374 ANATID^. 



brown, with lighter-coloured edges ; lower part of the neck 

 in front, and on the side, dark grey, each feather ending in 

 a half circle of lighter grey ; breast and belly white ; sides, 

 flanks and vent marbled with two shades of grey ; under 

 tail-coverts bluish-black ; legs, toes, and their membranes, 

 dull-orange ; claws black. 



The female has the head and upper part of the neck 

 spotted with dark brown, on a surface of pale brown ; the 

 alternate crescentic bands on the lower part of the neck in 

 front dark brown, and pale brown, but the bands broader 

 than in the male ; under surface of the body white ; lower 

 part of the neck behind, and the upper surface of the body, 

 brown, the feathers edged with paler brown ; wing-coverts 

 brown, with paler margins ; speculum like that of the male; 

 tail-feathers of dark brown, with edses and tips of pale 

 buffy-brown and white. 



The young birds of the year, compared with the adults, 

 are of a more uniform reddish-brown colour above, speckled 

 with dark brown ; the middle of each feather also dark brown. 



The nestlings of the Mallard and of the Gadwall are 

 much alike — yellowish-white below and umber-brown above ; 

 — but there is a more pronounced golden tinge on the throat 

 and cheeks of the Gadwall, the streak through the eye is 

 more defined, and there is a small dark spot at the junction 

 of the mandibles, which the Mallard has not. The above 

 remarks are based on specimens lent by Mr. E. Bidwell. 



The windpipe of the Gadwall is rather small in calibre, 

 with a slight enlargement of the tube about two inches 

 above the bony protuberance as here shown. The note of 

 this species is shrill and frequently repeated : hence the 

 name of strepera. 



