ANATIDH. 513 
and the bastard wing are black; the tail is dark 
dusky, nearly black; the hinder part of the flanks 
from behind the thighs to the tail-coverts are mixed 
dusky and white; the legs and toes are yellow, the 
webs black. The female has the bill brownish black 
at the base and orange-brown towards the tip; the 
head and neck are dull brown; below this is a small 
band of white, mixed with grey, especially at the 
back of the neck; the back and scapulars are black, 
every feather margined with lead-grey; some of the 
lesser wing-coverts are white, and some black, tipped 
with white; the greater wing-coverts are white at the 
base, black towards the tips; the primaries and 
tertials are black; the secondaries white: the rump 
and tail-coverts are black; tail-feathers dusky; the 
breast and flanks lead-grey, each feather margined 
with white; belly and under tail-coverts white; back 
of the thighs dusky. The young males are like the 
females, which increases the difficulty of identifica- 
tion, as the birds in this plumage were found to be 
both males and females; consequently they were 
considered a distinct species, to which the name 
“Morillon” was given. According to- Yarrell, the | 
young males begin gradually to assume their 
proper plumage after the first six months. 
According to Yarrell the eggs are green. Meyer’s 
plate makes them a pale green, rather paler. than 
those of the Wild Duck. 
