446 FERRUGINOUS DUCK. 



North Africa, and in winter is found in large flocks on the lakes of 

 Egypt, and thence to Abyssinia. In the temperate and elevated 

 regions of Asia it is generally numerous, and Mr. Hume says that 

 boat-loads of its eggs are brought into the market of Srinagar, in 

 Kashmir. During cold weather it is found over India down to 

 lat. 17° N., and as far east as Arrakan ; but in Eastern Siberia, 

 China and Japan it is represented by F. baeri. 



A nest found in Spain by the late Lord Lilford was placed amongst 

 high rushes, at a short distance from the water, and was composed 

 of dry water-plants with a lining of brownish-white down and a few 

 white feathers. Mr. W. E. Clarke describes the down as l^rownish- 

 black, with greyish tips at the point of insertion. The eggs, 7-14 

 in number, are whitish or pale buff-colour, sometimes with an 

 evanescent greenish tinge : measurements 2'\ by i-5 in. The food, 

 sought by day, consists partly of vegetable matter, but largely of 

 insects and their larvae, small molluscs, crustaceans &c. ; and there 

 is consequently great variation in the fitness of this Duck for the 

 table. Its diving powers can hardly be surpassed; it rises, however, 

 somewhat heavily, striking the water repeatedly with its feet, like a 

 Coot ; and it is not remarkably rapid \vhen on the wing, at which 

 time it has a very dark appearance, whence its Spanish name 

 " Negrete." By this fact and by its white wing-bar it may easily be 

 recognized. It is seldom seen on large open sheets of water, but 

 prefers weedy lakes and ponds, where it can find reeds and other 

 cover suited to its skulking nature ; in fact its resorts are somewhat 

 similar to those of a Little Grebe. The note is a harsh kirr, kere, 

 kirr. Mr, J. H. Gurney has known a drake live in captivity for 

 fifteen years. 



The adult male has the bill bluish-black ; irides white ; head, 

 neck and upper breast rich chestnut-brown, with a narrow brown 

 collar, and small white spot on the chin ; back and wing-coverts 

 umber brown with a tinge of green ; quills dusky black, part of 

 the inner webs white ; on the secondaries a white patch bordered 

 with black ; tail sooty-black ; lower breast and belly white ; flanks 

 chestnut-brown, vent greyish-brown, under tail-coverts white ; legs 

 and toes lead-colour, the webs darker. Length 16 in. ; wing 775 in. 

 The female is rather smaller ; her irides are not so white ; the head 

 and neck are of a darker brown, less rich in tone ; and the lower 

 breast and belly are seldom — though occasionally — as white as in 

 the male. The young bird of the year has even less of the chestnut 

 tint than the adult female. 



