460 anatidj:. 



long tail-feathers twenty-two to twenty-four inches ; from 

 the carpal joint of the Aving to end of the longest primary 

 nine inches ; the first and second quill-feathers nearly equal 

 and the longest in the wing. 



The winter plumage is generally perfected by the middle 

 of October : the summer plumage is assumed by the end of 

 May, and at that time only the space around the eye is pale 

 buff, mixed with a little white ; all the other parts of the 

 head, neck, back, wings, and breast black ; the scapulars 

 and tertials black, each feather with a broad edge of rufous- 

 brown ; belly, and under surface of the body white, as in 

 winter ; bill, irides, and legs the same. 



A male killed while intermediate, or in change with 

 reference to the two states of plumage described, had the 

 forehead black ; top of the head and the occiput white ; 

 cheeks brownish-buff ; all the neck mottled with black and 

 white ; scapulars and inner secondaries white at the base, 

 black in the centre, and reddish-brown on the margin ; 

 secondaries distinguished from the coverts and primaries by 

 their lighter reddish-brown colour. 



Females have the forehead, crown, and back of the neck, 

 dark brown ; the lore, or space between the base of the bill 

 and the eye, the ear-coverts, and sides of the neck greyish- 

 white ; below the ear-coverts, on both sides, a patch of 

 brown ; all the back and wings dark brown ; primaries and 

 tail-feathers almost black ; neck, in front, light brown, 

 clouded with darker brown ; breast, belly, and under tail- 

 coverts white ; thighs and flanks pale ash -brown. Females 

 measure about sixteen inches in length, and do not assume 

 the white scapulars or the elongated tail-feathers. 



Young birds for the first twelve months resemble the 

 females. Young males in their first winter may be distin- 

 guished from young females by being a little larger in size, 

 and in having the brown and the white parts about the head 

 and neck rather more pure in colour, and their limits better 

 defined. 



The Author was indebted to the late Mr. Richard Dann 

 for the use of a beautiful series of examples of this species. 



