THE POULTBY BOOK. 
297 
“ The common Wild duck, or Mallard, if not the most elegantly formed, is 
certainly one of the most beautifully-coloured species of its family. The plumage 
is dense and elastic, on the head and upper neck short and splendent, the feathers 
of the forehead stiffish ; of the cheeks and throat short, linear, slightly rounded ; 
of the rest of the neck shortish, and very soft ; on its lower anterior part, large, 
firm, glossy ; on the rest of the lower parts full and blended ; on the upper parts 
firmer. The wings are of moderate length, acute ; the primaries narrow and 
tapering, the second quill longest, the first scarcely a quarter of an inch shorter ; 
the secondaries a little incurvate, obliquely rounded ; the inner elongated, very 
broad, acuminate. The tail is short, much rounded, of sixteen broad, acuminate 
feathers, and four medial, incumbent, recurvate, reduplicate. 
The bill is greenish-yellow, darker towards the end, with the unguis deep brown, 
the lower mandible reddish-yellow, brown at the end. The iris brown. The feet 
reddish-orange, the membranes pale reddish-brown, the claws deep reddish-brown. 
The forehead is blackish-green, the head and upper neck vivid deep green, changing to 
deep violet. On the middle of the neck is a ring of white, not quite complete behind. 
The lower neck and a small part of the breast are very deep chestnut or purplish- 
brown. The anterior part of the back is yellowish-brown tinged with grey ; the 
scapulars grey, very minutely barred with brown ; the hind part of the back browmish- 
black, the rump deep green, as are the four recurved feathers of the tail, the rest 
being brownish-grey, broadly edged with white. The wing coverts are brownish-grey, 
as are the primary quills and coverts. The secondary coverts, excepting the inner, are 
white in the middle, with a terminal band of velvet black. About ten of the secondary 
quills have their outer webs brilliant deep green, changing to purplish-blue, with a 
black bar at the end, succeeded by white. The outer edges of the inner secondaries 
deep purplish-brown, the rest grey, minutely undulated with darker. The breast, 
sides, abdomen, and tibial feathers are greyish- white, very minutely undulated with 
dark- grey ; the feathers under the tail black, glossed with blue ; the axillars and 
lower wing coverts white. Length to end of tail, 24 inches ; extent of wings, 35 ; 
wing from flexure, 11 ; tail, ; bill along the ridge, 2 -^ ; along the edge of lower 
mandible, 2 -^^ ; its height at the base, 1 ; greatest breadth, 1 ; tarsus, 1^ ; first 
toe, -^- 2 “ ; its claw, second toe, 1-^-2 i claw, ; third toe, 2 ; its claw, > 
fourth toe, 1-^^ ; its claw, q^ 2 "* 
The female is considerably smaller, and very differently coloured. The bill is 
greenish-grey, darker towards the base ; the plumage of the upper parts dusky- 
brown ; the feathers edged with pale reddish-brown ; the throat whitish ; the lower 
parts yellowish-grey, faintly streaked and spotted with brown ; the speculum as in 
the male ; the middle tail-feathers straight. Length to the end of tail, 20 inches ; 
extent of wings, 32. 
“ The females renew their plumage annually in autumn, as do the males. But 
the latter undergo a singular change in summer, which is thus described by 
Mr. "VYaterton : — 
^ iVbout the 24th of May the breast and back of the drake exhibit the first 
