STELLER'S WESTERN DUCK. 



309 



below the point of the wing, some of the white feathers 

 have black at the tip, forming a dark patch ; middle jof 

 breast and belly rich chestnut brown, passing off into a 

 buff colour on the front, sides, and flanks ; vent and under 

 tail-coverts dark brown ; legs, toes, and their membranes 

 black ; the hind toe with a deep lobe. 



The whole length of the bird is nineteen inches. From 

 the point of the wing to the end of the longest quill-fea- 

 ther nine inches. 



Our figure of the female Western Duck was taken from 

 M. Nilsson's coloured plate, and has the greater coverts 

 and the secondaries tipped with white, forming two bars 

 enclosing between them a bluish-black speculum. 



For the advantage of figuring a portion of the wind- 

 pipe of both sexes of this very rare species, I am indebted 

 to the kindness of Alfred Newton, Esq., of Elveden 

 Hall, Thetford, who sent me the drawing representing 

 two views of that of the male, and, in the centre, that of 

 the female. 



