350 



DUCK. 



towards the end, deep blue grey, with the tip black ; irides golden ; 

 head feathers three inches long, forming a pendent crest; head, neck, 

 and breast, black ; the first glossed with green ; scapulars deep 

 blackish brown, sprinkled with minute cream-coloured dots, or 

 points, but not visible at a distance ; under wing coverts next the 

 body white ; wings dusky brown ; across them a narrow white bar ; 

 tail of fourteen brown feathers; belly and vent white, the last mixed 

 with dusky ; legs dusky blue, webs black. 



The female is like the male, but the crest is wanting, and the 

 black colour verges to brown. 



The young birds vary exceedingly in size and colour; differing 

 as much as eight or nine ounces between the weight of different 

 specimens; the plumage in such is more or less tinctured with brown, 

 with a greater or less mixture of it on the breast; but the belly is in 

 general white, and the white line across the wing conspicuous; but 

 in both sexes, and at all ages, may be noticed the seven sub-axillary 

 white feathers, the longest three inches and a half, decreasing out- 

 wards to about two inches; and for the most part the minute cream 

 coloured specks on the wings may be observed. Young birds of 

 this species, as well as of the Golden Eye, may be seen in the 

 London markets, with those of the Pochard and Wigeon, under the 

 common name of Dun Birds, and nothing but a knowledge of the 

 fact would prevent the purchaser from thinking them distinct in 

 species ; but in respect to the males of either, they may be easily 

 detected, by means of the trachea, which in shape and texture much 

 resembles that of the Pochard, but the bony, box-like portion is 

 elevated, and scarcely to be distinguished from that of the Scaup, 

 except in being smaller; the trachea itself also is of smaller dimen- 

 sions throughout. These comparisons can scarcely fail to identify the 

 species, if properly attended to. Scopoli mentions three Varieties. 



