DUCK SHOOTING. 223 



the neck, hoary bay, running in under the 

 wings, where it is crossed with fine, waving 

 lines of black; whole belly, white; vent, black; 

 back and scapulars, black, thickly and beauti- 

 fully crossed with undulating lines of vinous 

 bay ; lower part of the back, more dusky ; tail- 

 coverts, long, pointed, whitish, crossed as the 

 back; tail, pointed, brownish ash; the two 

 middle leathers an inch longer than the rest, 

 and tapering ; shoulder of the wing, brownish 

 ash ; wing-coverts immediately below, white, 

 forming a large spot; primaries, brownish ash; 

 middle secondaries, black, glossed with green, 

 forming the speculum ; tertials, black, edged 

 with white, between which, and the beauty 

 spot, several of the secondaries are white. 



" The female has the whole head and neck yel- 

 lowish white, thickly speckled with black, very 

 little rufous on the breast; the back is dark 

 brown. The young males, as usual, very much 

 like the females on the first season, and do not 

 receive their full plumage until the second year. 

 They are also subject to a regular change every 

 spring and fall." 



To this description of Wilson's, Brewer adds 

 the following remarks concerning the European 

 widgeon : 



