THE MALLARD. 
243 
and widened towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper mandible with the 
dorsal line sloping and a little concave, the ridge at the base broad and flat, 
towards the end broadly convex, as are the sides, the edges soft and rather 
obtuse, the marginal lamellae transverse, fifty on each side ; the unguis oval, 
curved, abrupt at the end. Nasal groove elliptical, sub-basal, filled by the 
soft membrane of the bill ; nostrils sub-basal, placed near the ridge, longi- 
tudinal, elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible slightly curved upwards, with 
the angle very long, narrow, and rather pointed, the lamellae about sixty. 
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed; neck rather long and slender; 
body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little behind the centre of 
the body ; legs bare a little above the joint ; tarsus short, a little compressed, 
anteriorly with small scutella, laterally and behind with reticulated angular 
scales. Hind toe extremely small, with a very narrow membrane ; third 
toe longest, fourth a little shorter, but longer than second ; all the toes 
covered above with numerous oblique scutella ; the three anterior connected 
by reticulated membranes, the outer with a thick margin, the inner with the 
margin extended into a slightly lobed web. Claws small, arched, com- 
pressed, rather acute, that of the middle toe much larger, with a dilated 
thin inner edge. 
Plumage dense, soft, and elastic ; of the head and neck short, blended, 
and splendent; of the other parts in general broad and rounded. Wings of 
moderate length, acute; primaries narrow and tapering, the second longest, 
the first very little shorter; secondaries broad, curved inwards, the inner 
elongated and tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of sixteen acute feathers, 
of which the four central are recurved. 
Bill greenish-yellow. Iris dark brown. Feet orange-red. Head and 
upper part of neck deep green, a ring of white about the middle of the neck ; 
lower part of the neck anteriorly, and fore part of breast, dark brownish- 
chestnut ; fore part of back light yellowish-brown, tinged with grey ; the 
rest of the back brownish-black, the rump black, splendent with green and 
purplish-blue reflections, as are the recurved tail-feathers. Upper surface of 
wings greyish-brown, the scapulars lighter except their inner webs, and with 
the anterior dorsal feathers minutely undulated with brown. The speculum 
on about ten of the secondaries is of brilliant changing purple and green, 
edged with velvet-black and white, the anterior bands of black and white 
being on the secondary coverts. Breast, sides, and abdomen, very pale grey, 
minutely undulated with darker ; lower tail-coverts black, with blue reflec- 
tions. 
Length to the end of the tail 24 inches, to the end of the claws 23, to the 
tips of the wings 22 ; extent of wings 36 ; wing from flexure 10i ; tail 4f ; 
bill 2, a o ; tarsus If; middle toe 2^, its claw T \. Weight from 2J to 3 lbs. 
