GADWALL. 



533 



are obscurely spotted with dark brown. Young in first plumage closely 

 resemble the adult female, but there is no chestnut or black on the wings, 

 the white on the secondaries is dull, and the whole of the feathers of the 

 underparts have obscure, ill-defined, brown centres. Young males have 

 narrower margins to the feathers of the upper parts. Males in their first 

 nuptial plumage have very little black on the head, not so much chestnut as 

 in the adult male, and the mantle is not so much vcrmiculated. Adult males 

 in moulting-plumage resemble males in first plumage, but are distinguished 

 by having the alar speculum of the adult and a few chestnut feathers on the 

 median wing-coverts ; in the colour of the mantle they are intermediate 

 between adult males in nuptial plumage and young in first plumage, the 

 feathers being brown, with a few narrow buff bars. The underparts closely 

 resemble those of the young in first plumage, but the spots are smaller and 

 more clearly defined. Young in down closely resemble those of the 

 Mallard. 



