The Wood-Ducks. 137 



specimen in the galleries of the British 

 Museum, from Mergui, as that of the 

 adult male. A specimen in the Hume 

 Collection from Assam is sexed as a 

 female. It is, however, in a transitional 

 stage of plumage, with the feathers of the 

 breast undergoing a change from chestnut- 

 brown to black. This is evidently a young 

 bird, but I cannot but regard it as a young 

 male, changing from its first plumage, that 

 of the adult female, into that of the adult 

 male. On this assumption — and it is diffi- 

 cult to arrive at any other conclusion — 

 it may be inferred that the female bird 

 has the breast of the same dull chestnut- 

 brown as the abdomen, whereas the 

 adult male has the breast black and the 

 abdomen chestnut-brown. The acquisi- 

 tion of further specimens, properly sexed, 

 is necessary before the matter can be 

 finally settled. 



The Wood-Ducks are large, heavy birds. 

 The legs are short, but rather slender. 

 The feet are large, the middle toe being 

 much longer than the tarsus. The wings 

 are large, but not well adapted for rapid 

 flight, the secondaries being extremely 

 long and soft. These Ducks are resident 

 in the localities they frequent, and pro- 

 bably they use their wings with reluctance. 



