The wild MaUard. Bofchas major. 



Numb. C, 



JTS Weight was two Pound four Ounces; Length, from the Tip of the Bill to the 

 End of the Tail, twenty five Inches and a half; Breadth, when the Wings were 

 extended, was thirty four Inches ; the Bill is of a greenifla yellow, from the Tip to 

 the Angles of the Mouth, two Inches and a half; Breadth one Inch, not very flat; 

 the upper Mandible hath at the End a round Tip or Nail ; the lower Eye-lids are 

 white: the Head and upper part of the Neck are of a delicate fhining green, then 

 follows a Ring, of white, which yet fails of being an intire Circle not coming round 

 behind ; from the white Ring, the Throat is of a chefnut Colour down to the Breaft ; 

 the Breaft it felf and Belly are of a white Afh-colour, fprinkled with innumerable dark 

 Specks as it were all Drops; under the Tail the Feathers are black; the upper fide of 

 the -Neck from cinereous is red, fprinkled in like manner with Spots ; the middle of 

 the back between the Wings is red, the lower part black, and (lill deeper on the 

 Rump with a Glofs of purple -, the Sides under the Wings, and the longer Feathers on 

 the Thighs are adorned with tranfverfe brown Lines, making a very fair Shew; ia 

 them the white Colour fcems to have a Mixture of blue. 



The leffer Rows of Wing-Feathers are red: the long fcapular Feathers are filver colour- 

 ed, elegantly variegated with tranfverfe brown Lines ; ia each Wing are tv/enty four Quills, 

 the oucmofi ten of a dusky brown ; the fecond Decad have white Tips, their outer 

 Webs are of a fliining purplifh blue Colour, but between the white and blue intercedes a 

 Eorder of black ; the Tip of the twenty firft is white, the exteriour Web of a dark purple ; 

 the middle part of the twenty fecond is a little filver coloured; the twenty third is wholly 

 of a filver Colour, yet the Edges on each fide are black; the twenty fourth is like- 

 wife of a filver Colour, only the exteriour Border black, the outmoft covert Feathers 

 are of the fame Colour with the Quills, but thofe immediately incumbent on the 

 purple blue Quills have black Tips, and next the Tips a broad Line or crofs Bar of 

 white, fo that the blue Spot is terminated with a double Line, firft black, and above that 

 white : the Tail hath twenty Feathers ending in fl:iarp Points, the four middle ones 

 of thefe are reflefted circularly towards the Head, beii.g black with a Glofs of purple; 

 the eight next to thefe on each fide are white, efpecially the outer ones and on their ex- 

 teriour Webs, the nearer to the reflevfied ones the greater Mixture of brown they 

 have ; the covert Feathers of the infide of the Wing, and the interiour baftard Wing 

 are white; the Legs and Feet of a faffron Colour; the Claws brown, but that of the 

 back Tee almoft white; the inmoft fore Toe is the leaft, the Meoibranes connedling 

 the Toes are of a more fordid Colour tlian t'ne Toes; the Wind-pipe at its Divarication 

 hath a VelTel called a Labyrinth ; the Lees are feathered down to the Knees. See the 

 Wild-Duck, Vol. I. Plate "99. 



A 3 " The 



