246 



ANATID.E. 



the end of the wing nine inches ; the first and second quill- 

 feathers very nearly equal in length, but the first rather the 

 longer of the two. 



The head and neck of the female is of a dark brown 

 colour ; the beak lead colour ; around the base of the beak 

 in old females, a broad band of white ; the lower part of the 

 neck and breast dark brown ; the back and scapulars light 

 grey, transversely barred with irregular dusky lines ; the 

 greater quill-feathers dark brown ; the secondaries white, 

 tipped with dark brown ; the tail-feathers also dark brown ; 

 the belly dirty white ; under tail-coverts dusky black ; the 

 legs and toes dusky blue, the webs black. The female is 

 nearly as large as the male, and from the broad white band 

 occasionally to be found around the base of the bill, has been 

 figured and described as a distinct species under various 

 names. 



Young birds resemble the females, generally, but the light 

 colour on the back is varied with brown spots. 



The trachea of the male measures nine inches in length, the 

 diameter of the tube of large size throughout the upper three- 

 fourths of its length, then tapers gradually to the junction 

 with the tympanum ; the view given below represents the 

 surface on the left side of the bird when in its natural situ- 

 ation. The tracheal tube of the female is small, and of 

 equal size throughout its Avhole length ; the diameter like 

 that of the male at the smallest part. 



