116 BLUB-WINGED TEAL.
the hind part of the back, greenish-brown, the feather» edged with
paler. The smaller wing-coverts Of a rich ultramarine blue, silky with
almost metallic lustre. Alula, primary coverts, and primary qnills,
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 whit.; along their terminal margin; the inner
greenish-black on the, outer w«b, greenish-brown on, the inner, with a
central line and narrow external margin ;of pale reddish-buff, the more
elongated scapulars similar, but some of th^m margined with gre^ishblue.
Secondary coverts brown, with tbmr .tenninal portion white,
Tail-feathers chocolate brown, slightly glossed with green, :§gifr margins
buffy. The lower parts are pale reddish-orange, shaded on, the
breast with purplish-red,, and thickly spotted with black, % number
of roundish or elliptical spols on. each featljer varying front M to
twenty-five, those on the .upper and him! parts of the sides running into
transversejjb^ojs. Axillar feathejp„ some, o£;$e lower wing-^e^ts-,
and a patch on the side. o f ; r u m p pure ,Yhjife; .lpwer tail-ecprts
brownish-black.
Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of claws. H i , to end of wings,
also 1,4] •, extent, of wings 311; wing from flexure 7,43 ; tail 3A ; bill
along the back 1|, from frontal process to tip ; tarsus toe
and claw ¡.middle toe and claw l , f l ; outer toe and claw 1&. he ight
Adult Female. Plato CCCXII1. Fig, 2.
Bill greenish-dusky ; iris h a z e l o f a duller yellow than those
of the male, the head and neck are pale dull butt; longitudinally marked
with brownish-blaek 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 arc dark brown, the-feathers margined
with brownish-white,; the smaller wing-covgrts 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: »
wanting. •. ' • • .. ' .>.-•••. '. '
Length te end of tail 15 inches, to end af wings 144, to end of,claws
BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 117
15" extent of wings 24; wing from flexure 7 i ; tail 2A ; bill along
the ridge 2TV Weight 10J oz.
Th»' young birds are similar fc thé female, but paler, and without
the green speculum.
In a male, the roof of the mouth is deeply concave, with a prominent
middle ridge, 011 which are a: few blunt papillae i to the upper mandible
are 50 lamellae, on the lower about 65 below,, and ,85 above. The
tongue, 8 twelfths large and fleshy, has two' rows of lateral bristles:
The cgsophagus'is: inches long, 4 twelfths in diameter until
the middle o'f the neck, when it enlarges gradually to half an inch. The
proventrieulus is i|'inchiiit length, with oblong glandules. The'stomach
is a strongA'itndish, gizzard, 1 inch and 2 twelfths long, 1$ inch
broad; its left; musclé 7 twelfths thick, the right 6¿ twelfths ; its cuticular
lining or epithelium of moderate, thickness and longitudinally
rugous. The intestine, 5 fétit 1 inch long, varies in diameter from. 3
to 2 twelfths ; the Ceeca w$ 2 inches 10 twelfths: long, cylindrical and
rounded, "their diameter 3 twelfths cloaca globular-. The contents
of the stomach were gravel and seeds of plants.
'••" The trachea is 6 inches and 2 twelfths long} its diameter at the
top 4 twelfths, at the middle 2 twelfths, at the lower part 3J twelfths.
The inferior larynx is formed of three or four united rings, and has an
irregular roundish bony expansion on the left side. • The number of
rings of the. trachea , is .98, of the bronchi about 25. The contractor
muscles are large; cleido-tracheales and sterno-tracheales.