294 FEATHERED GAME 
wider upon the sides and flanks; under tail cov- 
erts black. Bill dull bluish; feet dull orange 
with dusky webs and nails. Iris reddish 
brown. 
The female is a little smaller than the male; 
bill orange yellow with splashes of dusky color 
upon it. Feet as in the male, perhaps a little 
more dingy in shade. Above, the bird is col- 
ored with a mixture of tawny yellow, brown 
and black. Little or no chestnut on wing cov- 
erts; speculum white. The young male dur- 
ing the first year resembles the female, as is 
the rule with most ducks of the year. 
In length this species is from twenty-one to 
twenty-three inches; in extent it averages from 
thirty-three to thirty-five inches. Weight about 
two and one-half pounds. 
The title, ‘‘blarting duck,’’ is given it in some 
localities from its noisy habits. The scientist 
has used a more euphonious word, but freely 
translated, streperus conveys the same idea. 
This species is almost entirely a citizen of 
the fresh water. In some portions of the coun- 
try it is known as the ‘‘Creek Duck’’ because 
of its marked fondness for small streams. In 
common with the other ‘‘river ducks’’ the Gad- 
