256 



outwardly than inwardlj- ; speculum on the secondaries velvety 

 black, tipped with a white band, but the three middle secondaries 

 metallic green on the outer web ; primaries and tail-feathers dark 

 brown ; under wing-coverts dark brown, the greater ones dark grey, 

 the innermost and the axillaries white : " irides yellowish brown ; 

 bill bluish black, on the edges somewhat greenish, wdth the nail 

 black ; the tip of the lower mandible yellowish ; feet lead-colour, 

 with a yellowish tint " {S. MilUer). Total length 17 inches, wing 8, 

 tail 4, bill 1-5, tarsus 1-25. 



Female. Somewhat smaller than the male, and paler: "iris 

 brick-red ; bill black, with a yellow band across the middle of the 

 lower mandible ; feet greyish purple " {Loria). Total length 15-5 

 inches, wing 7'5, tail 3-5. 



This species is absolutely similar to the supposed female of N. cas- 

 taneurn, both in colour and dimensions, so that I am utterly unable 

 to distinguish it ; still it seems quite certain that they are not 

 identical, as birds in the plumage of Anas cjibherifrons have bred, 

 and, perhaps, are still breeding, in the Zoological Gardens of 

 London. 



In the Hon. W. Rothschild's collection there are two specimens, 

 brought frozen in the flesh from Melbourne : one is in the plumage 

 of the male N. castaneum, and the other in that of the supposed female 

 of the same, and both, having been dissected, proved to be males ; 

 I have seen the testicles and the windpipe, with the bulla ossea, of 

 both ; one had the testicles enormously developed, showing that it 

 was killed in the breeding-season. 



I have seen also a male bird that lived in the Zoological Gardens 

 of London, which has the plumage of iV. gibberifrons, or female 

 JSf. castaneum, but shows on the breast a distinct reddish tinge. 

 Is this a hybrid of the two species ? 



We must wait for additional information in order to settle 

 the question of the specitic differences between N. castaneum and 

 N. gibberifrons. 



Hab. Celebes, Java, Timor, Flores, Sumba, and, if N. castaneum 

 be not distinct, also Southern New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, 

 and New Caledonia. 



a. Ad. St. [Sumatra.] 



b, c, d. Ad. et juv. Celebes. 



e. Ad. st. 

 /. cJ ad. sk. 



Celebes. 

 Makassar. 



g,h. c? ? ad. sk. Java {Diard). 



i-n. cJ $ ad. sk. et E. Timor. 



St. 



o,p. (f ? ad. sk. E. Timor {A. R. Wallace). 



q. $ ad. sk. E. Timor {A. E. Wallace). 



r. Ad. sk. 



Flores. 



Purchased. 

 Tweeddale Coll. 



E. Wilson, Esq. [P.]. 

 A. R. Wallace, Esq. 



[C.]. 

 Salvin-Godman Coll. 

 A. R. Wallace, Esq. 



[C.]. 

 Tweeddale Coll. 

 H. J. Elwes, Esq. 



[P.]. 

 A. R. Wallace, Esq. 



[C.]. 



