CANVAS-BACK DUCK. 247 



curved, of the third toe larger and more ex- 

 panded than the rest. 



Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the 

 upper part of the head small and rather compact, 

 of the rest of the head and neck small, blended, 

 and glossy. Wings shortish, narrow, pointed ; pri- 

 mary quills strong, tapering, the first longest, the 

 second almost as long, the rest rapidly diminish- 

 ing ; secondary quills broad and rounded, the 

 inner elongated and tapering. Tail very short, 

 much rounded or wedge-shaped, of fourteen feath- 

 ers. 



Bill black, with a tinge of green. Iris bright 

 carmine. Upper part of the head and a space 

 along the base of the bill dusky ; a small, trans- 

 verse band of white on what is called the chin; 

 the rest of the head and the neck all round for 

 more than half its length of a rich brownish- 

 red. A broad belt of brownish-black occupies 

 the lower part of the neck and the fore part of 

 the body, of which the posterior part is the samo 

 color, more extended on the back than under the 

 tail. Back and scapulars white or grayish-white, 

 very minutely traversed by undulating black lines ; 

 wing-coverts similar, but darker. Alular feathers 

 grayish-brown. Primary quills brownish-black, 



