No. 9.] 



BIRD NAMES. 



23 



with faint touches of gray; feathers immediately beneath tail 

 black. Fore part of back and sides of body slaty-brown, pen- 

 cilled with wavy linos of dull white; lower part of back darker, 

 and becoming black on rump and above tail. Certain of the 

 long feathers sweeping back from shoulder region tinged with 

 pale yellowish brown ; tail feathers and much of wing brownish 

 gray. Speculum (i e., outer end of feathers growing from second 

 bone of wing) white, an edging beneath and broad patch in 

 front of speculum black ; in front of this black a patch of ma- 

 roon, or dull mahogany color. 



Bill blackish, about one and seven eighth inches long. Legs 

 dull orange yellow. 



female. Head and neck much like male, though a little 

 more distinctly spotted ; the finer markings of neck mingling 



with those of breast without abruptness. Speculum and black 



drakes, two of which I sent to the United States National Museum for Mr. 

 Ridgway's inspection. He kindly writes me (Dec. 5, 1885): "It is proba- 

 ble that they represent an ' individual ' variation of plumage, probably a very 

 high state of plumage. I find indications of the black collar in specimens be- 

 longing to our collection, but in none is it so strongly marked as in your speci- 

 mens.*' I have found no reference whatsoever to this marking in ornithologi- 

 cal works. 



