ANATID^. 337 



is exceedingly fat at certain seasons, and is pretty good 

 eating. 



In the male the iris is bluish ; the bill rich orange, 

 inclining to livid on the edges of the lower mandible; 

 the nail of the upper mandible horn-colour. 



The legs and toes are a shining black, tinged with 

 dusky yellowish on the outer toes and the outer side of 

 the legs. 



In the female the bill differs from that of the male 

 in the upper mandible being dusky olive, with a greenish 

 orange patch on the lower part at the base, and a small 

 livid spot on each side of the nail. 



Measurements of a male and a female : 



Male. Female. 



[Dr. Hartlaub, in his excellent work on the birds of West 

 Africa, alludes at p. 247 to Mr. Andersson's having obtained 

 specimens of the eastern " Nettapus coromandelianus " on Lake 

 Ngami ; but as, so far as I can ascertain, the present is the only 

 species of the genus Nettapus which is found in that locality, I 

 venture to think that Dr. Hartlaub may have been accidentally 

 misinformed in this particular. 



Mr. Andersson himself seems to have suspected that some 

 error of identification may have occurred, as I find the following 

 memorandum among his notes : ' ' Nettapus coromandelianus. 

 Did I really obtain this Goose in the Lake-country ? " ED.] 



