GADWALL DUCK. 257 



Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head short, of the occiput 

 and nape a little elongated, of the lower parts glossy, with the extremities 

 of the filaments stiffish. Wings rather long, little curved, pointed; the first 

 quill longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries very broad, but point- 

 ed, the inner much elongate:!, and tapering to a point. The tips of the fila- 

 ments of the outer web of the first primary are separated and curved a little 

 forwards. Tail short, rounded, of sixteen strong pointed feathers, of which 

 the middle pair project considerably. 



Bill bluish-black. Iris reddish-hazel. Feet dull orange-yellow, claws 

 brownish-black, webs dusky. Head light yellowish-red, the upper part and 

 nape much darker and barred with dusky; the rest dotted with the same. 

 The lower part of the neck, the sides of the body, the fore part of the back, 

 and the outer scapulars, undulated with dusky and yellowish-white, the bands 

 much larger and semicircular on the fore part of the neck and breast; the 

 latter white, the abdomen faintly and minutely undulated with brownish- 

 grey; the elongated scapulars brownish-grey, broadly margined with brown- 

 ish-red; the hind part of the back brownish-black; the rump all round, and 

 the upper and lower tail-coverts, bluish-black. The anterior smaller wing- 

 coverts are light grey, undulated with dusky, the middle coverts of a deep 

 rich chestnut-red; primary coverts brownish-grey, outer secondary coverts 

 darker and tinged with chestnut, the rest black, excepting the inner, which 

 are grey. Primaries and inner elongated secondaries brownish-grey, of 

 which colour also are the inner webs of the rest, part of the outer webs of 

 five of the outer black, and their terminal margins white, of which colour 

 are the whole outer webs of the three next to the inner elongated quills. 

 Tail brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler. 



Length to end of tail 21f inches, to end of wings 19, to end of claws 23|-; 

 extent of wings 35; bill along the ridge If, along the edge of lower man- 

 dible 1^; wing from flexure 11; tail 4|-; tarsus 1^; hind toe and claw \\ 

 second toe If, its claw T 4 f ; third toe 1^-, its claw T 4 2 -; outer toe Iff, its claw 

 T V Weight 1 lb. 10 oz. 



Adult Female. 



The female is considerably smaller. Bill dusky along the ridge, dull 

 yellowish-orange on the sides. Iris hazel. Feet of a fainter tint than in 

 the male. Upper part of head brownish-black, the feathers edged with light 

 reddish-brown; a streak over the eye, the cheeks., the upper part of the neck 

 all round, light yellowish-red tinged with grey, and marked with small 

 longitudinal dusky streaks, which are fainter on the throat, that part being 

 greyish-white; the rest of the neck, the sides, all the upper parts and the 

 lower rump feathers brownish-black, broadly margined with yellowish-red. 

 Wing-coverts brownish-grey, edged with paler; the wing otherwise as in 



Vol. VI. 35 



