AMERICAN WIDGEON. 341 
outer webs black, margined with white, their inner webs brownish- 
grey. The tail-feathers are light brownish-grey. The throat is brown- 
ish-black ; the lower part of the neck in front, and the fore part of the 
breast, light brownish-red ; the breast, belly, and sides of the rump, 
white ; the sides of the body finely undulated with white and dusky ; 
the rump beneath and the lower tail-coverts black. 
Length to end of tail 203 inches, to end of claws 21; extent of 
wings 344; bill to frontal processes 175, along the edge of lower man- 
dible 144; wing from flexure 11; tail 44; tarsus 174; hind toe ;‘, its 
claw 24, middle toe 1;4, its claw #4. Weight 1 lb. 14 oz. 
Adult Female. Plate CCCXLV. Fig. 2. 
The female is considerably smaller. The bill, feet, and iris are 
coloured as in the male. The head and upper part of the neck all round, 
are white or reddish-white, longitudinally streaked with brownish- 
black, the top of the head transversely barred ; the lower part of the 
neck in front and behind, the fore part of the back, and the scapulars, 
"are blackish- brown, the feathers broadly margined with brownish-red, 
and barred with the same, the bars on the back narrow; the hind part 
of the back dusky; the upper tail-coverts barred with white. The 
wings are greyish-brown; the secondary coverts tipped with white ; 
the secondary quills are brownish-black, the inner greyish-brown, all 
margined with white. The tail-feathers are greyish-brown, margined 
with white. Ail the lower parts are white, excepting the feathers of 
the sides, and under the tail, which are broadly barred with dusky and 
light reddish-brown. 
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of claws 194; extent of 
wings 30; bill along the ridge 14%; wing from flexure 9,5 ; tail 3,4 ; 
tarsus 14%; middle toe 1,%, its claw 74. Weight 1 lb. 5 oz. 
A very great diversity of colouring exists in this species, which, 
however, is not yet properly understood. Although males are often 
found as described above, and as represented in the plate, others have 
a very different appearance. Thus, an individual shot at the mouth 
of the Mississippi, in the beginning of April 1837, has the head and 
neck brownish-orange, the feathers ail minutely tipped with dark green, 
the lower fore neck lilac; all the upper parts finely undulated with 
white and dusky, as are the sides; the wing-coverts light brownish- 
