58 EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



They are pure white, varying in length from 21 to 2'0 inches, 

 and in breadth from 1"75 to 165 inch. The down with which the 

 nest is lined, like that of the Smew and other Ducks breeding in 

 holes, is very pale grey. 



THE SMEW. 

 (Mergus albellus.) 



Plate 15, Fig. 4. 



The Smew is a rare straggler in winter to the coasts and inland 

 waters of the British Islands, being most frequent in its occurrence 

 on the eastern coast line of England and Scotland. 



The geographical range of the Smew appears to extend from 

 the Pacific, across Siberia and North Eussia as far west as the 

 Baltic, and as far north as the Arctic Circle. It is not known to 

 visit Iceland or the Faroes, and is only an accidental wanderer on 

 migration to the coasts of Scandinavia. In West Eussia there is 

 no evidence of its breeding south of the Gulf of Finland ; but in 

 East Eussia, Bogdanow found it nesting in the valleys of the 

 Kama and Lower Volga, whilst Henke states that it breeds in the 

 delta of the latter river. In N.E. Eussia we did not succeed in 

 taking the nest of the Smew ; but having commissioned some 

 of the villagers to bring us eggs and down of Ducks, we were 

 delighted to receive a clutch of eggs which looked like Wigeon's 

 eggs, but accompanied by pale grey down. The man who 

 brought it knew the bird well, and told us that he had taken the 

 eggs from a hollow tree. On our return home we were able to 

 verify the eggs by weighing them. The eggs of the Smew are on 

 an average smaller than those of the Wigeon, but they are pro- 

 portionately heavier. All my eggs of the Smew weigh more than 

 two scruples and a half ; a few of my largest eggs of the Wigeon 

 just balance that weight, whilst one only, an abnormally rough 

 egg, turns the scale. 



The eggs of the Smew are from seven to eight in number, 

 creamy-white, fine-grained, and slightly glossy, indistinguishable 

 from those of the Wigeon except by weight. They vary in 

 length from 2"05 to 1*9 inch, and in breadth from 152 to 142 

 inch. No Wigeon's egg as large would weigh two and a half 

 scruples. The down is greyish -white, scarcely distinguishable 

 from that of the Golden-eye. 



