203 
The female resembles the other sex in the 
disposition of the colours of her plumage, 
but, she wants that beautiful bronze so 
predominent on all the darker tints of the 
male ; she has also a small whitish spot in- 
stead of the protuberance on the forehead 
and is somewhat less in size. 
She generally prefers a rabbit burrow in 
the neighbourhood of the sea for her place 
of nidification ; and seems very particular 
in making her selection. In this burrow 
3he deposits from twelve to sixteen white 
eggs (about the size of those belonging to 
the Common Duck, but much more round- 
ed) upon the naked sand, and afterwards 
wraps them in down plucked from her own 
breast. During the time of incubation, 
which is about thirty days, the male is ve- 
ry assiduous in his attention to his mate, 
keeping a strict watch from some neigh- 
bouring eminence, and only leaving the 
vicinity of the nest once, or twice a day, in 
order to procure subsistance on the sea. 
The female also quits her eggs for the 
same purpose for a short time morning and 
evening, when the male enters the burrow* 
