I GG Elliot on Hyhrtdtsm. [April 



pale gray, with half of the outer web black edged with white. 

 A brilliant, metallic, emerald-green speculum. Two innermost 

 secondaries silvery gray without any black. Primaries blackish 

 brown with rufous shafts save at their tips which are blackish 

 brown like the webs. The inner webs along the shafts are sil- 

 very gray. Back and rump brownish black, finely vermiculated 

 with buff; on the rump a few black blotches, and feathers of 

 lower part, extending over the tail, irregularly crossed with 

 black and white. 



Breast dark chestnut with numerous black spots in the centre 

 forming a narrow line from base of the neck, and widening out 

 in a fan shape towards the lower part of breast, where the chest- 

 nut color changes to a purplish shade and graduates into the 

 buffy white of the lower parts. Feathers of flanks crossed irregu- 

 larly with narrow black and wdiite lines. Abdomen and vent 

 whitish, indistinctly barred with fine blackish brown lines, and 

 faintly blotched with buff. On each side of rump a conspicuous, 

 large, white patch, some of the feathers faintly barred with black. 

 Tail : median feathers velvety black, sharply graduated and ex- 

 tending beyond the other feathers about an inch. Lateral feath- 

 ers grayish brown edged with white on outer webs and tips. 

 Upper tail-coverts velvety black, edged on inner webs with bufl^ 

 Under tail-coverts velvety black. Legs and feet dark yellow. 



On comparing this hybrid with the parent species, the follow- 

 ing resemblances are observed. It approaches the Widgeon in 

 the shape and color of its bill, in the bufi" markings on the side 

 of the head, in the vermiculation of the upper parts, and color 

 of back and rump ; also in the coloring of the secondaries, in 

 the purplish hue of the lower breast, in the upper tail-coverts 

 with their peculiar buft' edging on the inner webs, and in the 

 shape of the pointed, lengthened tail. It resembles the Mallard 

 in the green head and neck, in the chestnut of the breast, in the 

 slight tendency to curl of the tips of the median feathers, and 

 in its large size. It resembles neither species in the coloration 

 of the wing-coverts, the speculum, the flank feathers, the 

 under part of the body, and the legs and feet. 



The specimen is in the collection of the American Museum 

 of Natural History, New York City. 



