ANAS. 95 



brownish white, in longitudinal streaks on head and neck and in 

 irregular transverse spots and bars on other portions; the dusky 

 predominating above, the white below ; wing nearly as in the male 

 but the chestnut absent or barely indicated, and the gray of the 

 wing-coverts more or less barred and tipped with white ; belly and 

 lower part of breast pure white, throat finely streaked with dusky. 

 Downy young : Above dull dark brownish, with a spot of sulphur- 

 yellow on each side of rump and back of each wing, the wings also 

 marked with this color; "forehead, space round the eye, throat, 

 and chest pale sulphur-yellow; abdomen white, shaded with sul- 

 phur-yellow, on the lower part sooty gray." (Dresser.) Male: 

 Length 19.25-21.75, wing 10.25-11.00, culmen 1.60-1.75, tarsus 1.45- 

 1.70, middle toe 1.80-1.90. Female: Length about 18.00, wing 

 10.00-10.25, culmen 1.55-1.65, tarsus 1.60, middle toe 1.75-1.80. 

 Eggs 2.09 X 1-57, pale buff or buffy white. Hab. Northern hemi- 

 sphere in general, breeding in temperate regions. 



135. A. strepera Linn. Gadwall. 

 b 2 . Distance from anterior border of nostril to tip of upper mandible less than 

 three times the distance from the same point to nearest feathers of 

 lores; lamellas coarser, less than 15 being visible from outside; tail- 

 feathers 14, the tail much graduated. (Adult males with forehead and 

 fore part of crown, posterior half of middle wing-covert region, and 

 belly, plain white ; speculum metallic green anteriorly, velvety black 

 posteriorly ; crop plain vinaeeous ; sides, flanks, scapulars, and back, 

 delicately waved with dusky upon a paler ground ; under tail-coverts 

 plain black.) (Subgenus Mareca Stephens.) 

 c 1 . Adult male in winter : Head and upper neck plain rufous, the forehead 

 varying from white to oehraceous ; crop and sides of breast vina- 

 eeous ; sides, flanks, and whole back white, waved with blackish. 

 Male after breeding season : " Head and neck as in the old female ; 

 back, scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, and wing dark ashy blackish 

 gray; the foi'e parts of the back with indistinct whitish vermic- 

 ulations, the rest of the back and scapulars edged with fulvous; 

 wings as in winter dress; but the larger coverts are ashy blue- 

 gray, not white, the median coverts being darker with rather 

 lighter edges ; tail as in the winter dress ; underparts white ; the 

 upper part of the breast and flanks rusty brown ; under tail-coverts 

 white with a grayish tinge, and having large blackish brown central 

 blotches." (Dresser.) 'Adult female : Head and upper neck pale 

 rusty, speckled and barred with dusky, especially on crown ; upper 

 parts dusky brown, the feathers edged and more or less barred with 

 pale brown and whitish ; white patch on wing-coverts merely indi- 

 cated by white tips to feathers ; speculum grayish, without lustre ; 

 -crop, sides, and flanks indistinctly barred with grayish brown, and 

 dull light rufous, or fulvous; rest of lower parts white, the lower 



