12 
The male and female of this were by Linnaeus thought to 
be different species. We are however well assured of the 
contrary by our most kind friend Lord Seaforth, who pro- 
cured and favoured me with these specimens from Scotland. 
Mr. Simmons gave me a young female which he shot in 
one of the Orkneys. 
Dr. Latham’s description of it in his Synopsis is so good, 
that we cannot do better than follow him. 
Male . — “ Size of a Wigeon. Length one foot five inches : 
breadth twenty-six inches : weight eighteen ounces and three 
quarters, troy. Bill near an inch and half long, and black : 
irides hazel : between the bill and eye white, in some yel- 
lowish, or saffron colour*, extending a little over the eyes, 
and beyond. Crown of the head black, bounded by a reddish 
streak : on each side of the neck a perpendicular line of white, 
and above it a white spot; except this, the whole of the neck 
is black : round the breast is a white collar, broadest be- 
hind, where it is marked with black dots, and is bounded 
by a black band: between this and the wings is a transverse 
mark of white. The breast, below the collar, blueish ash 
colour. The back dusky brown, inclined to purple. Rump 
deep blue black. Belly and thighs black. Sides dull orange: 
on each side of the tail a spot of white. The prime quills 
dusky ash colour, some of them tipped with white. Tail 
brown. Legs blueish black.” 
Female . — £e Length thirteen inches and a half. Bill black : 
irides hazel : the forehead and between the bill and eye 
white : on the ear a spot of the same : head, neck, and back 
brown; palest on the fore part of the neck: upper part of 
the breast and rump rufous brown : lower part of the breast 
and belly barred with pale rufous and white, but the lower 
belly and thighs with rufous and brown: scapulars and 
wing-coverts rufous brown ; the outer greater ones blackish : 
quills and tail dusky, the last inclined to rufous: legs 
dusky.” 
* Muller. 
