222 ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL. 
to keep for any length of time. I feed it on small fish, meat, bread, and 
buckwheat, and it is very tame and gentle.” 
Male.—Winter plumage. The top of head, upper neck, 
back, and throat white; cheeks grey with blackish-brown 
patch over each ear; back and breast with wings brown of 
various shades; abdomen and wing-coverts white; tail much 
elongated black; legs lead colour; beak rose colour, tip and 
base black ; eye yellow. In summer plumage, the male has the 
crown, forehead, and sides of the head brown ; neck and breast 
black ; upper back black, splashed with white. 
Female.—Head and neck greyish-white ; upper breast 
reddish-brown ; back, wings, and tail dark brown; abdomen 
white ; legs and feet greyish-green, with black webs. 
Young.—In down “upper parts chocolate brown, a small 
spot of white under the eye and on the cheeks; throat and 
under parts whitish ; bill and feet dusky-greenish ” (Audubon). 
In first feather, young male, head and part of neck whitish, 
mottled with brown; upper body brownish-black, variegated 
with chestnut ; scapulars short, brownish-red ; a band of reddish- 
brown at lower fore-part of the neck; under body greyish- 
white. 
Egg.—Greenish-buff, both ends rounded; size of small 
bantam’s egg ; and it is said when quite fresh of an apple-green 
tint; six to ten in number. May—June. 
Nest Down.—Pale brown ; small. 
GENUS COSMONETTA. 
This genus contains but one species, closely allied to 
the preceding. 
