124. BIRDS. PALMIPIDES. A^AS. 



to 18, bluish-white — Young males like the female. — This species has suffered 

 much from the operations of agi-iculture, many of its haunts and breeding 

 places having been drained. It is the stock from which the domestic duck 

 has sprung. 



188. A. strepera. Gad wall. — Bill black ; feet orange. Wing- 

 spot white. 



A. platyrhynchos rostro nigro, Will. Om. 287 — A. strep. Linn. Syst. i- 

 200. P'enn. Brit. Zool. ii. 603. Temm. Orn. ii. 837.— (Trachea, Linn. 

 Trans, iv. tab. xiii. f. 7, 8.) — E, Gray, llodge. — A rare whiter visi. 

 tant. 

 Length 19, breadth 33 inches. Bill 2 inches long. Irides brown. Head 

 and neck grey, with brown spots ; breast and back rayed with black and white 

 lines. Lesser wing-covers chesnut ; greater covers, rump, and both covers 

 of the tail, black. Belly white. Greater quills dusky ; three of the secon- 

 daries with the inner web white. Tail short, of 16 pom ted feathers, grey, 

 with a tinge of red, and pointed with white. Female reddish-brown, spotted 

 Avith black, the rump and tail-covers grey. — This species is so rare in Eng- 

 land (though common in other countries of Europe in the same latitude), that 

 Montagu was never able to procure a recent species for examination. 



189. A. acuta. Cracker. — Bill blue, feet dusky. Wing- 

 spot purple. The two middle tail-feathers produced. 



A. caudacuta. Will. Orn. 289 — A. acuta, Linn. Syst. i. 202. Penn. Brit. 



Zool. ii. 598. Temm. Orn. ii. 839 — (Trachea, Linn. Trans, iv. tab. xiii. 



£ C.) S, Sea Pheasant, Pmtail, Winter Duck — W, Hwyad gynffon- 



fain Frequently taken in decoys on the English coast Rare in 



Scotland. 

 Length 28, breadth 38 inches ; weight 24 ounces. Bill inclining to black 

 in the middle. Irides brown. Head, cheeks, and throat broAvn, glossed with 

 purple. A black stripe on the hind neck, bordered with white, the latter co- 

 lour meeting with, the white of the breast and belly. Back waved with black 

 and grey. Scapulars nearly black. Quills dusky brown ; secondaries pur- 

 plish-green, black near the end, and tipped with white. Tail of 16 pointed 

 leathers, grey, edged with white ; the two middle ones black. Female less ; 

 head and neck brown, with dusky spots; beneath yellowish-brown and spot- 

 ted. Young males like the female. Iletires to the Arctic Regions in sum- 

 mer. Easily domesticated, and breeds in confinement. 



190. A. Penelope. Wigeon. — Bill and feet blue. Wing- 

 spot black, green in the middle. 



Penelope, Will. Orn. 288 — A. Penelope, Linn. Syst. i. 202. Penn. Brit. 



Zool. ii. 601. Temm. Orn. ii. 840. (Trachea, Linn. Trans, iv. tab. xiii. 



f.9.)— £, Whewer, Pandle-wiiew, Yellow Pole — 5, Ateal ; W, Chwiw. 



A regular winter visitant. 



Length 20, breadth 35 inches ; weight 24 ounces. The nail of the bill is 

 black. The hind-toe has a narrow web. Irides brown, vermiform appen- 

 dages, nearlv 9 inches in length, and having their origin nearly 4 inches from 

 the cloaca. Crown yellowish-white ; head and neck chesnut, the front with 

 black spots; breast vinaceous ; belly white ; back and sides waved black and 

 white ; wing-covers white, the greater covers with black ends. Quills dusky, 

 secondaries green, ending with black. Tail of 1 4 pointed dusky feathers ; under 

 tail-covers black. Female., with the head and neck brown, spotted with black ; 

 back and bully much tinged with brown ; the wing-spots grey. The young 

 resemble the temale. In aged males the yellow on the crown becomes more 



extended This species frequents inlets of the sea, and likewise visits the 



neighbouring fresh-water lakes. The figure given by Pennant of the " Fer- 



