OXYURA MAC CO A
(Aves_Halel08. Hale]
Aves.—P late C Y I I I . M ale.
Mas. 0 . capite cerviceque posfcice nigro-brunneis; interscapularibus, scapularibus, pectore, lateribusque
croceo-badiis; abdomino sordide auranteo-brunneo brunneo-undato; rectricibus nigro-brunneis, rigidis,
angustis; alis subbrunneo-rubris; tectricibus huraerorum scapularibusque badio-sparsis; rostro
coeruleo; pcdibus brunneo-rubris.
Fcem. O. superne brmmea, flavo-bmoneo-sparsa; fascia supra oculutn alba; gala alba ; guttere imo, pec-
fore que summo brunneis, pliimis griseo-albo marginatis; abdomine rufo-albo, branneo nebulato.
Mas.—L ongitudo e rostri apice ad basin caudee 14 unc. 6 lin.; caudse 3 nnc. 6 lin.
Oxtuba Maccoa. Catalogue of South African Museum, 1837.
Ebismatuea Maccoa, Eyton. Monograph of the Anatidse, p. 169, 1838.
ColourS -Ma/e.—The head, the sides of the neck near to the head, the
back of the neck, and the chin liver-brown or brownish black; interscapulars,
scapulars, upper tail coverts, sides of neck, throat, breast, flanks, and undertail
coverts, a colour intermediate between orpiment-orange and chestnut-
brown, the tint deep and shining; belly a dull pale reddish orange, pencilled
or clouded with brownish red. The shoulder coverts, the primary and
secondary quill coverts, and the primary, secondary, and tertiary quill
feathers intermediate between umber-brown and brownish red, the shoulder
coverts and the tertiary quill feathers powdered with chestnut-brown, the
first, also, broadly tipped with the same colour. Tail feathers liver-brown,
shafts a shining pitch black. Eyes dark brown. Bill a dark bright sky-
blue ; legs and toes dark brownish red with a tinge of purple; nails light
reddish brown.
F orm, &c.—Head moderately large, neck rather short, body somewhat
oval; tail rather long, the feathers graduated, hence the whole is fawnshaped—
the feathers are narrow, very rigid and blunt at the point. Legs
rather short, anteriorly covered with small plates, posteriorly with small
scales. Hinder toe with a broad membraneous edging, its claw short, much
curved and pointed. The three toes directed forwards, armed each with a
curved blunt claw, and connected to each other as far as the points by a
web. Bill short, high, and somewhat square at its base, flat, broad, and
rounded at its apex, the upper surface slightly convex. At the base,
superiorly, there is a slight projection on each side between which the
feathers of the forehead advance. These projections unite anteriorly and
descend as a slightly elevated and flattened ridge to within about half an
inch of the tip of the bill. Nostrils small, oval, and situated about the
middle of the bill, near to the ridge just referred to. Nail at apex of upper
mandible narrow, and towards its point strongly bent backwards; inner
edges of upper mandible strongly crenulated.