124 FULIGULA CRISTATA. 



part of the neck are black, with green and purple reflections. 

 The general colour is brownish-black ; the feathers of the 

 fore part of the back and the scapulars sprinkled with 

 minute ■white dots. Toward the margin of the black on the 

 fore part of the breast, the feathers are terminally margined 

 with greyish-white. The breast and sides are white ; the 

 abdominal region anteriorly greyish-white, mottled with 

 dusky in undulating lines, its hind part and the lower tail- 

 coverts brownish-black. The axillars and loAver Aving-coverts 

 are white, those toward the margin brownish-grey. There 

 is a white band on the wing, from the fourth primary to the 

 tenth secondary ; the inner secondaries and the tips of the 

 rest black, glossed with green. 



Length to end of tail IT inches ; extent of wings 30 ; 

 bill along the ridge 1^, from frontal angles 2, along the edge 

 of lower mandible 1^, its greatest breadth li ; wing from 

 flexure 8J ; tail 2j ; tarsus 1^ ; first toe -f^s its claw -^ ; 

 second toe 1-^ ; its claw -^-j ; third toe 2^^, its claw -f^ ; 

 fourth toe Sf-^, its claw -^. 



Female in Winter. — The female, which is much smaller, 

 has the bill and feet of a somewhat darker tint, the iris yel- 

 low ; the crest smaller, and with the rest of the head and the 

 upper part of the neck blackish-brown ; the lower fore neck 

 dusky, the feathers edged with brown ; the back and wings 

 brownish-black, faintly dotted Avith whitish-brown ; the Avhite 

 band on the wings as in the male ; the breast white, the sides 

 patched with brown ; the abdominal feathers and those under 

 the tail dusky tipped with whitish. 



Length to end of tail 15 inches ; extent of wings 28 ; bill 

 along the ridge l-f-^', tarsus 1-jL • middle toe 2, its claw jL. 



Variations. — Considerable differences in size, and in the 

 tints of the plumage occur. 



Habits. — The Tufted Pochard arrives in October, and 

 departs in April. It is generally dispersed over the country, 

 frequenting lakes, pools, marshes, and the still parts of rivers, 

 Avhere it feeds chiefly on insects, testaceous mollusca, and 



