31. NETiiox. 253 



? Anas punctata, var., G. R. Gr. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 166 (New Caledonia) ; 

 {d. Cat. B. Trop. Isl. p. 55 (New Caledonia) (1859) ; ? Verr. ij- Des 

 Murs, JRei: ct May. rle Zool. 1860, p. 44:2 (New Caledonia) ; Jouan, 

 Mem. Soc. Cherb. ix. pp. 100, 1^42 (New Caledonia) (1863). 



Anas castanea, A. Ncirf. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 049 (note) : Rams. Pr. 

 Linn. Soc. N. S. Jf. iii. pp. 38, 154 (bulla ossea only in male) 

 (1878) ; Sclat. P. Z. S. 1880, pp. 452, 518, 535, 1881, pp. 452, 

 454; Rchnw. Oni. Centralbl. 1882, 'p. 19; id. Vog. zool. Gdrt. 

 p. 51 (1882) ; Salvad. Orn. Pap. p. Mol. iii. p. 396 (1882) ; Salv. 

 Cat. B. Strickl. Coll. p. 530 (1882) ; Sclat. List Vert. An. 8th ed. 

 p. 432 (1883) ; Bias. Zeitschr. qes. Orn. ii. p. 326 (1885) ; Legqe, Pr. 

 R. Soc. Tasm. 1886, p. 244 (Tasmania) (1887) ; Rams. Tab. List, 

 p. 22, n. 069 (1888) ; Tristr. Cat. Coll. B. p. 49 (1889) ; North, Cat. 

 Nests S,- Ei/i/s Ausfr. B. p. 341 (1889) ; Keartlaml, Vict. Nat. vii. 

 p. 46 (Australia) (1890). 



Anas (Virago) castanea, part., Rams. Pr. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. ii. 

 p. 200, n. 058 (1877). 



Virago castanea, Stejn. Kinysl. Stand. Nat. Ilist. iv. p. 145 (1885). 



Adult mah'. Head and neck dark glossy green, with bronze re- 

 flections in some lights ; mantle and back black, each feather edged 

 with chestnut ; rump, upper and under tail-coverts deep black, with 

 a green gloss ; breast and abdomen chesfcppt, with round black spots, 

 tho?e on the sides and flanks larger ; oti the lower flanks u whitish- 

 buff" band bordering exteriorly the black under tail-coverts ; scapulars 

 and wings dark olive-brown, the former narrowly edged with 

 chestnut ; the last row of upper wing-coverts white, slightly tinged 

 with reddish ; wing-speculum on the secondaries velvety black, with 

 a metallic green band, glossed with coppery red, on the upper half ; 

 at the tip of the secondaries a reddish-white narrow band ; under 

 wing-coverts olive-brown, some of the inner ones white ; axillaries 

 white ; tail brown-black : " bill bluish lead-colour, nail and the 

 edges of the upper mandible black, the under mandible crossed near 

 the tip by a band of reddish flesh-colour ; irides hazel ; feet lead- 

 colour, with the membranes of a somewhat darker hue" (Gould). 

 Total length about IS'o inches, wing 9, tail 4'5, culmen 1"0, 

 tarsus 1-4. 



Female. Upper part of the head dark brown, with some light 

 edges to the feathers, sides of the head paler, thickly streaked with 

 dusky ; chin and throat whitish, immaculate : upper parts brown, 

 the feathers edged with pale reddish or greyish ; lower back and 

 rump almost uniform brown ; the feathers of the underparts light 

 fulvous or rufescent-grcy on the margins, with obscure brown spots 

 in the centre, especially on the breast and sides, each feather having 

 a broad central mark of blackish brown ; sides and under tail- 

 coverts darker than the rest of the underparts ; wing-coverts uniform 

 dark greyish brown, with an olive lustre, the greater or last row 

 white, forming a liand broader outwardly than inwardly ; speculum 

 on the secondaries velvety black, tipped v\-ith a white band, but the 

 three middle secondaries metallic green on the outer web ; primaries 

 and tail-feathers dark brown ; under wing-coverts dark browu, the 

 greater ones dark grey and the innermost, with the axillaries, white. 



