246 



ANI3IALS IN MENAGERIES. 



and throat : a white stripe passes through the eye, and 

 extends over the ears to the nape : the head and neck 

 are brownish rufous, sprinkled with small white spots ; 

 but the lower part of the neck and breast are variegated 

 with black bands : a white band extends down the mid- 

 dle of the scapulars, which are narrow, lengthened, and 

 pointed. The wing covers are bluish ash or cinereous; 

 the speculum of the wings is of a rich green, with a 

 delicate cinereous gloss, and is bordered by two white 

 lines : the body beneath is yellowish white, with the 

 flanks marked by zigzag black transverse lines : the bill 

 is blackish ; and the legs are dull lead-colour. 



In the female, the white bands on the head are varied 

 with black spots : throat white : upper plumage blackish 

 brown; the feathers with their margins paler: the spe- 

 culum on the wings is not so bright ; and the lower 

 parts of the breast and belly are white : the flanks and 

 abdomen are spotted with brown. The young male 

 birds, so soon as they begin to throw off the dress of the 

 female, at the beginning of winter, are stated to have 

 the white throat ; white intermixed with some dark 

 feathers ; the white eye-band, spotted with brov;n ; and 

 other indications of the male sex. 



It is really surprising, that such an acute observer as 

 Montagu should have placed this bird as a variety of 

 the common teal ; an error which renders all he has said 

 of the manners of the two species, as thrown into one, 

 perfectly useless. 



The Beautiful Duck. 



Boschas formosa, Sw. (Fig. 38.) 



Sides of the head pale buff: chin, and band from thence 

 to the eye, velvet- black : sides of the neck with a 

 green stripe, ending in black, and bordered by white : 

 crown black, margined by a white line. 



Anas formosa, Baikal Teal, Lath. Synop. vi. 557. 

 We introduce the description of this most elegant bird, 



to stimidate the efforts of our collectors to effect its intro- 



