WILD FOWL. 87 



placed rather far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, at its 

 lower part anteriorly with two series of scutella, the rest covered 

 with reticulated angular scales. Tcjes scutellate above, first 

 very small, free, with a broad membrane beneath, fourth long- 

 est, third scarcely shorter; claws small, curved, compressed, 

 obtuse, the hind one smaller, more curved, and acute ; that of 

 the third toe with an inner sharp edge. 



" Plumage dense, soft, blended, rather glossy. Feathers of 

 the middle of the head, and upper part of the hind-neck, very 

 narrow and a little elongated ; of the rest of the head, and upper 

 part of the neck very short; of the back and lower parts in ge- 

 neral broad and rounded. Wings of moderate length, narrow, 

 acute ; primaries curved, strong, tapering, first longest, second 

 very little shorter ; secondaries broad, rounded, short, the inner 

 long and tapering. Tail very short, rather broad, much rounded, 

 of sixteen rounded feathers. 



" Bill black, with a basal band, the edges of both mandibles, 

 and a band across the upper, toward the end, pale blue. Iris 

 yellow. Legs grayish-blue, the webs brownish-black ; the 

 head and upper part of the neck greenish-black, with purple re- 

 flections. A brownish-red collar, broader before, on the mid- 

 dle of the neck ; its lower part all round, as well as the back 

 scapulars, smaller wing coverts, and posterior part of abdomen, 

 brownish-black ; inner secondaries the same color, outer bluish- 

 gray on the outer web, light-brown on the inner, as are the 

 primaries, of which the outer webs and tips are dark-brown. 

 Tail brownish-gi-ay ; chin white ; breast grayish- white ; sides 

 and fore part of abdomen gi-ayish- white, minutely undulated 

 with grayish-brown. 



" Length to end of tail, 18 inches ; to end of wings, 16 ; ex- 

 tent of wings, 28 ; wing from flexure, 7^ ; tail, 2\ ; bill along 

 the back, 6', — along the edge of the lower mandible, Ij^ ; tarsus, 

 lyo; middle toe, 2^% — its claw, %• 



" Adult female : 



" The female has the neck umber brown, the upper part of 

 the head darker, the back blackish-brown, the speculum bluish 



