Contrihutions to the Ormthology of India, Sfc. 26-3 



fields ; here and there a shoveller, or a white-eyed duck, both of 

 which, when disturbed, cling- a g-ood deal to cover, would be 

 flushed ; but there were not one of these to ten of the marbled 

 duck. This species is not amongst first-class ducks for the table; 

 it ranks with the shoveller and the white-eyed duck, and after 

 obtaining" a goodly array of specimens, we never shot it, first 

 class ducks, gadwal, mallard, and pin-tail, as well as the Indian 

 canvas back [aythya ferina) being always available. 



The dimensions of this species are as follow : Male, length, 

 18-3 to 19 j expanse, 28-5 to 29*5; tail from vent, 3*6 to 4; 

 wing, 8'1 to 8'5; wings, when closed, reach to within 0*7 to 1'5 

 of end of tail ; bill at front, including nail, Vll to 1*85 ; tarsus, 

 1"44j to 1'52 j weight, 1 lb. 3 oz. to 1 lb. 5 oz. Female, length, 

 16-9 to 17-5 ; expanse, 27 to 28 ; tail from vent, 2-8 to 3-7 ; 

 wing, 7*9 to 8*1 ; wings, when closed, reach to within from 0"5 to 

 1 of end of tail; bill at front, 0*6 to 0'75 ; tarsus, 1*4! to 1'5 ; 

 weight, 1 lb. to 1 Tb. 3 oz. 



Description. — The legs and feet are dusky olive or dark horny 

 brown, with the claws and webs black ; or horny green, with 

 the claws and webs dark grey; the bill bluish grey, black on 

 culmen and tip, or dusky, bounded at the margins of the fea- 

 thers of the forehead and cheeks with a pale, leaden blue line, 

 continued along the margin of both mandibles to near the tip, 

 and a spot of the same color just above the nail; the irides are 

 brown. 



Plumage. — The male has the forehead, crown, occiput, and nape 

 brownish white, with numerous narrow, close-set, wavy, irregu- 

 lar, dark brown bars, which become more speckly on the occiput, 

 where also the g-round colour is a more rufescent brown. Fea- 

 thers immediately round the eye, very dark brown; a broad irre- 

 gular stripe over the eye, and a large patch on the side of the 

 head behind the eyes, moderately dark brown, shading into the 

 very dark brown immediately surrounding the eyes ; the whole 

 space between the sides of the upper mandible and the dark 

 feathers surrounding the eye, the whole sides of the head below 

 the dark eye and ear-patch, the whole chin, throat, and front of 

 the neck, slightly greyish, or brownish white, very narrowly, 

 regularly and closely streaked with brown. The lower parts, a 

 slightly brownish white ; the breast feathers with greyish brown 

 subterminal transverse bars, mostly more or less concealed by 

 the pale tippings of the superincumbent feathers, and only 

 clearly seen when the feathers are lifted; the sides and flanks 

 similar, but the subterminal bars much broader and some of the 

 flank feathers with several bars ; the vent feathers and lower 

 tail coverts, generally, with a slightly more rufescent tinge. 



