250 DUSKY DUCK. 



marginal lamella? about forty on each side; the unguis obovate, curved, 

 abrupt at the end. Nasal groove elliptical, sub-basal, filled by the soft mem- 

 brane of the bill; nostrils sub-basal, placed near the ridge, longitudinal, 

 elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible slightly curved upwards, flattened, 

 with the angle very long, narrow, and rather pointed, the lamellse about 

 sixty. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed; neck rather long and slender; 

 body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little behind the centre of 

 the body; legs bare a little above the joint; tarsus short, a little compressed, 

 anteriorly with small scutella, externally of which is a series continuous with 

 those of the outer toe, laterally and behind with reticulated angular scales. 

 Hind toe extremely small, with a very narrow membrane; third toe longest, 

 fourth a little shorter, but longer than the second; the scutella of the second 

 and third oblique, of the outer transverse; the three anterior toes connected 

 by reticulated membranes, the outer w T ith a thick margin, the inner with the 

 margin extended into a slightly lobed web. Claws small, arched, com- 

 pressed, rather obtuse, that of the middle toe much larger, with a dilated, 

 thin edge. 



Plumage dense, soft, and elastic; on the head and neck the feathers linear- 

 oblong, on the other parts in general broad and rounded. Wings of mode- 

 rate breadth and length, acute; primaries narrow and tapering, the second 

 longest, the first very little shorter; secondaries broad, curved inwards, the 

 inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of eighteen acute 

 feathers, none of which are recurved. 



Bill yellowish-green, the unguis dusky. Iris dark brown. Feet orange- 

 red, the webs dusky. The upper part of the head is glossy brownish-black, 

 the feathers margined with light brown; the sides of the head and a band 

 over the eye are light greyish-brown, with longitudinal dusky streaks; the 

 middle of the neck is similar, but more dusky. The general colour is black- 

 ish-brown, a little paler beneath, all the feathers margined with pale reddish- 

 brown. The wing-coverts are gre} T ish-dusky, with a faint tinge of green; 

 the ends of the secondary coverts velvet-black. Primaries and their coverts 

 blackish-brown, with the shafts brown; secondaries darker; the speculum is 

 green, blue, violet, or amethyst purple, according to the light in which it is 

 viewed, bounded by velvet-black, the feathers also tipped with a narrow line 

 of white. The whole under surface of the wing, and the axillaries, white. 



Length to end of tail 24-| inches, to end of claws 26; extent of wings 38^; 

 bill 2 T \ along the back; wing from flexure 11^; tail 4^; tarsus Iff; middle 

 toe 2 T %, its claw T 4 2 -; first toe T S 2, its claw -fj. Weight 3 lbs. 



Adult Female. 



The female, which is somewhat smaller, resembles the male in colour, but 



