THE PINTAIL DUCK. 269 



the sides convex, the edges soft, with about fifty internal lamellae; unguis 

 small, somewhat triangular, curved abruptly at the broad end. Nostrils sub- 

 basal, lateral, rather small, oval, pervious. Lower mandible flattish, its 

 angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line very short, slightly convex, the 

 sides convex, the edges soft, with about sixty lamellas. 



Head of moderate size, compressed, the forehead rounded. Neck rather 

 long and slender. Body full and depressed. Wings rather small. Feet 

 very short, placed rather far back; tarsus very short, compressed, at its lower 

 part anteriorly with two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated 

 angular scales. Toes obliquely scutellate above; first very small, free, with 

 a narrow membrane beneath; third longest; fourth a little shorter, their con- 

 necting webs entire, reticulated, at the edge pectinate; claws small, curved, 

 compressed, acute, the hind one smaller and more curved, that of the third 

 toe with an inner sharp edge. 



PJumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head and neck short, on 

 the hi: d head and neck elongated. Wings narrow, of moderate length, 

 acute, the first quill longest, the second nearly equal, the rest rapidly gradu- 

 ated; outer secondaries broad and rounded; inner elongated and tapering, as 

 are their coats, and the scapulars; first quill serrated on the outer edge, some- 

 what like that of an Owl. Tail of moderate length, tapering, of fourteen 

 tapering feathers, of which the two middle project far beyond the rest. 



Bill black, the sides of upper mandible light blue. Iris brown. Feet 

 greyish-blue; claws black. Head, throat, and upper part of neck anteriorly 

 greenish-brown, faintly margined behind with purplish-red; a small part of 

 hind neck dark green; the rest, and the upper parts in general beautifully 

 undulated with very narrow bars of brownish-black and yellowish-white; 

 smaller wing-coverts, alula, and primary quills grey, the latter dark brown 

 towards the end; speculum of a coppery-red, changing to dull green, edged 

 anteriorly with light brownish-red, posteriorly with white; the inner secon- 

 daries, and the scapulars, black and green, with broad grey margins. Upper 

 tail-coverts cream-coloured, the outer webs blackish and green; tail light 

 grey, the middle feathers dark brown, glossed with green. On each side of 

 the neck is an oblique band of white, of which colour are the under parts in 

 general, the sides, however, undulated like the back; the lateral feathers of 

 the rump cream-coloured, the lower tail-coverts black, those at the sides 

 edged with white. 



Length to end of tail 29 inches; extent of wings 36; bill along the back 

 2 T 2 2, along the edge of lower mandible 2^; tarsus 1 T 8 2, middle toe 2, its 

 claw T %; wing from flexure 11, tail 5^. Weight 2 lbs. 



Adult Female. 



The female, which is much smaller, has the upper parts variegated with 



Vol. VI. 37 



