SYNOPSIS OF THE GROUPS OF 

 WATER FOWL TREATED 

 OF IN THIS WORK. 



SWANS. Primaries white in adults, pale 

 brown in young birds ; the neck as long as, 

 or longer than, the body ; the skin in front 

 of the eye bare of feathers, except in very 

 young birds ; the inner secondaries reach- 

 ing to the tip of the longest primary ; 

 the tarsus much shorter than the middle 

 toe. Of wide distribution. P. 24. 



TRUE GEESE. Varying in size up to 

 that of a domestic Goose ; the outer 

 primaries grey tipped with blackish, the 

 inner primaries and the outer secondaries 

 uniformly blackish ; all with white shafts ; 

 the upper tail-coverts white ; the axillaries 

 bluish grey or ashy. Of wide distribution. 

 P. 38. 



SHELD-DUCKS. About the size of a 



small Goose ; primaries uniformly black ; 



axillaries white ; wing-coverts white ; 



speculum green or bronze ; the outer web 



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