356 ANATIDiE. 



they have been known, in some instances, to return after an 

 absence of many months. 



Colonel Hawker says, " The young, directly after being 

 hatched in the rabbit-burrows, are taken by the parent birds 

 to the sea, where they may be seen in what the boatmen call 

 troops, of from thirty to forty; but as the female seldom 

 hatches more than fourteen eggs, it is clear that each flock is 

 formed by two or three broods. On their being approached, 

 the old ones fly away, and leave the young to shift for 

 themselves by diving. They may be easily shot when they 

 come up, but you can seldom kill more than one or two at a 

 time, as they always disperse before you can get very near 

 them. You may keep young Burrow Ducks for five or 

 six weeks, provided you give them crumbs of bread, and 

 only a little water three times a day. But if you let them 

 get into the w^ater, or even drink too much before they are 

 full grown, and fit to be turned out on your pond, you are 

 almost sure to kill them." 



The adult male has the beak and the knob at the base, 

 bright red ; irides brown ; the whole of the head and 

 upper part of the neck dark glossy green, bounded by 

 a collar of white ; followed by a band of rich chestnut 

 covering the upper part of the breast, the space before the 

 point of the wings, and the upper part of the back; the 

 rest of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white : scapu- 

 lars and part of the secondaries nearly black ; the long 

 inner secondaries with rich chestnut outer webs ; point of 

 the wing and all the wing-coverts white ; primaries very dark 

 brown ; the speculum of the secondaries green ; tail-feathers 

 white, tipped with black ; lower central line of the breast and 

 belly rich dark brown ; sides, flanks, vent, and under tail- 

 coverts white ; legs, toes, and their membranes flesh-pink. 



The whole length is from twenty-four to twenty-six 

 inches. From the carpal joint to the end of the wing 

 thirteen inches. The female is rather smaller than the 

 male ; less bright in her colours ; and has no knob at the 

 base of the bill. 



The young of the year in August have the beak flesh- 



