162 



AQUATIC FOWL. 



THS BHOVfiLLEK. 



land. Wilson describes it as common in America; its range 

 likewise extends to Africa. It has a singular preparation of fine, 

 long, comb-like teeth, through which it strains its food, which 

 chiefly consists of insects, worms, and larvae, and will not succeed 

 well in an enclosure, where it cannot procure such food. The 

 bill of this beautiful species is black, spreading near the end to 

 a great breadth ; the head and neck, in some lights, appear brown, 

 in others, rich green ; but anterior to the eyes, and on the crown 

 and throat, there is the least reflection of the bright colour ; lower 

 parts of the neck, breast, scapulars, and sides of the rump, pure 

 white ; back, blackish brown, gradually shading to greenish on 

 the rump and upper tail covers ; whole of the wing, anterior to 

 the great coverts, with the outer webs of the large scapulars, 

 grayish blue. The latter have a remarkable form, the inner 

 white web being produced in a narrow point, beyond the outer. 

 The lower scapulars are blackish green ; the tips along the shafts, 

 for a narrow space, white ; lesser coverts clove-brown, with white 

 tips, secondaries bright green; belly, vent, and flanks chesnut 

 brown; under tail coverts, glossy blackish green; tail, clove- 

 brown, with pale edges ; legs, orange-red. It, as well as other 

 ducks, has its periodical changes the male bird, at some periods, 

 assuming the colour of the female, which much resembles the 



