249 



Irides black ; bill bluish black, the pectination of the upper mandible yellowish brown ; feet dull slaty 

 grey. Length 17 inches; wing, from flexure, 8; tail 4; bill, along the ridge l - 65, along the edge of 

 lower mandible 175 ; tarsus 1*5 ; middle toe and claw 2 - 25. 



Adult female. Head and anterior portion of neck blackish brown ; the crown darker, and edged with 

 rufous ; the sides of the head, throat, and fore neck thickly speckled and mottled with fulvous grey ; 

 no gloss on the head, nor is there any marginal zone on the neck, the colours gradually blending ; lower 

 part of neck behind and all the upper surface dark fuscous, each feather broadly margined with pale 

 yellowish brown ; lower sides of neck and upper part of breast dark fulvous brown, and the abdomen 

 fulvous white, the feathers of these parts being largely centred with brown, and presenting on the sur- 

 face a soft mottled appearance; long plumage covering the flanks dark brown, broadly edged with 

 fulvous ; surface of wings and tail as in the male ; under tail-coverts brownish black, sometimes edged 

 with rufous. Bill greyish brown ; legs pale yellowish brown. 



Young male. Head and neck as in the adult female ; there is no gloss on the crown, nor white circlet 

 on the fore neck ; the lower part and sides of neck are dull ferruginous brown, each feather with a 

 central round spot of darker brown in its apical portion ; breast and abdomen rufous white mixed with 

 fulvous and obscurely spotted with brown ; scapulars, as well as the long plumage covering the flanks, 

 dark brown margined with fulvous, and showing little or no vermiculation ; under tail-coverts pale 

 rufous, blotched with dark brown; in place of the white rump-spots a few feathers freckled brown and 

 white. 



Varieties. In some examples of the male, the colour of the lower part of neck and breast deepens to a dark 

 chestnut, and the abdomen is mottled and banded with pale fulvous on a dark brown ground ; while in 

 others the white circlet is wanting, and the vermiculation on the upper parts is scarcely apparent. 



Obs. The female is somewhat smaller than the male. 



Some confusion has hitherto existed regarding this species, owing to the differences of plumage 

 exhibited by the male, female, and young ; but I trust that the above exhaustive account will 

 sufficiently clear up the difficulty. I have shot birds in the various states of plumage described 

 above, and have determined question of sex by careful dissection. 



This elegant little Duck is distributed all over the country, being met with in every inland 

 lake, and often hi the deep fresh-water streams which run into them, where the overhanging 

 vegetation affords ready shelter and concealment. It is a very indifferent flier, but swims well 

 and dives with facility. When shooting on a lake near Tiakitahuna, in the Upper Manawatu, 

 some years ago, I came upon a flock of sixty or more of these birds ; instead of taking wing- 

 when closely followed, they swam towards the shore, and, then forming into a line, they hurried 

 forward in a very impetuous manner, keeping close under the banks of the lake, and uttering a 

 low confused twitter. 



It nests in places contiguous to its ordinary haunts, always selecting a dry and secluded spot 

 for that purpose. Like many other Ducks, it forms its nest of dry grass, and lines the interior 

 with soft down plucked from its own body. The eggs, which vary in number from five to eight, 

 are very oval, large for the size of the bird, measuring 2*3 inches in length by 1-7 in breadth, and 

 of a dark cream-colour, with a slightly greasy surface. 



