DUCK. 231 



of the upper mandible ; the lower part of the neck and breast white, 

 marked across with numerous, narrow, black bars ; the upper part 

 of the back pale grey, barred in the same manner with black ; the 

 lower part of the back and scapulars dusky ash; wing coverts white; 

 at the bend of the wing a blunt knob; below the white the feathers 

 have glossy green, or bluish edges, forming a kind of speculum ; 

 secondary quills dusky, with pale edges ; prime ones and tail black ; 

 the middle of the belly, thighs, and vent, white; over the thighs 

 barred dusky and white; legs black. 



This was met with at Staaten Land in January; but as the above 

 is described only from a painting at Sir Joseph Banks's, we can only 

 say, that it appears to be the Painted Duck, mentioned by Capt. 

 Cook,* which he says, in the size of the Muscovy Species; the 

 plumage most beautifully variegated ; the head and neck of the 

 female white ; but all the other feathers, as well as those of the head 

 and neck of the Drake, are of a dark variegated colour : both male 

 and female have a large spot of white on the wing. 



We have been much disappointed in not being able better to 

 ascertain the distinction between several of the last described ; some 

 of which we suspect to vary from difference of age or sex ; for as it 

 is well known, that many of this Genus are not complete in plumage 

 till the third year; such Varieties may occur in the intermediate 

 stages towards perfection. 



14 —MAGELLANIC GOOSE. 



Anas Magellanica, Ind. Orn. ii. 836. Gm. Lin. i. 505. 

 Oie des Terres Magellaniques, Buf. ix. 68. PL enl. 1006. 

 Magellanic Goose, Gen. Syn. vi. 443. 



LENGTH twenty-four inches. Bill short, black, the upper 

 mandible a little bent at the end ; head and part of the neck ferru- 

 ginous brown ; the rest of the neck, beginning of the back, breast, 



* Voy. i. 16. 



