RHODONESSA CARYOl'HYLLACEA. 41 



Genus EHODOiSESSA. 



The genus Rlwdonessa, like the preceding, consists o£ but one species, 

 which species is confined to Indian limits. In adult or seini-ndult birds 

 the colour of the head is sufficient to define it at a glance ; should, however, 

 the bird be in its first plumage, reference must be made to its loreal 

 feathering, as mentioned in the key above. 



(7) RHODONESSA CARYOPHYLLACEA. 

 THE PINK-HEADED DUCK. 



Anas caryophyllacea, Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 800 ; Hume, Nesis Sf Eggs, p. 644 ; 



FairbanJc, ,Str. Featli. iv, p. 264; Davidson, ibid, vii, p. 9o ; BcdJ, ibid. 



p. 232; Hume, ibid. p. 492 ; id. ibid, viii, p. 801 ; Hume ^- Mar. Game-B. 



iii, pp. 174, 435 ; Barnes, B. of Bom. p. 404. 

 Ehodonessa caryophyllacea, Ball, Str. Feath. ii, ]>. 438 ; Hume, ibid, viii, 



p. llo; id. Cat. no. 960; Butler, Str. Featli. ix, p. 437; Jieid, ibid, x, 



p. 81 ; Hume d- Mar. Game-B. iii, pp. 173, 435; Oates, B. of Brit. Burm. 



ii, p. 284 ; A. Taylor, tStr. Feath. x, p. 531 ; Hume, ibid, xi, p. 344 ; Hume, 



JVests ,^- F/gs (Gates ed.), iii, p. 200; Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xxvii, p. 61; 



Inglis, Jour. B. JS. H. S. xv, p. 338 ; id. ibid, xvi, p. 75. 



Description. Adult male. — " Head, sides of neck, and liind-neck a beautiful 

 pale rosy pink, with, iu the breeding-season, a small tuft of still brighter rosy on 

 the top of the head ; throat dark brown ; rest of the plumage fine glossy dark 

 chocolate-brown, paler and less glossed beneath, but under tail-coverts very dark ; 

 mantle, scapulars, breast, and sides with very fine rosy-whitish vermiculations or 

 points ; edge of the wing whitish, speculum reddish-fa\^n or dull salmon-colour, 

 with a white band at the tip of the secondaries ; outer web and tip of the outer 

 primaries brown, the inner web and inner primaries buff; tertials glossy 

 chocolate-brown, narrowly edged with black on the outer web ; under wing- 

 coverts and quills beneath pale pink colour, with a satin lustre ; tail chocolate- 

 brown." {Salvadori.) 



In Jerdon and Barnes (Appendix Jerdon), in loco citato, we find the additions 

 " edge of the wing whitish, uppermost tertiaries rich glossy green." 



This is right and is shown in Hume and Marshall's plate, hut the average 

 bird has not so bright or light a green and has it even more glossy. 



The depth of the brown varies a good deal, and I am incHiied to thiidv that, 



