37. SPATILA. 315 



Legcje, B. of Ceyl. p. 1088 (1881) ; Sclat. P. Z. S. 1880, p. 523: 

 North, lieo. Amti: Mus. ii. p. 37 (Tasmania) (1892). 



Ilhvncliaspis variegata, Bp. Compt. Bend, xliii. p. 650, n. 86 (1856) 

 (syn. emend.?); Fimch, J. f. O. 1870, p. 358; Potts, Tr. N. Z. 

 Inst. iii. (1870) p. 102 (ISH); Hutton, Cat. B. N. Zeal. p. 37 

 (1871); Hutt07i, Ibis, 1872, p. 248 (Chatham Is.) ; Finsch, J.f. O. 

 1872, p. 187, 1874, p. 202; Bidlei; Man. B. Aetv Zeal. p. 70, 

 pi. XXX. (1882) ; Bull. Hist. B. Neiu Zeal. 2nd ed. ii. p. 269, 

 pi. xliv. (1888) ; Forbes, Ibis, 1893, p. 543 (Chatham I.). 



Anas rhynchotis, Ellman (jiec Lath.), Zoolorjist, 1861, p. 7471 ; 

 Schle(/'.Mus.P.-B., Anseres, p. 35 (part.) (1866); Gieb. Thes. Orn. 

 i. p. 361 (part.) (1872). 



Adult male. Crown of tho bead, space surrounding the base of 

 the bill, and chin brownish black ; a creseentic white band between 

 the bill and the eyes, bounded posteriorly by speckles of black ; rest 

 of the head and neck bluish grey, with greenish reflections, especially 

 on the sides of the nape ; back brownish black, the feathers edged 

 with reddish ; rump and upper tail-coverts black, with a green 

 gloss ; feathers of the lower neck and upper breast more or less 

 white, with blackish-brown creseentic bands, and edged with rufous; 

 lower breast and abdomen bright rufous chestnut, with black bands; 

 the flanks brighter, each feather crossed by several broad creseentic 

 bands of black ; under tail-coverts black, glossed with green ; a white 

 patch on the lower flanks on each side of the base of the tail ; shorter 

 scapulars brown, with white creseentic bars and rufous edges ; tlie 

 longer scapulars with a central greyish-white stripe, but the upper 

 ones glossy black, while the lower ones have the outer web light blue 

 like the upper wing-coverts ; upper wing-coverts light ])lue, the an- 

 terior ones of the last row broadly tipped with white ; wing-speculum 

 glossy green, the tips of the secondaries brown with a blue tinge ; 

 the inner secondaries or tcrtials long, black, with a blue gloss, some 

 with a whitish central stripe ; marginal under wing-coverts pale 

 brown, edged with white, tho remainder of the axillaries entirely 

 white ; tail black, the outer feathers narrowly edged with whitish on 

 the outer web : " iridcs bright yellow ; bill dark purplish black, the 

 under mandible clouded with yellow ; legs and feet yellow'" {Gould). 

 Total length 22 inches, wing 9-75, tail 4, culmen 2-oo, tarsus 1-3. 



Female. Very similar to that of S. chjpeata, from which it 

 differs in being darker, heavier brown- spotted on the underparts, 

 and principally in the tail, which is dark brown, with rufescent 

 edges and narrow bars, instead of being pale fawn-colour with 

 brown marking; the speculum is of a darker green. 



Yonng. Similar to the female, but duller and darker. 



Although I have kejjt separate the synonymy of <S'. varief/ata 

 from New Zealand, I must say that I have not been able to 

 satisfy myself that it is difl'erent from ^S'. rJii/nchoiis of the Australian 

 continent. According to Mr, Gould the Xew Zealand male bird 

 has much more white on the sides of the lower neck and breast. 

 I have seen Australian birds which have as much white on 

 the sides of the neck and breast as the New Zealand ones ; and 

 knowing how much the extension of the white on the neck varies 



