



71 



Fig. 14. Bill of Mallard showing 

 lamellae. (Original) 



Blue-winged Teal. 



AA. Bill short and broad (never less than ^ inch wide at narrowest place) , 

 edges of mandibles with strainer-like plates (Fig. 14) instead of saw- 

 like teeth. C, CC. 

 C. Tail of narrow, stiff feathers, only its 

 very base hidden by the extremely 

 short upper tail coverts. Ruddy 

 Duck. No. 57. 

 CC. Tail of ordinary type with broad soft 

 feathers well covered at base by 

 upper tail coverts. D, DD. 

 D. Hind toe without a distinct flap or 

 lobe (Fig. 15). River and Pond 

 Ducks. E, EE. 

 E. Small, wing less than 8^ inches 

 (Teal). F, FF. 



F. Shoulder (lesser wing-coverts) light blue. 



No. 39. 

 FF. Shoulder (lesser-wing coverts) grav. Green-winged Teal. 

 No. 38. 

 EE. Large, wing more than 8^ inches. G, GG. 



G. Feathers of hind head lengthened to 



form a drooping occipital crest, much 

 longer in the male; tail long, all its 

 feathers very broad. Wood Duck 

 (male). No. 42. 

 GG. No occipital crest. H, HH. 



H. Middle tail-feathers elongated and 

 much narrowed at the tip. Pintail 

 (male). No. 41. 

 HH. Middle tail-feathers not noticeably 

 lengthened or narrowed. I, II. 



I. Bill spatulate or spoon-shaped, nearly 



twice as broad near the tip as at 

 base. Shoveller. No. 40. 



II. Bill not spatulate, about as wide 



at base as at tip. J, JJ. 

 J. Wing conspicuously glossed with 

 metallic blue, green, 

 bronze, the tips of primaries me- 

 tallic blue-green on inner webs, milk-white on outer 

 webs. Wood Duck (female andyoung male). No. 42. 

 JJ. Wings without metallic gloss, or with metallic colors 

 confined to the middle of wing (region of speculum). 

 K, KK. 

 K. Speculum metallic in whole or part. L, LL. 



L. Speculum bordered in front with a black bar. 

 M, MM. MMM. 

 M. A white bar in front of the black one. Mallard. 



No. 33. 

 MM. A large white patch in front of the black bar. 

 Baldpate. (Male and some females). No. 37. 

 MMM. No white anywhere on wing. Black Duck. 

 No. 34. 

 LL. Speculum bordered in front by a chestnut bar. 

 Pintail. (Female and young). No. 41. 



, Fig. 15. Foot of Mallard 



purple or showing hind toe with- 

 out flap. 



