108 LONG-TAILED DUCK.
elongated, acuminate, the posterior dccurved m er the wing. Wings
shortish, narrow, pointed ; primary quills curved, »trim«', tapering,* the
second longest, exceeding the first by about one twelfth'of an inch, the
rest rapidly dpBeasing; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner elongated
and pointed. Tail of fourteen pointed feathers, the outer very
short, the middle extremely attenuated and slightly recurved, the intermediate
proportional.
Bill black in its basal half, orange-yellow towards the end, ihe unguis
bluish-grey. Iris bright carmine, l'e'fct light b!u:.sh-»'rey, the
webs dusky, claws black. A large oblong greyish white patch on each
side of the head from the bill to .behind the! ear tire upper part of the
head and nape black, that colour being narrow«! in front by the encroachment
of the white, patches. The week all round, and anterior
half of the breast, of a rich dark chocolate-brown ; the back and wihgcovejta,
brownish-black;. the scapulars broadly margined with Ight
reddish-brown; the quills are of the same chocolate tinfca&the breast,
the secondaries, margined, externally with lighter, the primaries- internally.
.The middle four feathers of the tail brownish-Mack, the outer
two ot' these slightly margined wit,h uliitii.t all ijie rest whits, but the
inn® with a longitudinal dusky patch .on the outer
Length to end of tail 23 inches, to end of wings 15, t r e n d of. claws
17 ; extent of wings 2!),j;. wing front 'flexure % middle,tail-feathers
10, lateral tail-feathers 2£ ; bill a l o n g ^ ridge-1 A , along the edge of.
lower mandible I ; tarsus 1.,^; outer toe and claw 2y;3, middle .toe
and claw I.,'}, hind toe and claw
Female in summer, Plate, CCCXI I . Fig. ;!.
The female is somewhat less than the male, ami differs; not only in
colour, but in the scapulars, which are not elongated, and in the tail,
which is short and rounded. The bill and . feet are' dusky ¡¡r<ipi>,
the; iris, yellow. The head is dark greyi«h-browri, with a patch of
greyish-white surrounding the eye, but not. extending;t.o the bill;'
there is a larger patch of the same colour on the side, of the neck,
the hind part of which, is similar to the head, jthe.ibre part greyishlirown,
the leathers broadly margined with whitish. .All., the upper
parts are of a dark groyish-brown, the two lateral tail-feathers' edged
with white; the. lower parts white, the feathers under the wings slightly
tinged with grey.
LONG-TAILED DUCK. 109
l.ength to end of tail 15|. inches, to end of wings W . to end of
claWs 16| ; l'^xtentj-of^wings 26Ì ; wing from flexure 8 ; middle tailf
e a t h e « l a t e a « ^ t i l l along the ridge I .ft, atom? the edge of
lower mandible %%¥ > !
Adult malo in winter. Plate:OCOXIl. Fig: %
The outer half of the bill rich orange-yellow, that colour extending
to the base along the ridge, the,.unguis and the basal half black, as well
a s i t l unguis and edges -of the lower mandible.,«•'The head, nee» the
fore part ofJm«k .and scapulars, whit«;; the space about the eye pale
gEeyish-md, and a large oblong,patch of chocolate town on the side
of the neck. The upper .pa^ts, including the four middle tailrfeathers,
a r e brownish-black, but the secondary quills tinged with reddish-brown,
and haying paler margins. .The anterior-half- of the, breast chocolate
bio-», the, rest of the lower-; parts and the four- lateral: tail-feathers
white.
Unfledged young. Plate CCCXII.
The young- when newly excluded uro covered with stiffish down.
Bill.anc^ijet greenish-dusky,; the upper parts chocolate-brown: a small
s p ^ of. White under the..eyo.; tliroat and lower parts whitish, as well
as an Iibiorig.patcli on the cheeks.. ..
" ' .The, young male in winter, that is, after its first moult, has the M l
and logs .'dusky green. The head and half of the neck are whitish ;
thffipper part of the former and a patch on the side of the latter mottled
with brownish-black and chocolate. The upper parts brownish-black,
variegated with brownish-red, tho still unelongated scapulars chiefly of
the latter colour} A broad undefined belt of reddish-brown, over the
low«® fore part of the neck ; the rest of the lower parts greyish-white.
Length, to end .of tail 22 inches; i, extent of wings 29.
The young female,in winter is similar to the adult, but with the
upper parts paler, the light-coloured patches on the head and neck more
dusky, and the lower parts of a less puri! white.
Adult males, assuming the summer plumage, about April, present
a curious intermixture of the variously coloured feathers of the two
'ji 'sifBOftS