210 FERRUGINOUS DUCK.
eddi-h brown; primaries, dusky blackish brown glossed with green,
part of the inner webs white, and the bases; secondaries, black at the
ends, the remainder, including the speculum, white, with below it a black
band edged with greyish while; tertiaries, dusky brown glossed with
green and purple, finely speckled with reddish brown. The tail, of
fourteen feathers, is dusky brownish black, with a faint tinge of
ferruginous—it is slightly wedge-shaped; upper tail coverts, dusky
ferruginous black, which colour comes downwards on the sides, distinctly
contrasting with the white of these parts; under tail coverts, white,
shewing a triangular-shaped spot. Tegs and toes, which are rather
large, dusky brownish grey, the middle toe is rather longer than the
outer one; claws, black; webs, dusky.
In the summer change of plumage the male resembles the female,
but is somewhat brighter-plumaged, the spots not so large, and more
on the wdiite of the breast.
The female, rather less in size than the male, and her colours less
pure, especially the chesnut and wdiite on the breast, has the bill
blackish grey; iris, not so distinctly wdiite; head, crown, and neck,
dark brown, with edgings of reddish or chesnut brown to the feathers,
the sides of the head the brightest coloured; the ring round the neck
is indistinct; the wdiite on the chin is less extended than in the
male. The breast above, brown, the feathers margined with pale
chesnut brown, lower down mottled all over with dusky and pale
brown, below white, on the sides and flanks yellowish brown; back
above, deep glossy dusky brown, with paler edgings to the feathers,
below didl white. The ridge of the wings i, white; primaries, greenish
black at the ends, light-coloured towards the base; secondaries, white
tipped with greenish black, thus exhibiting the speculum. Tail, blackish
brown; the upper tail coverts do not descend to the sides with the
black markings; under tail coverts, white. Legs and toes, blackish
grey.
' t h e young is of duller tints, the upper parts being of two shades
of brown, and the lower dusky brownish grey; by degrees, however,
it appears ' i n propria, persona.'
Lire plate is from a beautiful drawing taken from life by John
Gatcombe, Esq., of Wyndham Place, Plymouth.
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