l;">tj INDIAN DLCKS. 



" Irides deep red-brown ; bill grey -blue, livid blue, or bluish-j)luiubeous, the 

 tip black ; legs dusky lead, lead-grey, or, rarely, greenish lead-colour, dusky on 

 the joints and webs and with the claws dark. 



"Males (adults). — Length 19-U to lO-o inches, expanse 32-75 to 34-5, 

 wing 10 to 10-5, tail from vent 4*0 to 4-0; tarsus 1*4 to 1-0, bill from gape 

 1-7 to 1-82. Weight 1 lb. 5 ozs. to 1 lb. 10 ozs." {Hume.) 



During the early part of tlie cold weather tlie feathers of the breast have grey 

 edges, which make tlie whole breast a pale greyish-vinous; as tlie season progresses 

 the edges wear off and the breast gets richer in colour in consequence. 



Adult female. — Head and neck pale reddish-brown, richer posteriorly and 

 paler below, speckled with very dark brown ; rest of plumage above brown with 

 pale edges to the feathers, varying from almost white to rufous, the scapulars 

 and interscapulars more or less barred with the same ; smaller wingcoverts like 

 the back, median the same but with broader edges ; greater coverts with still 

 broader, paler edges ; quills plain brown ; a pale blackish-brown speculum edged 

 by the outer secondaries moi'e or less tipped white, and with the secondary next 

 the speculum having the outer web broadly white ; innermost secondaries 

 edged with fulvous. Lower ueck and breast I'eddish- brown, sometimes speckled 

 with darker ; lower breast, abdomen, and vent varying from white to uniform 

 pale, rather bright rufcus-bufF, the flanks and asillaries darker and often more 

 or less spotted brown. Lender tail-coverts the same as the abdomen, but with 

 the feathers centred dark. 



Bill slaty-blue, nail black, the base of the maxilla often darker, the mandible 

 with the connnissure, base, and often the tip darker and nearly black. Irides 

 from light dull to deep bright brown ; legs grey or drab marked with dusky as 

 in the male. 



" Length 17-8 to lJ)-25 inches, expanse 31-5 to 34-0, wing 9-3 to lO-o, tail from 

 vent 3-.5 to o, tarsus 1-4 to 1-6, bill from gape 1-68 to 1-8. Weight 1 lb. 3 ozs. 

 to 1 lb. 10 ozs. (Note that only one female out of 27 weighed more than 

 1 lb. 9 ozs.) " {Hume.) 



Young male. — Much like the female, but the upper parts, especially on the 

 rump aud upper tail-coverts, more grey than brown, and soon assuming the 

 vermiculated appearance of the adult male ; white about the speculum far more 

 developed, as is the speculum itself, and the breast and fore-neck are a richer 

 brown. 



Male in the first nuptial state or changing from the young into adult 

 stage. — Head rich brown, boldly spotted with black, less so below; upper back 

 and adjoining parts as in the female, but gradually changing to grey on the 

 loxAer back and rump, where it is beautifully vermiculated and stippled with 

 white : upper tail-coverts, scapulars, and innermost secondaries like the upper 

 back ; wing like the adult male, but the speculum inconspicuous ; lower parts as 

 in the female, but with the breast a very rich rufous, contrasting both with 

 fore- neck and abdomen. 



Nestling. — "May be distinguislied by the warm rufous tint of the cheeks 

 and throat and the absence of any loral streak ; the upper parts are, moreover, 

 of an almost uniform brow n, with hardly any signs of bars on the pinions." 

 {Yarrell) 



