AMERICAN WIGEOIT. 



brown, glossed w5th grey, each feather marked across with 

 small zigzag blackish lines; on the lower part the back is 

 brown, waved in like manner with brown and white. 



The wings have the second feather the longest, but the first 

 nearly as long; greater wing coverts, white, slightly marked 

 with brown and tipped with black ; lesser wing coverts, brown ; 

 primaries, brown. The secondaries have the speculum on the 

 outer webs green, edged with black above and below. The 

 tertiaries are blackish brown, with a tinge of green on the 

 outer webs and brown on the inner, bordered with white. 

 Tail, brown it is slightly pointed, the middle feathers being 

 elongated; upper tail coverts, brown, barred with paler brown 

 and white; under tail coverts, brownish black, with a tinge of 

 green. Legs and toes, dark brown; webs, dark brown. 



The female is in length about one foot nine inches. Head, 

 crown, and neck, yellowish white, thickly speckled with black. 

 The breast with very little rufous. Back, dark brown, edged 

 and faintly barred with pale brown and white. 



The young male at first resembles the female, and does not 

 acquire his full distinctive plumage till the second year. Wilson 

 says these birds are subject to a regular change every spring 

 and autumn. It appears that the ; Act of Uniformity' is 

 infringed by most, if not all, of the males of the Duck tribe. 



