296 



SHOVELLER DUCK. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed, rounded above; neck mode- 

 rate; body rather full, slightly depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little 

 behind the centre of the body; legs bare a little above the joint; tarsus very 

 short, moderately compressed, anteriorly with small scutella, and an external 

 short series of larger, on the other parts reticulated with small scales. Hind 

 toe very small, with a narrow free membrane; third toe longest, fourth 

 almost as long; the three anterior slender, with numerous oblique scutella, 

 and connected by webs which have the margin concave and denticulate; the 

 inner toe with a broad margin. Claws small, arched, compressed, acute; 

 that of middle toe slightly dilated on the inner edge. 



Plumage dense, soft, and elastic; of the head and neck short, blended, and 

 splendent; of the occiput and nape considerably elongated; of the other parts 

 in general broad and rounded. Wings of moderate length, acute; primaries 

 narrow and tapering, the first longest, the second very little shorter; the 

 secondaries broad, curved inwards; the inner elongated and tapering. Tail 

 short, rounded, of fourteen acute feathers, of which the two middle extend 

 five twelfths of an inch beyond the next. 



Bill greyish-black, tinged with yellow. Iris reddish-orange. Feet ver- 

 milion; claws dusky. Head and upper part of neck, deep green, with 

 purplish reflections, the top of the head of a darker tint with less vivid 

 gloss. A longitudinal band on the hind neck and the back, greyish-brown, 

 the feathers edged with paler; the rump and upper tail-coverts greenish- 

 black. The anterior scapulars white, the posterior elongated, light blue on 

 the outer web, longitudinally banded with white and greenish-black on the 

 inner. Smaller wing-coverts light blue; alula, primary coverts, and primary 

 quills, blackish-brown, their shafts white. Outer secondaries greyish-brown, 

 eight of them externally of a rich duck-green; the inner greenish-black, 

 with a longitudinal white streak; the secondary coverts broadly tipped with 

 white. Tail-feathers greyish-brown, irregularly variegated and margined 

 with reddish-white, that colour enlarging on the outer feathers. Lower 

 part of neck pure white; breast and middle part of abdomen dull purplish- 

 chestnut. A large patch of white on each side of the rump, with a band of 

 the same towards the tail; lower tail-coverts greenish-black, with bright 

 green and blue reflections; axillaries and lower wing-coverts pure white. 



Length to end of tail 20^ inches, to end of wings 19, to end of claws 2H; 

 extent of wings 31^; bill along the ridge 2-^; wing from flexure 9 T 8 2; tail 

 2|°; tarsus l^; first toe and claw y^; third toe 1 T 9 2, its claw ^ fourth toe 

 1 T 9 5 , its claw ff. Weight 1 lb. 9 oz. 



Female. 



Bill dull yellowish-green, iris paler than in the male; feet as in the male, 

 but lighter. The upper parts are blackish-brown, the feathers edged with 



