COMMON SHELLDRAKE. 245 



green, bounded by a collar of white, and below that a 

 collar of rich chestnut, which covers the upper part of tke 

 breast, the space before the point of the wings, and the 

 upper part of the back ; the rest of the back, the rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts white : scapulars and part of the 

 tertials nearly black ; the longest tertials with the outer 

 webs rich chestnut ; point of the wing and all the wing- 

 coverts white ; primaries very dark brown ; the speculum 

 of the secondaries green ; tail-feathers white, tipped with 

 black ; lower central line of the breast and belly rich dark 

 brown ; sides, flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts white ; 

 legs, toes, and their membranes flesh colour. 



The whole length is from twenty-four to twenty-six 

 inches. From the carpal joint to the end of the wing 

 thirteen inches ; the second quill -feather the longest. The 

 female is rather smaller than the male, and not quite so 

 bright in her colours. 



The young of the year in August have the beak flesh 

 colour ; the head and neck brown ; chin and front of the 

 neck white ; interscapulars and wings brown ; wing-coverts 

 white ; tertials white, but edged with chestnut, the first 

 appearance of that colour ; primaries black ; speculum be- 

 coming green ; all the under surface white ; legs flesh 

 colour. 



The young birds do not breed till they are two years 

 old. 



I have referred, in the present volume, to the peculiar 

 character of the organs of voice in some of the Geese 

 and Swans, and in almost all the Ducks and Mer- 

 gansers, forming together the large, the valuable, and in- 

 teresting family of the Anatidae ; and I may here refer 

 particularly to that organ as found in the Shieldrake, 

 which is so entirely distinguished from that of any other 

 species, as at once and alone to afford, as far as I have yet 



