THE GARGANEYS. ^9^ 



ish ; iris brown. Total length, 14-5 inches ; culmen, 17 ; wing, 

 7-6; tail, 3-0; tarsus, 1-3. 



Adult Female. — Darker than the female of Q. querquediila, and 

 easily distinguished by its blue wings and dusky speculum ; the 

 under surface of the body deep buff, thickly mottled with brown 

 centres to the feathers, very broad on the flanks. Total length, 

 14 inches ; wing, 7'o. 



Range in Great Britain. — A purely accidental visitor, of which 

 only one authentic occurrence is known, a male bird having 

 been shot near Dumfries. The species has also been procured 

 in Denmark, in April, 1886. 



Range outside the British Islands — North America in general, 

 but chiefly east of the Rocky Mountains, in winter, the whole 

 of the West Indies and Middle America, south to Ecuador 

 {Ridgway). 



Habits. — Similar to those of Q. querqiiedula. 



Eggs. — Pale buff. x\xis, 1*84 inch; diam., i'34. 



