MORNING MALLARD SHOOTING FALL. 127 



breast, dark brownish r chestnut ; fore-part of back 

 light yellowish-brown, tinged with gray ; the rest 

 of the back brownish-black ; the rump black, 

 splendent, with green and purplish-blue reflections, 

 as are the recurved tail feathers. Upper surface 

 "of wings grayish-brown; the scapulars lighter, 

 except their inner webs, and with the anterior 

 dorsal feathers minutely undulated with brown. 

 The speculum, or beauty spot, on about ten of 

 the secondaries, is of brilliant changing purple and 

 green, edged with velvet black and white, the 

 anterior bands of black and white being on the 

 secondary coverts. Breasts, sides, and abdomen 

 very pale gray, minutely undulated with darker; 

 lower tail coverts black, with blue reflections. 



Length to end of tail, 24 inches ; to the end 

 of the claws,, 23 ; to the tips of the wings, 22 ; 

 extent of wings, 36 ; wing from flexure, 10£ ; 

 tail, 4J ; bill, 2^ ; tarsus, If ; middle toe, 2^ ; 

 its claw, T ^ ; weight from 2£ to 3 lbs. 



Adult Female : Bill black in the middle, dull 

 orange at the extremities and along the edges. 

 Iris as in the male, as are the feet. The gene- 

 ral color of the upper parts is pale yellowish- 

 brown, streaked and spotted with dusky-brown. 

 The feathers of the head are narrowly streaked; 



