222 GAME SHOAL-WATER FOWL. 



the sides of the head and a band over the eye 

 are light grayish-brown, with longitudinal dusky 

 streaks ; the middle of the neck is similar, but 

 more dusky. The general color is blackish- 

 brown, a little paler beneath, all the feathers 

 margined with pale reddish-brown. The wing- 

 coverts are grayish-dusky, with a faint tinge of 

 green ; the ends of the secondary coverts velvet- 

 black. Primaries and their coverts blackish- 

 brown, with the shafts brown ; secondaries darker ; 

 the speculum is green, blue, violet, or amethyst- 

 purple, according to the light in which it is 

 viewed, bounded by velvet-black ; the feathers 

 also tipped with a narrow line of white. The 

 whole under surface of the wing and the axillaries 

 white. 



Length to end of tail, 24J inches ; extent of 

 wings, 38J-; weight, 3 pounds. 



Adult female : The female, which is somewhat 

 smaller, resembles the male in color, but is more 

 brown, and has the speculum of the same tints, but 

 without the white terminal line. 



Length to end of tail, 22 inches ; extent of 

 wings, 34£. 



In form and proportions the dusky duck is 

 very closely allied to the mallard. 



