122 AHRIGOM DKGLl ODDI. 



Besides I posscss in my Collection somc female spcci- 

 mens of Wigeon wliich, without prescnting any specifical 

 anomaly, have for example tho throat coloiired in white, 

 in reddish, in black or olhor intcrmediatc linos. I think 

 indced that Ihesc colonrs are not quitc abnormal, as 1 sup- 

 pose tliat no one of the scveral european A?iatid3g olTer 

 greater varieles of pkimage than the Wigeon. These 

 moreover are not so dilTerent amongst themselves as 

 those which are seen in the Honey-Buzzards or in the 

 Ruffs, bnt many specimens very and quite eqnal are not 

 easily found. Wigeon is one of the most common Dncks 

 in the Venetian higoons and sca, then I have pnt in my 

 Collection not less than seventy specimens which ofFer 

 many of these düferent colourings, which are more cons- 

 picuons in the adult males in summer dress, in semi- 

 adult males, and are seen especially on the head and neck 

 and on the wings in the young ones ; in females also therc 

 are difl'erences in the tint of general ground colonr of 

 npperparts, which is more or less dark; Ihereare white, 

 blackish or reddish spots as a large space on the throat, etc. 

 l think that the ditferences amongst the males are princi- 

 pally due to the age and to the summer plumage, which 

 sometimes is again clothed in the January, so that for 

 these the summer-dress, more or less compleied, lasls for 

 about seven mouths. I have also observed this thing in 

 other species, as in Pintail. This is no place or time to 

 explain at large speaking upon this moulling of which I 

 have collected much material and upon which 1 hope to 

 give henceforth some interesting noles. Now I wished 

 show thatl had not neglected that stränge fact that several 

 species of wild Ducks otTer various diflerences in their plu- 

 mage, which 1 do not ihink depends on true anomalies of 

 colour. 



Düfda acuta (Linna'us). — Pintail. 



N" 259 of Count Ninni's Collection. — Adult female. — 

 Semi-albino variety. 



Headpartly brownish-buff, lighter on the neck ; buffish 



