QUERQUEDULA. 195 



blue reflections ; the white of the throat runs into a little point into this ring 

 and half divides it ; then a white ring ; then the front and sides of the neck, 

 breast and abdomen white, each feather with a broad subterminal black bar 

 following the curve of the end of the feather ; those of the neck with these 

 bars very perfect and strongly marked, those of the breast and upper three- 

 fourths of the abdomen with only a single bar, more or less imperfect ; back 

 of the neck (below the white ring), interscapulary region, smaller scapulars, 

 sides of the breast, sides, flanks, lower portion of abdomen and feathers about 

 vent closely barred, in some places almost vermiculated, black, or dusky, and 

 white or greyish white in varying degrees of fineness and intensity ; entire 

 wings and larger scapulars dove or grey brown, darker on the quills, the 

 outer webs of all the secondaries black, with dull metallic green lustre, their 

 greater coverts broadly tipped white; middle and lower back and rump dark, 

 rather glossy hair brown ; a few of the feathers with traces of fine pale vermicu- 

 lations ; shorter central upper tail coverts similar, but a paler greyer brown ; 

 rest of the upper tail coverts jet black, with a subdued green lustre ; tail a 

 delicate, somewhat silvery grey brown, almost completely covered by the long 

 black upper tail coverts ; entire wing lining and axillaries pure white ; the 

 lowest flank feathers on each side with broad, pure white, unbarred tips; most 

 of the lower tail coverts black, with a faint greenish lustre ; shorter lateral 

 lower tail coverts on each side pure creamy buff. In the breeding season the 

 tertiaries are said to be greatly elongated, sickle-shaped, and reaching to the 

 end of the primaries ; the shaft and external edges of these feathers whitish, 

 the outer ones being entirely velvetty black, but the inner ones less black, and 

 finely vermiculated. 



Male. — Length, 197S ; expanse 32-5; wing 9*5; tail from vent 3-2; 

 tarsus I '5; bill from gape T\ ; weight i lb. 6 ozs. ; irides deep brown; bill 

 perfectly black ; legs and feet drab, with an olive tinge. 



Adult Female. — Head striped with purplish brown, each feather margined 

 with fulvous ; sides of the face and neck dotted with small brown points and 

 stripes; throat paler, varied, with small brown markings ; general colour of the 

 back rufous, more or less broadly and irregularly varied with brown ; lower 

 portion of the back brown, with a few obsolete fulvous edgings, being coloured 

 as in the male, but the sickle-shaped feathers are developed, these being 

 represented by a few elongated and slightly curved feathers, for the inost part 

 brown, the outer webs inclining to grey at the base, the outer margins white ; 

 upper part of the breast deep rufous, with a few purplish brown cross mark- 

 ings, these being thickest on the lower part of the neck and sides of the throat ; 

 rest of the under surface of the body fulvous, covered everywhere with very 

 indistinct brown mottlings ; sides of the body and under tail coverts rather 

 deeper rufous, with plainer longitudinal brown stripes and irregular mottlings ; 

 under wing coverts and axillary plumes pure white. Total length — 16 inches ; 

 culmen r8; wing 9*0 ; tail 3*4; tarsus, I'z. 



