RING-NECKED DUCK. 261 



sloping towards the end, the edges soft, with about forty-five internal la- 

 mellse, unguis obovate, curved. Nostrils subbasal, lateral, rather small, 

 oval, pervious. Lower mandible flat, with the angle very long and rather 

 narrow, the dorsal line very short, slightly convex, the edges with about 

 sixty-five lamellae and smaller intermediate ones above. 



Head of moderate size, neck rather long and slender, body full and 

 depressed, wings rather small. Feet very short, strong, placed rather 

 far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, at its lower part anteriorly 

 with two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated angular scales. 

 Toes scutellate above, first very small, free, with a broad membrane be- 

 neath, fourth longest, third scarcely shorter ; claws small, curved, com- 

 pressed, obtuse, the hind one smaller, more curved and acute, that of the 

 third toe with an inner sharp edge. 



Plumage dense, soft, blended, rather glossy. Feathers of the middle 

 of the head, and upper part of hind neck, very narrow and a little elon- 

 gated ; of the rest of the head and upper part of the neck very short, of 

 the back and lower parts in general broad and rounded. Wings of mo- 

 derate length, narrow, acute ; primaries curved, strong, tapering, first 

 longest, second very little shorter ; secondaries broad, rounded, short, the 

 inner longer and tapering. Tail very short, rather broad, much rounded, 

 of sixteen rounded feathers. 



Bill black, with a basal band, the edges of both mandibles, and a band 

 across the upper towards the end, pale blue. Iris yellow. Legs greyish- 

 blue, the webs brownish-black. The head, and upper part of the neck, 

 greenish-black, with purple reflexions. A brownish-red collar, broader 

 before, on the middle of the neck. Its lower part all round, as well as 

 the back, scapulars, smaller wing-coverts, and posterior part of abdomen, 

 brownish-black. Inner secondaries of the same colour, outer bluish-grey 

 on the outer web, light brown on the inner, as are the primaries, of which 

 the outer webs and tips are dark brown. Tail brownish-grey. Chin 

 white, breast greyish-white, sides and fore part of abdomen greyish- white, 

 minutely undulated with greyish-brown. 



Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 16 ; extent of wings 28 ; 

 wing from flexure 7| ; tail 2| ; bill along the back 9.^^, along the edge 

 of lower mandible Ij^ ; tarsus 1/j ; middle toe 2/g, its claw ^\. 



Adult Female. Flate CCXXXIV. Fig. 2. 



The Female has the neck umber brown, the upper part of the head 



