THE SHELD-DUCKS. 



259 



round the hind-neck a white collar, widening out into a broad 

 band across the lower throat and fore-neck ; this white band 

 followed by a broad band of orange-chestnut occupying the 

 mantle, and widening out in a broad band of the same colour 

 across the chest, which is divided longitudinally by a black 

 band, which descends down the breast and joins the black 

 of the abdomen ; the rest of the under-parts pure white, 

 except the under tail-coverts, which are orange-chestnut ; the 

 back pure white from the mantle downwards, as also are 

 the wing-coverts ; the scapulars black, the inner ones half 

 white and half black, and those nearest the back pure white ; 

 bastard-wing feathers white, blackish towards the ends ; 

 primary-coverts and quills black, ashy on their inner webs ; 

 secondaries black, externally metallic-green, forming a specu- 

 lum, both bases of the inner webs white, the inner secondaries 

 externally chestnut, internally white or ashy, and the inner- 

 most secondaries white like the back ; tail white, with a band 

 of black at the end ; bill red, as well as the basal knob ; feet 

 and webs of toes fleshy-pink ; iris hazel. After the breeding- 

 season the knob, or shield, at the base of the bill is not so 

 noticeable, and becomes dull pale red. Total length, 22 

 inches; culmen, 2*2; wing, 13*0; tail, 4*6; tarsus, 2'o. 



Adult Female. — Not so handsomely coloured as the male, the 

 chestnut of the mantle obscured by blackish frecklings, and 

 the chestnut band across the chest represented by a sooty- 

 black band, which only inclines to chestnut on the sides. The 

 knob at the base of the bill is not developed. Total length, 

 20 inches ; wing, 11*5. 



Young Birds. — Much duller in colour than the adults, the 

 head and throat being dusky-white with a good deal of black 

 on the chin and fore-part of the cheeks ; the black feathers of 

 the back of a more or less brown, with white margins and 

 ashy mottlings ; the chestnut collar on the mantle scarcely 

 defined at all, and the feathers mottled with blackish and 

 edged with white ; the entire under surface, from the throat 

 downwards, is entirely white, without any black or chestnut, 

 excepting a patch of the latter colour on each side of the 

 upper breast. Mr. De Winton informs me that the Sheld- 

 Uuck does not breed during its second year, and the knob on 



s 2 



