IN LIBERIA. 105 



The iris of this bird was reddish brown , the bill coral- 

 red with black ridge, feet aad claws coral-red. Wing 19 cM., 

 tail 15, tarsus 4, bill from the feathered part of the base 4. 



As I said already , our only specimen of H. petersi 

 from Mosambique differs from this specimen only by having 

 the hind parts of its upper surface more olive-brown, and 

 amongst the banded feathers on breast and abdomen are 

 many pure white ones. The measurements of this specimen 

 are exactly similar to those of the above described 

 bird and also of some of the smaller male specimen of H. 

 senegalensis. 



As far as I know , H. petersi is separated from senega- 

 lensis on account of its superior size, the darker color of 

 the upper surface and the smaller white speckles on sca- 

 pulars and wing-coverts , but as I consider . on account of 

 the red bill and black throat, our bird from Mosambique 

 to be an adult male , though in a very peculiar stage , 

 these characters would not be strong enough to base a 

 new species upon , the less , as the darker form is now 

 also found in Liberia and, by Lucan and Petit, near the 

 mouth of the Congo. The plate with male and female of 

 H. petersi in Sharpe's Birds of South Africa could , with 

 the exception of the smaller white speckles on the wing- 

 coverts, safely pass for H. senegalensis. 



When bringing forward these facts, I have no inten- 

 tion to reunite as yet the eastern with the western 

 form, but as I have called the attention of Mr. Stampfli 

 upon this question , I hope soon to receive more well la- 

 belled specimens and to be able to make out what the dif- 

 ferent plumages now before me have to signify. Certainly 

 we cannot say to know this peculiar species fully until we 

 possess enough specimens as to represent the species in 

 all the different stages of age , sex and seasons of the year. 



146. Querquedula hartlaubi, Cass. 

 Butt. N. L. M. 1886, p. 267. 



The only place where I was happy enough to observe 



Notes from th.e Leyden üMuseum , Vol. X. 



