BIMACULATED DUCK. 263 



The whole length fifteen inches and three-quarters. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the wing eight inches 

 and four-tenths. 



M. Temminck says that " the males of this species ap- 

 pear to vary very much in the degree of purity of the tints 

 of their plumage, and in the colour and form of the two 

 large spots on the neck. He has seen one male bird 

 covered in part only with the variegated plumage of that 

 sex, while all the rest was like that of the female, but 

 dotted here and there with some feathers of the male. 

 The top of the head alone exhibited some red colour at the 

 tip of the feathers, and the rest black ; the metallic green 

 also being clouded with black, at the end of white feathers. 

 Probably, adds the author, a young male, or perhaps a 

 male in the moult." 



The female, according to Mr. Selby, has " the chin and 

 throat pale buff. Head and neck the same, but with spots 

 and streaks of black, those upon the crown of the head 

 being larger and more distinct. Lower part of the neck, 

 and sides of the breast, pale yellowish-brown, with blackish- 

 brown spots. Flanks variegated with yellowish-brown, 

 and blackish-brown. Upper parts blackish-brown, the fea- 

 thers being deeply margined with reddish- white, and pale 

 yellowish-bro.wn. Lesser wing-coverts hair-brown, with 

 the lower tier deeply tipped with pale reddish- brown. 

 The upper half of the speculum green, with purple reflec- 

 tions ; the lower half velvet black, with white tips to the 

 feathers. Quills and tail hair-brown, the latter margined 

 with white and reddish-white. Legs orange. 



This species has been confounded by some authors with 

 the Japan Teal, but though marked something like it on 

 the head and neck, it is a much larger bird. 



