38 



H. D. GOODALE. 



pying the dorsal side of the head and upper neck is a broad dark 

 stripe, tinged with green and inconspicuously striped with buff. 

 The sides of the head are buff with small dark flecks. Passing 

 across the side of the head from the nostril through the eye to 

 the dorsal surface and from the angle of the jaw to the eye, are 

 two dark bands. Sides of upper neck : mixed buff and dull black. 

 Throat: bufif. Dorsal surface of body often much darker than 

 ventral, and usually less conspicuously striped. Speculum and 

 under surface of wing as in the male. Sex feathers absent. 

 Voice a loud quack. At times it is modified into a softer, rapidly 

 repeated quae. 



Slimmer Plumage. — At the close of the breeding season, 



Fig. 3. Male in summer plumage. 



which comes early in July, both sexes molt. The new coat of the 

 male, when complete, is different from the old (Fig. 3). The 

 molt, however, takes place piece-meal, certain sections being 

 nearly completed before others begin. Consequently there is 

 only a very brief period at the end of the summer when the new 

 coat exists as a whole. Then the transition begins again to the 

 usual coat which is completed early in October. In the modi- 

 fied coat the male is said to be in "summer plumage," or in a 

 "state of eclipse." 



Head: similar to that of female. Breast: mottled dull black 



