THE GADWALL. 187 
The female is very like that of the Mallard, but may 
be distinguished at once by her smaller size, very much 
smaller bill, and by the conspicuous white speculum (unfortu- 
nately not shown in our plate), as opposed tothe metallic 
purplish one of the female Mallard, to say nothing of the black 
patch above the white, and more or less of chestnut above this, 
which the Gadwall Duck exhibits, though in a less conspicuous 
degree, in common with the Drake. 
Just when they first come in we get males with the back of 
the neck and entire interscapulary region light brown, each 
feather narrowly fringed at the tip with dull white, and with 
the breast and abdomen covered with small light brown spots. 
Some of these seem to be young, but many are adults which 
have not yet emerged from the temporary eclipse, which the 
Drakes of this species, as well as of the Mallard, undergo 
towards the close of the breeding season. 
I DO not know that there is any other species that can be pro- 
perly included under the genus Chaulelasmus. Some authori- 
ties have so included the Marbled Duck ; but after carefully 
comparing the birds, I think that these range more appropri- 
ately with the Teal. Whether it would not be best to drop 
both Chaulelasmus and Querquedula, and unite all the species 
now included under these in the one genus Avas, is, to me, still 
a very moot point. 
