Duck-shooting 1 2 1 



its movements when swimming are said to resem- 

 ble those of a side-wheel steamer. Young birds 

 of this species can fly, but as they grow older 

 they lose this power, and content themselves with 

 diving and swimming. Australia possesses, as 

 might be expected, a very peculiar sea-duck. In 

 this species both sexes are brownish black in color, 

 but the male is nearly twice the size of the female, 

 and has a large wattle under the chin. It flies 

 rarely, but is a wonderful diver, staying under 

 water a remarkably long time. The male in the 

 breeding season gives out a strong odor of musk. 



RUFOUS-CRESTED DUCK 

 (JVetta rttfina) 



Adult male — Head and upper neck, vinaceous rufous, the soft and 

 bushy crest, paler ; stripe on hind neck, rump, upper tail-coverts 

 and lower parts, brownish black ; back and scapulars, grayish 

 brown ; speculum, outer portion of scapulars, anterior border 

 and under side of wing, axillars and broad space on flanks, 

 white ; primaries, whitish, the tips of all and outer webs of first 

 five, grayish brown ; tail, grayish brown ; bill, bright vermilion- 

 red, tipped with white ; irides, reddish brown ; legs, orange-red. 



Measurements — Length, 21 inches; wing, 10.25 inches; tail, 4 

 inches; culmen, 2 inches; tarsus, 1.50 inches. 



Adult female — Crest smaller than adult male; top of head and 

 stripe on hind neck, hair brown ; rest of upper parts, grayish 

 brown, darker on rump and upper tail-coverts ; white scapular 

 patch wanting, and white border to wings indistinct ; speculum, 

 pale ashy, darker terminally and tipped with white; sides of 

 head, neck, and abdomen, pale ashy ; rest of lower parts, brown- 

 ish white, becoming white on under tail-coverts ; primaries, like 

 male but slightly darker ; bill, blackish tipped with pink ; irides, 

 hazel ; legs, pinkish ; palmations, blackish. 



