The Golden-eyes. 369 



lower plumage are white, the part about 

 the thighs being brown. The feathers on 

 the sides of the body are ashy brown, 

 tipped with white. The axillaries and the 

 under wing-coverts are uniformly brown, 

 The scapulars are blackish brown, tipped 

 paler, and mixed with some white ex- 

 ternally. The upper wing-coverts are dark 

 brown, more or less edged and mottled 

 with white; the lower series have brown 

 tips and concealed black bases. The 

 primaries and the secondaries resemble 

 those of the male bird. 



Young ducklings of both sexes change 

 from the down into a plumage which 

 closely resembles the plumage of the adult 

 female. During the winter and early 

 spring young males may be found in 

 every stage of intermediate plumage be- 

 tween that of the adult male and that of 

 the adult female. 



Male : length about 18 ; wing 9 ; tail 4. 

 Female: length about 16; wing rather 

 more than 8; tail 3|. In the male the 

 bill is black ; in the female brown, with 

 some yellow towards the tip ; the irides 

 are yellow ; the legs and feet vary from 

 yellow to orange-yellow, with the webs 

 blackish. In some females and young 

 males there is a yellow bar across the 



VOL. it. 24 



