CANVASS-BACK DUCK. 309 



of the tarsus, outer a little shorter. Claws small, compressed, that of the 

 first toe very small and curved, of the third toe larger and more expanded 

 than the rest. 



Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the upper part of the head 

 small and rather compact, of the rest of the head and neck small, blended, 

 and glossy. Wings shortish, narrow, pointed; primary quills strong, taper- 

 ing, the first longest, the second almost as long, the rest rapidly diminishing; 

 secondary quills broad and rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail 

 very short, much rounded, or wedge-shaped, of fourteen feathers. 



Bill black, with a tinge of green. Iris bright carmine. Upper part of the 

 head, and a space along the base of the bill, dusky; a small transverse band 

 of white on what is called the chin; the rest of the head, and the neck all 

 round, for more than half its length, of a rich brownish-red. A broad belt 

 of brownish-black occupies the lower part of the neck, and the fore part of 

 the body, of which the posterior part is of the same colour, more extended 

 on the back than under the tail. Back and scapulars white or greyish-white, 

 very minutely traversed by undulating black lines; wing-coverts similar but 

 darker. Alular feathers greyish-brown. Primary quills brownish-black, 

 tinged with grey towards the base; the shaft brown. Secondaries ash-grey, 

 whitish, and undulated with dark grey towards the end; five of them also 

 having a narrow stripe of black along their outer margin. Tail brownish- 

 grey, towards the end ash-grey. The lower parts white, the sides and abdo- 

 men marked with fine undulating grey lines, of which there are faint traces 

 on most of the other feathers. The feet are greyish-blue, tinged with 

 yellow. 



Length to end of tail 22 inches, to end of wings 20, to end of claws 25; 

 extent of wings 33; wing, from flexure, 9f; tail 2}§; bill along the back, 

 measured from the tip of the frontal process to the end of the unguis, 3; 

 lower mandible along the edge 2^; tarsus If; first toe T 6 2, its claw T 3 2-; mid- 

 dle toe 2||, its claw T 5 j; outer toe scarcely shorter; inner ^ shorter. 

 Weight 3| lbs. 



Adult Female. 



The female has the bill coloured as in the male; the iris reddish-brown; 

 j the feet lead-gray; the upper parts greyish-brown; the top of the head 

 darker, its anterior part light reddish; the chin whitish; the neck greyish- 

 brown, as are the sides and abdomen; the breast white; wing-coverts brown- 

 ish-grey; primary quills greyish-brown, dusky at the end; secondary quills 

 ash-grey, five of the inner with an external black margin, the innermost 

 greyish-brown, like the back, and with some of the scapulars faintly undu- 

 lated with darker. Tail greyish-brown, paler at the end; axillars and smaller 

 under wing-coverts white, as in the male. 



