226 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 
ueck, pale brown, each side of the neck marked with a 
band of purple violet, bordering the white; hind part of 
the upper half of the neck, black, bordered on each side 
by a strip of white, which spreads over the lower part of 
the neck before; sides of the breast and upper part of 
the back, white, thickly and elegantly marked with 
transverse, undulating lines of black, here and there 
tinged with pale buff; throat and middle part of the 
belly, white, tinged with cream; flanks, finely pencilled 
with waving lines; vent, white: under tail covert 
black; lesser wing coverts, brown ash: greater, the 
same tipped with orange, below which is a speculum, or 
beauty spot of rich, golden green, bordered below 
with a band of black, and another of white: primaries, 
dusky brown: tertials, long, black, edged with white. 
and tinged with rust; rump and tail coverts, pale ash, 
centered with dark brown; tail, greatly pointed, the 
two middle tapering feathers being full five inches 
longer than the others, and black, the rest brown ash, 
edged with white; legs, a pale lead color. The female 
has crown of a dark brown color, neck of a dull brown- 
ish white, thickly speckled with dark brown; breast 
and belly, pale brownish white, interspersed with 
white; back and roof of the neck above. black, each 
feather elegantly waved with broad lines of brownish 
white; these wavings become rufous on the seapulars : 
vent white, spotted with dark brown: tail, dark brown, 
spotted with white; the two middle tail feathers half 
an inch longer than the others. The sprig-tail is an 
elegantly formed, long-bodied duck, the neck longer 
and more slender than most others. The male weighs 
2|bs.; the female about 1 8-4 Ibs. 
