[Chaps. VII ^- YIII, 

 27 v\n\H. ]S ct 3 9. J 



KEY 5. 



The division is into 3 classes, viz. — 



A, — Large. — 20 inches in length and over. 

 D. — Medium. — 16 inches and over. 

 V. — SinalL — Under IG inches. 



A. — Large. 



Spotbill. Pintail. 



Mallard. Shoveller. 



Gadwall. Red-crested Pochard. 



Wigcon. 

 Marbled Duck. 



B. — Medium. 



The Pocliard. 

 Tufted Duck. 



C— Small. 



Common Teal. | Grarganey Teal. 



White eyed Duck. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Colouration. 



19. Colouration is a very fallible guide. If one only tJnlouration 

 had fully plumaged males to deal with, there would be little [^^ G^^' 

 difficulty. Most of the Ducks liowever, even adults, only 

 put on their bright colours by about the end of F'ebruary 

 (see further on). The chief description of the colouration 

 throughout is that as seen from hdow, an idea which, it is 

 believed, Mr. C. H. Donald in his " Kaptores of the Panjab " 

 was the first to develop. That from underneath, at any 

 rate, is the usual view presented by the bird in the cir- 

 cumstances in which this book mainly aims at describinc^ 

 him. 



Where the general plumage is dealt with, it will be 

 that of the adult male in full dress. If once a thorough 

 acquaintance is gained with the males, identification of 

 the females is not difficult. In describing colours and 

 patterns, only the simplest words have been used. Old 

 favourites of the Bird Books, such as "cinereous" and 

 *' vermiculated," have been avoided, not that we need scoff 

 ai; them, since every scientific book requires its own exact, 

 technical language. This treatise does not profess to be 

 scientific, only to put some rougli, working guides of 

 various kinds within the reach of the practical sportsmaii. 



