292 
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 
parts of the neck, of a deep purplish-blue, with purplish-red reflections ; the 
lower hind neck and fore part of back, brownish-black, glossed with green, 
each feather with a curved band of pale reddish-buff, and a line or band of 
the same in the centre ; the hind part of the back greenish-brown, the 
feathers edged with paler. The smaller wing-coverts of a rich ultramarine 
blue, silky, with almost metallic lustre. Alula, primary coverts, and pri- 
mary quills, greyish-brown, edged with pale bluish ; outer secondaries of 
the same colour, those of the speculum duck-green, changing to blue and 
bronze, with a narrow line of white along their terminal margin; the inner 
greenish-black on the outer web, greenish-brown on the inner, with a cen- 
tral and narrow external margin of pale reddish-buff, the more elongated 
scapulars similar, but some of them margined with greenish-blue. Second- 
ary coverts brown, with their terminal portion white. Tail-feathers cho- 
colate-brown, slightly glossed with green, their margins buffy. The lower 
parts are pale reddish-orange, shaded on the breast with purplish-red, and 
thickly spotted with black, the number of roundish or elliptical spots on 
each feather varying from ten to twenty-five, those on the upper and hind 
parts of the sides running into transverse bars. Axillar feathers, some of 
the lower wing-coverts, and a patch on the side of the rump pure white ; 
lower tail-coverts brownish-black. 
Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of claws 14^, to end of wings also 
141; extent of wings 311; wing from flexure TrV ) tail 3 T S 2 ; bill along the 
back 11, from frontal process to tip 14; tarsus Ifh; first toe and claw yv; 
middle toe and claw Ilf; outer toe and claw l r V Weight 12§ oz. 
Adult Female. 
Bill greenish-dusky; iris hazel; feet of a duller yellow than those of the 
male ; the head and neck are pale dull buff, longitudinally marked with 
brownish-black lines, which are broader and darker on the top of the head; 
the fore part of the cheeks and the throat whitish, without markings. The 
upper parts are dark brown, the feathers margined with brownish-white ; 
the smaller wing-coverts coloured as in the male, but less brilliantly ; no 
blue on the scapulars, which are also less elongated. On the lower parts, 
the feathers are dusky-brown, broadly margined with light brownish-grey, 
of which there is a streak or spot in the centre. The axillary feathers, 
and some of the lower wing-coverts are white, but the patch of that colour 
so conspicuous in the male is wanting. 
Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of wings 14£, to end of claws 
1 5£; extent of wings 24; wing from flexure tail 2^; bill along the 
ridge 2 T V Weight 101 oz. 
The young birds are similar to the female, but paler, and without the 
green speculum. 
