The True Ducks. 255 



other respects these males resemble the 

 adult males. 



A male, evidently in the post-nuptial 

 plumage, killed in October, resembles the 

 female, but may be recognised at once 

 by the pure blue of the upper wing-coverts, 

 none of the feathers being margined with 

 fulvous, as in the female ; and by the 

 plain black rump and upper tail-coverts. 



The adult female has the forehead and 

 crown dark brown, streaked with fulvous. 

 The remainder of the head and the whole 

 neck are fulvous, streaked with dark brown, 

 except the throat. The mantle, back, 

 scapulars, rump and upper tail-coverts are 

 dark brown or blackish, each feather with 

 a very distinct fulvous margin and an 

 interior bar, parallel to the margin, of the 

 same colour. The tail-feathers are brown 

 with pale margins, and interior fulvous 

 bars. The whole breast and the sides of 

 the body are fulvous, each feather with 

 one or more crescentic black bands. The 

 abdomen is plain fulvous, with a chestnut 

 tinge in parts, and the lowermost portion 

 mottled with brown. The under tail- 

 coverts are fulvous, streaked with brown. 

 The axillaries are white, and the under 

 wing-coverts are nearly entirely so. The 

 upper wing-coverts are pale blue, each 



