SCAUP DUCK. 229 



Head of moderate size. Eyes small. Neck of moderate length, ra- 

 ther thick. Body comparatively short, compact, and depressed. Wings 

 small. Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind ; tarsus very 

 short, compressed, anteriorly with a series of broad scutella, externally of 

 which is another of smaller, the rest reticulated with angular scales. 

 Hind toe small, with a free membrane beneath ; anterior toes double the 

 length of the tarsus, united by reticulated membranes having a sinus at 

 their free margins, the outer and inner with loose somewhat lobed margi- 

 nal membranes, all obliquely scutellate above, the third and fourth about 

 equal and longest. Claws small, that of first toe very small and curved, 

 of middle toe largest, with an inner thin edge, of the rest very slender 

 and pointed. 



Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head and neck short and 

 velvety, those of the hind head a little elongated. Wings shortish, narrow, 

 pointed ; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the first longest, the 

 second very little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondary broad 

 and rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail very short, much 

 rounded, of fourteen feathers. 



Bill light greyish-blue, the ungviis blackish. Iris yellow. Feet grey- 

 ish-blue, the webs and claws black. The head, the whole neck, and the 

 fore part of the back and breast black, the head and neck glossed with 

 purple and green, the rest tinged with brown. Hind part of the back, 

 rump, abdomen, and upper and lower tail-coverts brownish-black. Mid- 

 dle of the back, scapulars, inner secondaries, anterior part of abdomen, 

 and sides greyish-white, beautifully marked with undulating black lines. 

 Middle of the breast white, wings light brownish-grey. Alula, primaries 

 at the base and end, and the greater part of secondaries, brownish-black ; 

 the speculum on the latter white. 



Length to end of tail 16^ inches, to end of claws 18 ; extent of wings 

 59; >ving from flexure 8^; tail ?.| ; bill along the back IJg, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 2; tarsus 1^ ; middle toe 2j%, its claw f|. 

 Weight 1 lb. 6 oz. 



Adult Female. Plate CCXXIX. Fig. 2. 



The female agrees with the male in the characters of the plumage, and 

 in the colours of the bare parts ; but those of the former differ consider- 

 ably. The head, neck, and fore part of the back and breast, are umber 

 brown ; and tlierc is a broad patch of white along the fore part of the 



