BRITISH BIRDS. 
375 
bars of black : the ftioulders and back are marked 
nearly the fame, but on a darker ground: the 
fcapulars are long and narrow, and are ftriped with 
afli-colour, black and white. The belly, in fome, 
is white, in others pale reddifli yellow ; the lower 
part of it, and the vent, mottled with dulky fpots : 
the fides are freckled and waved with narrow lines 
of afli-coloured brown, more and more diftinftly 
marked towards the thighs, behind which this feries 
of feathers terminates in a ribband ftriped with afh, 
black, white, and lead-coloured blue. The coverts 
of the wings are of an agreeable bluifli afli, margin- 
ed with white : next to this the exterior webs of 
the middle quills are gloffy green, tipped with 
white, and form the beauty-fpot or fpangle of the 
wings, to which the white tips make a border : the 
primary quills are afti-brown, edged with white: 
tail dufky : legs lead colour. — The foregoing figure 
and defcription were taken from a male bird in 
full and perfed plumage. This fex is furniflied 
with a labyrinth. 
The female has an obfcure white mark over 
each eye ; the reft of the plumage is of a brownifli 
afh-colour, not unlike the female Teal ; but the 
wing wants the green fpot, which fufiiciently diftin- 
guiflies thefe birds.” 
It has not yet been noticed whether any of this 
fpecies ever remain to breed in England, where 
indeed they are rather a fcarce bird. 
