6 Allen's naturalist's library. 



white at the ends, and shghtly freckled with dusky, the inner 

 ones with black margins, the innermost like the back and 

 similarly freckled ; head, neck, and throat deep chestnut ; 

 the fore-neck, as well as the sides of the neck and hind- 

 neck, black, forming a broad collar; the chest black, varied 

 with grey vermiculations; breast and remainder of under 

 surface ashy-white, powdered with grey vermiculations ; vent 

 and under tail-coverts black ; the sides of the body and flanks 

 with somewhat plainer vermiculations ; under wing-coverts and 

 axillaries white ; lower greater coverts greyish like the quill- 

 lining ; bill black at the base and at the tip, with an inter- 

 mediate band of leaden-blue, varying in width ; feet bluish or 

 slaty-grey, or dull leaden-grey, the webs black; iris yellow, 

 becoming lac-red, according to Mr. Hume, in an old male. 

 Total length, i8 inches; culmen, 2-0; wing, 8*3; tail, 2'i ; 

 tarsus, 1*4. 



Adult Female. — Different from the male. Upper surface 

 rather more coarsely vermiculated, the lower back, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts dark brown ; crown of head reddish- brown 

 like the neck and mantle, but the head much darker ; lores, 

 feathers round the eye, sides of face, and throat whitish, with a 

 patch of brown on the face ; lower throat and fore-neck and 

 chest brown, washed with ochreous ; the chest-feathers brown 

 with whitish margins; remainder of under surface of body 

 whitish, mottled with light brown bases to the feathers, es- 

 pecially distinct on the under tail-coverts ; the flanks brown 

 with pale tips ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white, with 

 the edge of the wing ashy, like the lower primary-coverts and 

 quill-lining ; bill duller than in the male ; feet dark leaden- 

 grey ; iris sometimes brown. Total length, 18 inches; cul- 

 men, 2-o; wing, 8-i ; tail, 2*2; tarsus, 1*35. 



Young Birds. — According to Count Salvadori, the young 

 males at first resemble the females, but are rather more rufous 

 on the head and neck. In the second year they differ from 

 fully adult birds in having the chestnut of the head and neck 

 paler, and the black of the breast and upper back replaced by 

 dark brown. 



Hybrids. — These are numerous, and in some instances they 

 have been recorded as the American Pochard, or have been 



