THE SUMMER DUCK. 205 



crested ; neck rather long and slender. Eye large, with 

 golden-yellow irides. Legs and feet orange-yellow, webs 

 dusky, claws black. Plumage soft, compressed, blended. 

 Bill orange-red at the base, yellow on the sides, with a 

 black spot above the nostrils, extending nearly to the 

 tip ; nail recurved, black. 



The colors are most vivid. The crown of the head, 

 cheeks, side of the upper neck and crest changeable, va- 

 rying in different lights, from bottle-green, through all 

 hues of dark blue, bright azure, purple, with ruby and 

 amethyst reflections, to jet black. From the upper cor- 

 ner of the upper mandible a narrow snow-white streak 

 above the eye runs back, expanding somewhat, into the 

 upper crest. A broader streak of the same extends 

 backward below the eye, and forms several bright streaks 

 in the lower part of the crest. Chin and fore throat 

 snow-white, with a sort of double gorget, the upper ex- 

 tending upward a little posterior to the eye, and nearly 

 reaching it, the lower almost encircling the neck at its 

 narrowest part. The lower neck and upper breast are 

 of the richest vinous red, interspersed in front with small 

 arrow-headed spots of pure white. Lower breast white, 

 spotted with paler vinous red ; belly pure white. Scap- 

 ulars, and lower hind neck, reddish brown, with green 

 reflections. Back, tail-coverts and tail black, splendidly 

 glossed with metallic lustre of rich blue-green and pur- 

 ple. Wing-coverts and primaries brown, glossed with 

 blue and green, outer webs of the primaries silvery 



