ANAS rCECILORHYNCHA. 133 



(23) ANAS PCECILORHYNCHA. 

 THE SPOT-BILL or GREY-DUCK. 



Anas pcecilorhyncha, Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 799 ; Hume, Str. Feaih. i, 

 p. 261 ; Adam, ibid. p. 402 ; Hume Sf Davis, ibid, iv, p. 489 ; Hume, 

 ibid, yii, p. 507 ; id. ibid, viii, p. 115 ; id. Cat. no. 959 : Hume c^' Mar, 

 Game-B. iii, p. 168; Legge, B. of Cey. p. 1073; Oates, B. of Brit. Burm. 

 ii, p. 283; Barnes, B. of Bom. p. 403; Hume, Xests ^' Eggs {Gates ed.), 

 iii, p. 289; Salvadori, Cat. B.M. xxvii, p. 209; BJanfonl, Fauna B.I. 

 iv, p. 436. 



Polionetta pcecilorhyncha, Oates, Game-B. ii, p. 150. 



Description. Adult male. — Crown from forehead to nape dark brown, a streak 

 of the same colour covering the lores and running through the eye to the back of 

 the ear ; coverts the same colour ; remainder of head and neck bulf-white, more 

 or less centred dusky, with the exception of the chin and throat ; upper parts 

 broTvn to brownish-black ; the scapulars paler and edged with pale brown, as are 

 some of the feathers of the back ; rump and upper tail-coverts deeper brown 

 still ; tail the same but darker and more glossy, the feathers edged pale ; lesser 

 and median wing-coverts grey, the greater ones dark grey, subtipped with white 

 and tipped black ; speculum glossy green, bordered on either side with black ; 

 secondaries tipped white, and inner secondaries with the outer webs more or 

 less broadly white, remainder of wings brown ; upper breast fulvous-white, the 

 feathers spotted with brown ; abdomen yet darker and browner, and the under 

 tail-coverts almost black. " Speculum .... a rich emerald-green in most lights, 

 a lovely rich blue or purple in others " {Hume). The amount of white on the inner 

 secondaries varies a good deal and the depth of coloration on the lower surface, 

 which is sometimes nearly white on the breast, whilst at other times the whole 

 of the lower parts are nearly unicoloured. The spots seem to increase in size 

 with age. 



Legs and feet deep coral-red ; claws black ; irides light to dark brown ; bill 

 black, terminal one-third or less of the bill varying from yellow to reddish-yellow 

 or orange ; a spot at the base of the bill on either side next the forehead 

 oi'ange-red to deep coral-red ; lower mandible black-tipped, the same as the 

 maxilla. 



"Length 23-8 to 25-9 inches, wing 10-6 to 11-2, tail from vent 4-7 to 5-8, 

 tarsus 1-84 to 1-93, bill from gape 2-4 to 2-75. Weight 2 lbs. 4 ozs. to 3 lbs. 

 5 ozs. {Hume.) 



Female adult. — Similar to the male, but smaller and perhaps rather paler in 

 coloration. 



Legs and feet duller red than in the male, as also are the spots on the bill, 

 '' AVing about ]0 inches " {l^ahadori). 



