198 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



splendent and changeable ; the rest of the neck the 

 lower parts, the outer scapulars, and a large patch on 

 the wing, including the greater part of the smaller 

 coverts and some of the secondary coverts and quills 

 pure white ; tlie scapulars narrowly margined with black 

 as are the inner, lateral feathers ; the feathers on the 

 anterior edge of the wing are black, narrowly edged 

 with white. Alula, primary coverts, and primary 

 quills, deep black ; the feathers on the rump gradually 

 fade into grayish white, and those of the tail are 

 brownish gray, with the edges paler, and the shafts 

 dusky. 



Length to end of tail fourteen one-half inches.; ex- 

 tent of wings twenty-three, weight one pound. 



Adult . Female. — ^The female is much smaller ; the 

 plumage of the head , is not elongated as in the male, 

 but there is a ridge of longish feathers down the oc- 

 ciput, and nape. Bill, darker than the male ; feet, gray- 

 ish blue with webs of dusky ; head, upper part of the 

 neck, hind neck, back and wings grayish brown. A 

 short transverse white bank, from beneath the eye, and 

 a slight speck of the same on the lower eyelid. Six of 

 the secondary quills white on the outer web; lower 

 parts white, shaded with light grayish brown on the 

 sides ; tail dull grayish brown. 



Length to end of tail thirteen inches. JExtent of 

 wings twenty-two one-fourth, weight eight ounces. 



These ducks are among the smallest of the duck 

 tribe, and are very seldom shot, unless from sport of 

 shooting, or unless the hunter is having an exceedingly 

 hard run of luck, and finds nothing else to shoot. They 

 are very swift of flight, and as they go through the air 



