ON TWO HYBRID DUCKS. -25 



apical part of tho foathers is more visible and tho colour 

 horo is still more iindiilated ; no black spots on the breast, 

 only a few liüU^ liiies on Iho nppor part of neck, linos more 

 visible on Ibe sides ; pari of breasl and abdomen wilh 

 sligbl brownish liltle lines not very dislincl like the 

 Pinlail ; and like the laller it has also zig-zags on the sides 

 of abdomen ; the lateral feathers of vent and of under tail- 

 coverls are white slightly yellow, this colour, as in the 

 cf Pinlail, forms a space and is seen very clearly, only 

 not so richly tinled; under lail-coverts black with some 

 feathers edged wilh white oi- enlirely white with brownish 

 spots in the middle ; the longer upper lail-covei'ls black on 

 the outer side and near the shaft also inwardly, white 

 inwardly, but where near the shaft Ihe two linls would 

 meet, there is a light buffish hue ; primaries darker 

 outwardly towards the top ; tail-feathers pearlish-grey 

 edged with greyish-white except the two central ones 

 which are longer and like those of cf Wigeon, to which 

 species the lail resembles very much. Total length about 

 23 inches; wing 11.3; lail 4.3; bill from forehead 1.85; 

 larsus 1.57 ; middle loe and claw 2.08. 



This beautiful bird, stutfed by Count Ninni, is easily 

 recognizable as a hybrid between the Wigeon and Pintail, 

 being in fact the intermedium between these two species. 

 It has like the Pintail, the long slender neck, the bill, the 

 colour of pileum, and of the whole wing except the 

 metallic tint of speculum, the black space on some of the 

 longer scapulars, the colour of lower belly and space of 

 the sides of vent and of under tail-coverts ; it has, like the 

 Wigeon, the hue of breast and lower fore-neck, the zig- 

 zags on the sides of breast mixed with vinaceous lint, the 

 metallic colour of the speculum, that of the lail and under 

 tail-coverts (see semi-ad. o^ Wigeon). Remarkable are the 

 two yellüwish- white spots on the sides. of the head and the 

 total absence of the two white slripes on each side of hind- 

 neck (see (^ Pinlail). , 



This hybrid is the second between Wigeon and Pintail 

 caught in llaly; Ihe lirsl was described togelher, with a 



