76 WATER FOWL OF INDIA AND ASIA. 
losing all the quills, and it is then that the male goes into 
undress, remaining in this stage during winter. He has 
no bulb in the windpipe. His note ludicrously resem- 
bles the words “ Fix bayonets,” and is uttered in flight. 
The flesh is very poor eating in my opinion, not positively 
objectionable, but flavourless. 
The Mandarin Duck. 
Aex galericulata, SALVADORI, Brit. Mus. Cat., 
Birds); Vol XOOyE p. 76: 
VERNACULAR NAMES :—Oshidort, Japanese. 
The Mandarin Duck, quite apart from the wonderful 
decorations of the full-plumaged male, is at once dis- 
tinguishable from all other Indian and Asiatic Ducks 
by the peculiar form of its wings, which are shaped more 
like a Pigeon’s than a Duck’s, the primary quills plainly 
showing for some distance beyond the short secondaries. 
In general form it much resembles the Cotton-teal, 
having a short goose-like bill and rather long rounded 
tail; but it also has a full crest, and stands higher on 
the legs than the Cotton-teal, while the feet are pro- 
portionately small; the eyes are larger than in any other 
Duck. 
The male in full plumage is a most extravagantly 
decorated bird, his general ‘‘ get up’’ being suggestive 
of a Bird-of-Paradise rather than a Duck. His crest, 
very long and full, is copper-red in front, metallic green 
behind, and white at the sides, the white also occupying 
the upper part of the face, but shading into buff as it 
nears the ruff of bright chestnut hackles which adorns 
the neck. The breast is purplish-maroon, and the abdo- 
men white. But the wings are the most remarkable 
part of the bird ; the innermost quill is expanded on its 
inner side into a chestnut fan three inches broad, while 
the outer web is of ordinary size and bright steel-blue ; 
