226 



WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



neck, pale brown, each side of the neck marked with a 

 band of purple violet, bordering the white ; hind part of 

 the upper half of the neck, black, bordered on each side 

 by a strip of white, which spreads over the lower part of 

 the neck before ; sides of the breast and upper part of 

 the back, white, thickly and elegantly marked with 

 transverse, undulating lines of black, here and there 

 tinged with pale buff ; throat and middle part of the 

 belly, white, tinged with cream ; flanks, finely pencilled 

 with waving lines ; vent, white ; under tail covert 

 black; lesser wing coverts, brown ash; greater, the 

 same tipped with orange, below which is a speculum, or 

 beauty spot of rich, golden green, bordered below 

 with a band of black, and another of white ; primaries, 

 dusky brown ; tertials, long, black, edged with white, 

 and tinged with rust ; rump and tail coverts, pale ash, 

 centered with dark brown ; tail, greatly pointed, the 

 two middle tapering feathers being full five inches 

 longer than the others, and black, the rest brown ash, 

 edged with white ; legs, a pale lead color. The female 

 has crown of a dark brown color, neck of a dull brown- 

 ish white, thickly speckled with dark brown ; breast 

 and belly, pale brownish white, interspersed with 

 white ; back and roof of the neck above, black, each 

 feather elegantly waved with broad lines of brownish 

 white ; these wavings become rufous on the scapulars ; 

 vent white, spotted with dark brown; tail, dark brown, 

 spotted with white ; the two middle tail feathers half 

 an inch longer than the others. The sprig-tail is an 

 elegantly formed, long-bodied duck, the neck longer 

 and more slender than most others. The male weighs 

 2 Ibs. ; the female about 1 3-4 Ibs. 



