SUMMER DUCK. 229 



of red. The male measures 34 inches^ but the female 

 only 26|. The great peculiarity of the species is in 

 the naked warty skin surrounding the eye^ which is of 

 a rich red, which exists in both sexes, but is more con- 

 spicuous in the female. 



In a domesticated state, the sides of the head, throat, 

 and fore part of the neck are white, varied with black, 

 and having more or less white on all the under plumage : 

 the three first quills are also white ; the nine following 

 dusky brown, edged without, and tipt with green gold : 

 tail green gold ; the two outer feathers white. 



It is said that the musk will pair with the common 

 duck, and produce a cross breed ; but we have a parti- 

 cular aversion to such mongrel things, which, where no 

 object of utility is gained, we look upon as the deform- 

 ities, rather than as exhibiting the beauties, of nature. 

 The flesh of the musk duck is highly flavoured ; and, 

 from the size of the bird, it certainly is a species well 

 worthy of being more extensively propagated than it is 

 at present ; the singularity, also, of its tuberculated face 

 would render it a curious, if not an elegant, companion 

 among the more attractive ducks of our aquatic pre- 

 serves. It may here be mentioned, that its specific 

 name is derived from the whole bird possessing a shght 

 odour of musk, — a circumstance we have observed oy no 

 means uncommon in those Brazilian woodpeckers consti- 

 tuting the typical species of the genus Malacolaphus. 



The Summer or Tree Duck. 



Dendronessa sponsa, Swains. (Fig. 34.) 



Crest procumbent, varied with green, blue, and white. 



Anas sponsa, GmeJin, Syst. Nat. i. 539. Latham, Ind. Orn. n. 

 87 1. Dendronessa sponsa, Siv. Northern Zool. ii. 446. 

 Canard huppe, Buffon, PL Enl. 980, 981. Summer Duck, 

 Cateshijs Carolina, i. pi. 97. Ecbcards, pi. 101. Wilson, viii. 

 pi. 60. f. 3. Franklin's Joiirn. p. 702. 



The exquisite beauty of this duck is only surpassed by 

 that of the Dendronessa galericulata, commonly, but 

 Q 3 



