STIOVELLER. 173 



white ; rump and upper tail-coverts brown, glossed with blackish- 

 green, the sides of the rump white ; tail brown, the feathers 

 edged with white, and the outer one wholly white ; lesser wing- 

 coverts pale greyish-blue; median tipped with white; greater 

 coverts, forming the speculum, brilliant green ; primaries umber- 

 brown ; tertials rich purplish-black ; lower neck and breast white ; 

 abdomen brownish-red ; lower tail-coverts brown, glossed with 

 blackish-green. 



Bill brownish-black ; irides yellow ; legs orange. Length 20 

 inches; wing 10; tail 3 \ ; bill 2| ; tarsus 1J ; mid-toe 1J. 



The female has the head pale reddish-brown with fine dusky 

 streaks ; the rest of the upper parts dark brown, the feathers 

 edged with reddish white; lesser wing-coverts slightly tinged 

 with pale blue ; speculum not so bright as in the male ; under parts 

 reddish, with large brown spots. 



Towards the end of summer, the male bird puts on a peculiar 

 livery, something like that of the female, but with the head black. 



The Shoveller is found throughout India in the cold weather in 

 small parties, often mixed with Gadwalls and other species ; feeding 

 near the edges of tanks in shallow water among weeds, chiefly on 

 minute worms and larvae, which it sifts from the mud. It is often 

 late in leaving this country. It is found over both Continents, 

 breeding, in temperate as well as in northern regions, in marshes, 

 and laying ten to twelve oil-green eggs. The intestines of this 

 Duck are very long, from 9 to 10 feet. 



Other species of Shoveller are found in Africa, South America, 

 and Australia ; and Malacorliynclius membranaceus (Latham) is a 

 somewhat allied form, from New Holland, with the edge of the 

 bill prolonged on each side into a hanging membranous flap. 



Gen. Anas, Linn, (as restricted). 



Char. — Bill of moderate length, depressed throughout, not so 

 deep at the base as wide, nearly of uniform width ; the lam elite 

 short, projecting very slightly ; the tip rounded ; nostrils near the 

 base ; tail short, of sixteen feathers ; the middle tail feathers of 

 some more or less curled upwards. 



