RED-HEADED DUCK. 



267 



outer faintly tinged with yellow, and almost im- 

 perceptibly dotted with whitish; four or five of 

 the inner of a poorer tint, tinged with blue, and 

 having a narrow brownish-black line along the 

 margin; the innermost like the scapulars, but 

 more dusky. Tail brownish-gray, towards the end 

 lighter. Axillar feathers and lower wing-coverts 

 white. Feet dull grayish-blue, the webs dusky, 

 the claws black. 



Length to end of tail, 20 inches ; extent of 

 wings, 83 ; weight, 2J pounds. 



Adult female : The female has the bill of a 

 dusky bluish-gray, with a broad band of black at 

 the end, and a narrow, transverse blue line, nar- 

 rower than in the male. Iris yellow. Feet as in 

 the male. The head and upper part of the neck 

 dull reddish-brown, darker above and lighter on 

 the fore part of the cheeks and along a streak be- 

 hind the eye. The rest of the neck all round, and 

 the upper parts in general, are dull grayish-brown, 

 the feathers paler at their extremity ; the flanks 

 and fore part of the neck dull reddish-brown, the 

 feathers broadly tipped with pale grayish-brown. 

 The wings are as in the male, but of a darker 

 tint and without undulations. The tail as in the 

 male. Lower wing-coverts light-gray; those in the 



