180 ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL 
on the breast and abdomen; flanks waved with rufous and 
black lines; under tail-coverts black, at the base of them on 
each side a white patch ; wings brown ; speculum black, metallic 
green on the upper part; tertials externally rufescent ; under 
wing-coverts brown, the inner one, with the axillaries, white ; 
tail brownish-black, with narrow rufescent edges to the feathers ; 
“irides black ; bill bluish-black ; the pectination of the upper 
mandible yellowish-brown ; feet dull slatey-grey ” (Buller). 
Female.—Head and upper portion of neck brown, the 
crown darker, each feather edged with rufous; sides of the 
head and throat with darker streaks ; lower part of neck behind 
and rest of upper surface dark brown, each feather margined with 
rufous ; lower parts rufous brown, each feather largely centred 
with brown; abdomen paler; sides and under tail-coverts 
darker; wings as in the male, but the upper wing-coverts with 
narrow rufous edges ; tail brown ; “ bill greyish-brown ; legs pale 
yellowish-brown ” (Buller). 
Young in down, “covered with thick soft down, 
blackish-brown, with lighter markings on the upper surface ; 
chin and under parts yellowish-brown” (Buller). 
Egg.—Dark cream colour, slightly greasy in surface ; 
five to eight in number. 
GENUS NESONETTA. 
Only one species of this rare and nearly extinct Duck is 
known, its chief peculiarity being the exceedingly short wings, 
which are quite useless for flight. A specimen was deposited 
in the Zoological Gardens in 1895. The bird from which my 
notes are taken is in the British Museum. 
