178 ANATID.E. 



lower part of tlie back, and bluisli-black on the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts ; the four middle tail-featliers velvet black, 

 and curled upwards ; the rest lancet-shaped, ash-grey in the 

 middle, margined with white, the most outer feathers having 

 the broader margins ; scapulars a mixture of brown and grey ; 

 the small wing-coverts ash-brown ; the greater coverts with a 

 bar of white near the end, and tipped with velvet black ; pri- 

 maries ash-brown ; the secondaries the same on the inner 

 web, the outer portion towards the end of the outer web rich 

 shining purple, forming the speculum, but bounded by a bar 

 of velvet black, and tipped with white ; tertials pale chestnut- 

 brown, the outer webs darkest in colour ; front and sides of 

 the neck below the white ring rich dark chestnut, each feather 

 at the commencement of winter edged with white ; breast, 

 belly, vent, and flanks, greyish-white, the sides before and 

 under the wings marked with delicate grey lines ; under tail- 

 coverts velvet black ; legs, toes, and their membranes orange 

 yellow. The whole length twenty-four inches. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing eleven inches and a half; 

 the second quill-feather the longest in the wing. 



The female has the beak greenish-black, towards the end 

 light yellow-brown, the nail black ; irides brown ; cheeks, 

 head, and neck, pale brown, each feather streaked with black 

 in the middle ; the scapulars, and the whole of the back of 

 the same two colours, but prettily varied, some of the fea- 

 thers black in the middle and on the margin, with a light 

 brown band between the two dark colours ; tail-feathers the 

 same ; small wing-coverts ash-brown ; the large coverts white 

 towards the end and tipped with velvet black ; primaries 

 uniform dark brown ; the secondaries the same on the inner 

 web, outer webs forming a purple speculum, ending in a 

 band of black, and tipped with white ; tertiaries dark brown ; 

 chin and throat pale brown ; lower part of the neck richer 

 reddish-brown, varied with dark brown ; breast, belly, vent., 



