16 Mr. K. Swinhoe on a new Species q/*Nettapus. 



Kiukiang, gave me a more particular account of the species : 

 he said that in spring they are frequently seen perching on the 

 roof-tops of the houses in the place, that they were somewhat 

 tame, and that in summer he noticed a female and two or three 

 young ones paddling about in the patch of water behind their 

 houses ; he further stated that they were called by the French 

 priests there the " Canard d'dt^i," and by the Chinese Yew Ya. 

 He was fortunate enough to procure two couples on the 25th 

 of September, and has sent me a male and two females. What 

 surprises me is the appearance of the male bird of this trio, 

 which, otherwise attired in the garb of a male, has the neck 

 and upper breast marked as in the female, and wanting the 

 pectoral collar. Can the species have a winter dress different 

 from that of summer? if so, it would scarcely begin to acquire 

 it in September. I think, however, that the peculiarity is due 

 to its partially assuming after nidification the plumage of the 

 female, a strong anatine character, which shows its affinity 

 with the true ducks rather than with the geese. I would dedi- 

 cate this interesting novelty to Mr. Kopsch, who has taken 

 much pains to procure me specimens. 



Nettapus Kopschu, n. sp. 



Male. Crown of the head, upper back, and scapulars brown, 

 reflecting purple and green. (In a spring specimen in tlie col- 

 lection of P^re Heude at Shanghai the eyebrow, nape, throat, 

 cheeks, and lower neck were white, the back of the neck dingy, 

 with a collar on the lower neck, about a quarter of an inch broad, 

 of deep iridescent brown.) Our specimen has the white 

 markings dingy, the back of the neck brownish, the upper back 

 finely mottled with whitish, the lower neck and upper breast 

 waved with brown, each feather having two or three concentric 

 semicircles of wavy brown. These are the feminine peculiarities 

 it acquires after breeding ; but the markings are dingier and 

 not so well-defined as in the female. 



The rest of his dress, which I will now describe, is as in 

 spring. Back deep glossy green; tertiaries like scapulars, but 

 reflecting a brighter green ; coverts and secondaries deep duck- 

 green ; primaries black, reflecting deep green ; a broad bar of 

 white extends across the middle of the primaries, broadly 

 tipping the secondaries and edging the tertiaries ; upper tail- 

 coverts yellowish grey, with brown stems ; tail of twelve 

 feathers, angular at tips, 2*8 inches long, the outer quill "7 inch 

 shorter than the longest, greyish brown with green gloss; under- 

 parts dingy white, the feathers being brownish on their con- 

 cealed parts ; flanks light liver-brown ; under tail-coverts pure 

 white ; axillaries and dark parts of underwing deep black. 



