No. 9.] 



BIRD NAMES. 



23 



with faint touches of gray ; feathers immediately beneath tail 

 black. Fore part of back and sides of body slaty-brown, pen- 

 cilled with wavy lines of dull white ; lower part of back darker, 

 and becoming black on rump and above tail. Certain of the 

 long feathers sweeping back from shoulder region tinged with 

 pale yellowish brown ; tail feathers and much of wing brownish 

 gray. Speculum {i. e., outer end of feathers growing from second 

 bone of wing) white, an edging beneath and broad patch in 

 front of speculum black ; in front of this black a patch of ma- 

 roon, or dull mahogany color. 



Bill blackish, about one and seven eighth inches long. Legs 

 dull orange yellow. 



No. 9. Female. 



Female. Head and neck much like male, though a little 

 more distinctly spotted ; the finer markings of neck mingling 

 with those of breast without abruptness. Speculum and black 



drakes, two of which I sent to the United States National Museum for Mr. 

 Ridgway's inspection. He kindly writes me (Dec. 5, 1885): "It is proba- 

 ble that they represent an ' individual ' variation of plumage, probably a very 

 liigh state of plumage. I find indications of the.black collar in specimens be- 

 longing to our collection, but in none is it so strongly marked as in your speci- 

 mens." I have found no reference wliatsoever to this marking in ornithologi- 

 cal works. 



