206 AMERICAN GAME. 



white ; secondaries glossy blue-black. A broad crescent- 

 shaped band of pure white in front of the wings, at the 

 edge of the red breast-feathers, and behind this a 

 broader margin of jet black. The sides of the body 

 rich greenish yellow, most delicately penciled with nar- 

 row close waved lines of gray. On the flanks six dis- 

 tinct semi-lunated bands of white, anteriorly bordered 

 with broad black origins, and tipped with black. The 

 vent tawny white, the rump and under tail-coverts dark 

 reddish purple. 



The duck is smaller and duller in her general coloring, 

 but still bears sufficient resemblance to the splendid 

 drake to cause her at once to be recognized, by any 

 moderately observant eye, as his mate. 



Her bill is blackish brown, the irides of her eyes hazel 

 brown, her feet dull dusky green. Crown of her head 

 and hind neck dusky, faintly glossed with green, and 

 with the rudiments of a crest ; cheeks dusky brown. A 

 white circle round the eye and longitudinal spot behind 

 it. Chin and throat dingy white. Shoulders, back, 

 scapulars, /wing-co verts, rump and tail brown, more or 

 less glossed with green, purple and dark crimson. Pri- 

 maries black, with reflections of deep cerulean blue and 

 violet; outer webs silvery white. Secondaries violet- 

 blue and deep green, with black edges and abroad white 

 margin, forming the speculum or beauty spot. Upper 

 fore neck, breast, sides and flanks deep chestnut-brown, 

 spotted in irregular lines with oval marks of faint tawny 



