292 BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 



parts of the neck, of a deep purplish-blue, with purplish-red reflections; the 

 lower hind neck and fore part of back, brownish-black, glossed with green, 

 each feather with a curved band of pale reddish-buff, and a line or band of 

 the same in the centre; the hind part of the back greenish-brown, the feathers 

 edged with paler. The smaller wing-coverts of a rich ultramarine blue, silky, 

 with almost metallic lustre. Alula, primary coverts, and primary quills, 

 greyish-brown, edged with pale bluish; outer secondaries of the same colour, 

 those of the speculum duck-green, changing to blue and bronze, with a nar- 

 row line of white along their terminal margin; the inner greenish-black on 

 the outer web, greenish-brown on the inner, with a central line and narrow 

 external margin of pale reddish-buff, the more elongated scapulars similar, 

 but some of them margined with greenish-blue. Secondary coverts brown, 

 with their terminal portion white. Tail-feathers chocolate-brown, slightly 

 glossed with green, their margins bufiy. The lower parts are pale reddish- 

 orange, shaded on the breast with purplish-red, and thickly spotted with 

 black, the number of roundish or elliptical spots on each feather varying 

 from ten to twenty-five, those on the upper and hind parts of the sides run- 

 ning into transverse bars. Axillar feathers, some of the lower wing-coverts, 

 and a patch on the side of the rump pure white; lower tail-coverts brownish- 

 black. 



Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of claws 14^, to end of wings also 

 14i; extent of wings 31i; wing from flexure l^k) tail 3^; bill along the 

 back li, from frontal process to tip 1^; tarsus 1 T %; first toe and claw -^; 

 middle toe and claw l|f; outer toe and claw 1-j^-. Weight 12|- oz. 



Adult Female. 



Bill greenish-dusky; iris hazel; feet of a duller yellow than those of the 

 male; the head and neck are pale dull buff, longitudinally marked with 

 brownish-black lines, which are broader and darker on the top of the head; 

 the fore part of the cheeks and the throat whitish, without markings. The 

 upper parts are dark brown, the feathers margined with brownish-white; the 

 smaller wing-coverts coloured as in the male, but less brilliantly; no blue on 

 the scapulars, which are also less elongated. On the lower parts, the feathers 

 are dusky-brown, broadly margined with light brownish-grey, of which there 

 is a streak or spot in the centre. The axillary feathers, and some of the 

 lower wing-coverts are white, but the patch of that colour so conspicuous in 

 the male is wanting. 



Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of wings 14j, to end of claws 15^; 

 extent of wings 24; wing from flexure 7i; tail 2^; bill along the ridge 

 2 T V Weight 10\ oz. 



The young birds are similar to the female, but paler, and without the green 

 speculum. 



