375 
AIX SPONSA (BoIe), 
THE WOOD DUCK: SUMMER DUCK. 
Specific Character—Adult male—Chin throat and foreneck pure white, 
sending off laterally two branches, the first across the cheeks, back of and nearly 
to the posterior angle of the eye, the second across the lower part of the neck, 
almost tothe nape ; both bars tapering toward the end, and somewhat curved or 
falcate in shape ; a narrow white line begins at the point of the maxillary angle 
and is continued back on each side of the crown, widening considerably on each 
side of the crest ; a second white line commences about half an inch behind the 
eye, and nearly the same distance above the end of the white cheek bar and 
follows the lower edge of the crest, where considerably wider than anteriorly ; 
remainder of the head silky metallic green, violet and purple as follows: cheeks 
and space behind the white cheek bar soft violaceous black, in the latter region 
extending up to the lower white stripe but in the anterior area 
bounded above and anteriorly by dark metaiiic green, the orbital region 
and anterior half of the crest between the white lines metallic reddish 
purple, forehead, crown and posterior portion of the crest metallic green; 
terminal portion of the crest above, laterally, and beneath dark metallic violet. 
Jugulum rich purplish chestnut, with a metallic purple gloss laterally, the front 
and lower part marked with deltoid spots of white, growing larger toward the 
breast ; breast and abdomen immaculate white ; sides of the breast with a broad 
transverse bar of white and a wide black one immediately behind it; sides and 
flanks pale fulvous buff delicately undulated with black, the broad feathers form- 
ing the upper border, each beautifully marked with two black crescentic bars 
inclosing a white one ; crissum dull black fading gradually into dull rusty fulvous 
onthe anal region. Back, lesser wing coverts, and rump dark slaty brownish 
very faintly glossed with bronze, the wing coverts more slaty, the ramp much 
darker, and gradually deepening into black towards the upper tail coverts, which 
with the tail are deep black, the latter with bronze green reflections in certain 
lights; a somewhat ovate patch pointed posteriorly, of rich dark metallic maroon 
purple on each side of the rump immediately behind the flanks ; just behind this 
the two or three elongated lateral upper tail coverts are marked with a central 
stripe of deep fulvous falling gracefully over the sides of the crissum. Tertials 
and posterior scapulars intense black with rich velvety reflections of blue green 
and purple chiefly, the first in certain lights ; the longest tertial tipped with a 
wide bar of white, the next black to the end, the third much shorter, much nar- 
rower than the rest, pointed and of a dull greenish bronze colour ; middle and 
greater wing coverts steel blue narrowly tipped with black ; secondaries (speculum) 
purplish steel blue narrowly tipped with white and with a narrow subterminal 
black bar; primary coverts slate colour ; primaries with the exposed ends of the 
inner webs steel blue, the ends of the outer webs grayish or glaucous white, becom- 
ing slate colour basally ; lining of the wing spotted with slate colour and white. 
Sagittate longitudinal space on the culmen and terminal nail of the bill deep 
polished black ; an oblong space of milk white from nostril to the nail, a line or 
border of gamboge yellow following the basal outline of the bill, rest of bill dark 
purplish red, deepening into scarlet just behind the nostril ; iris bright orange 
red; eyelids deep vermillion ; legs and feet dull chrome yellow the webs and 
joints dusky. 
Totai length about 19.00 inches ; extent, 29.00; wing, 9.00; culmen, 1,40 ; 
tarsus, 1.40 ; middle toe, 1.70. 
29 (C.) 
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