148 ANATID^. 



Length of bill to tarsus . 



— of middle toe 



uail 



' of outer toe 



n. 



lin. 



1 



3 



1 



10 





 2 











2f 



Colour of irides very dark-brown ; pupil dark bluish-black ; upper mandible 

 dusky, except from nostrils to base, where it is of a dull leaden-blue ; lower mandible 

 of a similar colour except the tip, which is dusky. Base (" plante") of feet and 

 back of legs black, of which colour also are the webs on the upper side ; tarsi and 

 toes of a pale bluish lead-colour, which also prevails in a longitudinal line on each 

 side of the toes, thus giving the feet a very handsome appearance, resembling that 

 of the gaunet. Tail-feathers fourteen in number. On dissection it was found to 

 be a female. 



With the exception of two pebbles and five or six of the Rissoa 

 lahiosa, the stomach was entirely filled with full-grown specimens 

 of Lacuna quadrifasciata, of which many were perfect. 



November 12, 1838. — H. Bell^ who killed the individual 

 just noticed, saw another similar one in the bay, when out in his 

 boat looking for wild-fowl. It allowed him to approach so near 

 that with his oar he pushed it under water, where, becoming- 

 entangled in a mass of sea-weeds, the bird was captured; he 

 could not perceive that it was in any way wounded. The wings 

 being fixed so as to prevent its escape, the duck was laid in the 

 bottom of the boat, where he was quite captivated by its tameness, 

 evinced (to use his own expression) " by its going swattering with 

 its bill into the little water that lay in the bottom of the boat." 

 He regretted the want of bread to give it, believing that the bird 

 would have eaten from his hand. So pleased was he with his 

 captive, that he set it at liberty lest it should be injured by any 

 one ; — a great stretch for a man who earns his livelihood by wild- 

 fowl shooting. He would have taken it to the taxidermist, 

 whom he supplied with all rarities, but was afraid the latter would 

 kill it. The next day he was grieved to find the poor bird, 

 not far from the place of its liberation, lying dead, with its eyes 

 picked out, and the body partly eaten, no doubt by some of the 

 larger species of gull. 



November 6, 1839. — A long-tailed duck, which was alone, was 



