390 ANATID^. 



Wigeon. Mr. Bond has a fine example in the male plumage 

 resulting from this unusual cross. 



In the adult male Teal the beak is nearly black ; the 

 irides hazel ; forehead, and a narrow band over the top of 

 the head, rich chestnut-brown ; at the gape and upwards, 

 along the base of the upper mandible, and from thence high 

 up over the eye, and then backwards towards the occiput, 

 there is a narrow line of buff; from the lower edge of the 

 eye to a point below and behind the ear-coverts, another 

 narrow line of the same light colour ; all the space from the 

 eye between these two lines, and extending backward to the 

 occiput, forms a broad patch of rich glossy green ; cheeks 

 and sides of the neck, below the under light-coloured line, 

 rich chestnut ; back of the neck, scapulars, and upper part 

 of the back a mixture of black and white in narrow trans- 

 verse lines ; the longest of the scapulars and the tertials 

 dark brown ; all the smaller wing-coverts ash-brown ; the 

 large coverts tipped with white, forming a bar, two or three 

 of the higher coverts having their white tinged with bay ; 

 primaries dark brown ; the secondaries forming a speculum 

 of velvet-black, green and purple, tipped with white ; lower 

 part of the back dark brown ; upper tail-coverts almost 

 black, edged with rufous ; tail-feathers pointed, dark brown ; 

 the chin black ; front of the upper part of the neck chest- 

 nut ; lower part of the neck in front partly covered with 

 circular spots of black, on a ground of white, tinged with 

 pale purple ; breast and belly white ; sides and flanks 

 barred with narrow black and white lines ; central under 

 tail- coverts velvet-black ; lateral tail-coverts delicate bitff- 

 colour, with a narrow band of velvet-black at the base ; 

 under surface of tail-feathers ash-grey ; legs, toes, and 

 membranes, brownish-grey. 



The whole length is fourteen inches and a half. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the wing seven inches and a 

 quarter. 



Of male Teal observed constantly in the summer of 1844, 

 some had lost the sexual distinctions of the plumage by the 

 '27th of July, and all were changed by the 4th of August ; 



