ANATIN.E. 405 



GENUS, Chaulelasmus, Gray. 



Bill equal to the head, depressed throughout, of nearly uniform 

 width, but slightly narrowing towards the tip, which has a small 

 nail ; the lamellae long, projecting ; wings lengthened ; tail rather 

 long ; the central feathers slightly lengthened. 



Chaulelasmus streperus, Linn. 



961. Jerdon's 'Birds "of India, Vol. 11, p. 802 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 



Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 27 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 



IX, p. 438 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 293 ; 



Game Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p. 181 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, 



Central India ; Ibis, Vol. Ill, p. 137. 



THE GADWALL. 



cJ. Length, 19'4 to 21'5 ; expanse, 33 to 3675 ; wing, 1075 to 

 11-6 ; tail, 3'9 to 4'3 ; tarsus, T4 to I'D ; bill from gape, 2 to 2'22 ; 

 weight, 1^02 Albs, f 



? . Length, 18 to 201 ; expanse, 30 to 3375 ; wing, 9 to 10'2 ; 

 tail, 37 to 4'5 ; tarsus, T37 to T43 ; bill from gape, T94 to 21 ; 

 weight, 1^ toll Jibs. ^ 



Bill brownish-black, tinged reddish beneath ; irides dark-brown ; 

 legs yellowish browiTto dull orange. 



Male, head and neck greyish- white, speckled with brown ; back 

 dark clove-brown, with white crescentic lines; scapulars un- 

 dulated with white and blackish-brown ; rump and upper tail- 

 coverts glossed with purplish-blue ; tail cinereous-brown, edged 

 andT tipped with white ; lesser wing-coverts grey, mixed with 

 white ; median wing-coverts rich brownish-chesnut ; greater- 

 coverts glossy black, speculum white above, black beneath ; quills 

 brown ; tertials brownish-grey ; lower part of the neck and 

 breast dark brown with_ white crescentic lines ; abdomen white, 

 minutely speckled with greyish-brown, and the flanks with brown 

 and white undulations ; lower tail-coverts glossy-black. 



The female has the head black mixed with whitish, a pale 

 superciliary streak, the upper parts deep brown, the feathers 

 edged with buff; the lesser wing-coverts hair-brown, margined 

 .paler ; the speculum as in the male ; the tail marbled with 

 brown and whitish ; the chin and throat whitish ; breast pale buff, 

 with brown spots, and the rest of the lower parts white ; the bill / 

 paler and the margins reddish. 



The female is very like that of the Mallard, but is smaller, J 

 and the speculum is white, opposed to the metallic purplish one 

 of the Mallard. 



The Gadwall is one of the commonest of the ducks, and occurs 

 during the cold season throughout the district. 



It is fairly good eating but not equal to either the Mallard or 

 the Spot-bill. 



Chaulelasmus angustirostris, Men. 



. Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 30 ; Murray's 





