ANAS. 95 



brownish white, in longitudinal streaks on head and neck and in 

 irregular transverse spots and bars on other portions; the dusky 

 predominating above, the white below ; wing nearly as in the male, 

 but the chestnut absent or barely indicated, and the gray of the 

 wing-coverts more or less barred and tipped with white ; belly and 

 lower part of breast pure white, throat finely streaked with dusky. 

 Downy young : Above dull dark brownish, with a spot of sulphur- 

 yellow on each side of rump and back of each wing, the wings also 

 marked with this color; "forehead, space round the eye, throat, 

 and chest pale sulphur-3 T ellow ; abdomen white, shaded with sul- 

 phur-yellow, on the lower part sooty gray." (DRESSER.) Male: 

 Length 19.25-21.75, wing 10.25-11.00, culmen 1.60-1.75, tarsus 1.45- 

 1.70, middle toe 1.80-1.90. Female: Length about 18.00, wing 

 10.00-10.25, culmen 1.55-1.65, tarsus 1.60, middle toe 1.75-1.80. 

 Eggs 2.09 X 1-57, pale buff or buffy white. Hab. Northern hemi- 

 sphere in general, breeding in temperate regions. 



135. A. strepera LINN. Gadwall. 



Distance from anterior border of nostril to tip of upper mandible less than 

 three times the distance from the same point to nearest feathers of 

 lores; lamell coarser, less than 15 being visible from outside; tail- 

 feathers 14, the tail much graduated. (Adult males with forehead and 

 fore part of crown, posterior half of middle wing-covert region, and 

 belly, plain white; speculum metallic green anteriorly, velvety black 

 posteriorly ; crop plain vinaceous ; sides, flanks, scapulars, and back, 

 delicately waved with dusky upon a paler ground ; under tail-coverts 

 plain black.) (Subgenus Mareca STEPHENS.) 



c 1 . Adult male in winter: Head and upper neck plain rufous, the forehead 

 varying from white to ochraceous; crop and sides of breast vina- 

 ceous ; sides, flanks, and whole back white, waved with blackish. 

 Male after breeding season : " Head and neck as in the old female ; 

 back, scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, and wing dark ashy blackish 

 gray ; the fore parts of the back with indistinct whitish vermic- 

 ulations, the rest of the back and scapulars edged with fulvous ; 

 wings as in winter dress ; but the larger coverts are ashy blue- 

 gray, not white, the median coverts being darker with rather 

 lighter edges ; tail as in the winter dress ; underparts white ; the 

 upper part of' the breast and flanks rusty brown ; under tail-coverts 

 white with a grayish tinge, and having large blackish brown central 

 blotches." (DRESSER.) Adult female : Head and upper neck pale 

 rusty, speckled and barred with dusky, especially on crown ; upper 

 parts dusky brown, the feathers edged and more or less barred with 

 pale brown and whitish ; white patch on wing-coverts merely indi- 

 cated by white tips to feathers ; speculum grayish, without lustre ; 

 crop, sides, and flanks indistinctly barred with grayish brown, and 

 dull light rufous, or fulvous; rest of lower parts white, the lower 



