GADWALL. } 



Male; length, about one foot seven inches. The bill, which 

 is flat, is lead-colour, blackish towards the tip; after the 

 summer moult, dusky, with orange about the base; iris, brown. 

 Head, crown, neck on the back, and nape, light greyish brown, 

 thickly speckled with darker brown, lighter after the summer 

 moult; the crown has a tinge of yellowish; in front and on 

 the sides the neck is grey, each feather tipped with a semi- 

 circle of a paler shade of, the same colour. Chin and throat, 

 greyish white, finely speckled with brown; breast above, brown, 

 marked with crescent-shaped white lines on each feather, on 

 the lower parts becoming gradually broader, assuming a spotted 

 appearance; the sides beautifully variegated with short lines 

 of grey of two shades; below, the breast is white in front. 

 Back above, grey, a series of darker and lighter-coloured lines; 

 below, dark brown, with broad yellowish margins to the 

 feathers, some of them nearly black; after the summer moult, 

 brown, with dusky centres to the feathers. 



The wings expand to the width of two feet nine inches. 

 Of the greater wing coverts half are velvet black, and the 

 others white, but greyish brown after the summer moult; 

 lesser wing coverts, grey, marbled with yellowish white; the 

 middle ones chesnut brown, varied with orange brown; the 

 tips of the feathers nearest to the speculum broadly bordered 

 with black, the upper rows grey; after the summer moult, 

 greyish brown. Primaries, almost black, dusky after the 

 summer moult, and lightest at the base of the feathers; 

 secondaries, also nearly black, the speculum is a tricoloured 

 bar of purple red, black, and white, except the four first 

 feathers, which are grey at the base and black at the tip; 

 after the summer moult it is dull white. Tertiaries, brownish 

 yellow grey, the margins paler grey. Tail, brownish grey, 

 the edges of the feathers paler yellowish white; the two 

 middle ones are pointed, making it wedge-shaped; the side 

 feathers black. Upper tail coverts, bluish black with a tinge 

 of purple green, white after the summer moult; under tail 

 coverts, bluish black, tinted with green. Legs and toes, 

 orange red, less bright after the summer moult; claws, black; 

 webs, dusky orange red. 



The female has over the eye a light streak intermixed with 

 black; head on the crown, glossy black, mixed with greyish 

 white; on the sides, yellowish white streaked with brown: neck 

 on the back, pale brown, spotted with dark brown; in front 

 marked with alternate crescent-shaped bands of dark and 



