6 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
white at the ends, and slightly freckled with dusky, the inner 
ones with black margins, the innermost like the back and 
similarly freckled ; head, neck, and throat deep chestnut ; 
the fore-neck, as well as the sides of the neck and hind- 
neck, black, forming a broad collar; the chest black, varied 
with grey vermiculations ; breast and remainder of under 
surface ashy-white, powdered with grey vermiculations; vent 
and under tail-coverts black ; the sides of the body and flanks 
with somewhat plainer vermiculations ; under wing-coverts and 
axillaries white ; lower greater coverts greyish like the quill- 
lining; bill black at the base and at the tip, with an inter- 
mediate band of leaden-blue, varying in width ; feet bluish or 
slaty-grey, or dull leaden-grey, the webs black; iris yellow, 
becoming lac-red, according to Mr. Hume, in an old male. 
Total length, i8 inches; culmen, a-o; wing, 8-3; tail, 2 - 1 ; 
tarsus, I '4. 
Adnlt Female. — Different from the male. Upper surface 
rather more coarsely vermiculated, the lower back, rump, and 
upper tail-coverts dark brown ; crown of head reddish-brown 
like the neck and mantle, but the head much darker ; lores, 
feathers round the eye, sides of face, and throat whitish, with a 
patch of brown on the face ; lower throat and fore-neck and 
chest brown, washed with ochreous ; the chest-feathers brown 
with whitish margins; remainder of under surface of body 
whitish, mottled with light brown bases to the feathers, es- 
pecially distinct on the under tail-coverts ; the flanks brown 
with pale tips; axillaries and under wing-coverts white, with 
the edge of the wing ashy, like the lower primary-coverts and 
quill-lining ; bill duller than in the male ; feet dark leaden- 
grey; iris sometimes brown. Total length, 18 inches; cul- 
men, 2 0; wing, 8 t; tail, 2'2 ; tarsus, i'35. 
Yonng Birds. — According to Count Salvador!, the young 
males at first resemble the females, but are rather more rufous 
on the head and neck. In the second year they differ from 
fully adult birds in having the chestnut of the head and neck 
paler, and the black of the breast and upper back replaced by 
dark brown. 
Hybrids — These are numerous, and in some instances they 
have been recorded as the American Pochard, or have been 
