ANATIDJE. 513 



and the bastard wing are black; the tail is dark 

 dusky, nearly black ; the hinder part of the flanks 

 from behind the thighs to the tail-coverts are mixed 

 dusky and white ; the legs and toes are yellow, the 

 webs black. The female has the bill brownish black 

 at the base and orange-brown towards the tip ; the 

 head and neck are dull brown ; below this is a small 

 band of white, mixed with grey, especially at the 

 back of the neck ; the back and scapulars are black, 

 every feather margined with lead-grey; some of the 

 lesser wing-coverts are white, and some black, tipped 

 with white ; the greater wing-coverts are white at the 

 base, black towards the tips ; the primaries and 

 tertials are black ; the secondaries white : the rump 

 and tail- co verts are black ; tail-feathers dusky ; the 

 breast and flanks lead-grey, each feather margined 

 with white; belly and under tail-coverts white; back 

 of the thighs dusky. The young males are like the 

 females, which increases the difficulty of identifica- 

 tion, as the birds in this plumage were found to be 

 both males and females; consequently they were 

 considered a distinct species, to which the name 

 " Morillon " was given. According to Yarrell, the 

 young males begin gradually to assume their 

 proper plumage after the first six months. 



According to Yarrell the eggs are green. Meyer's 

 plate makes them a pale green, rather paler than 

 those of the Wild Duck. 



