TUFTED DUCK 319 



her clutch of from six to nine (in one instance a round dozen has 

 been recorded) pale greenish grey or stone -coloured eggs in a nest 

 which is sometimes skilfully concealed in a bilberry, juniper, or dwarf 

 willow bush, but more often in a hole in the ground surrounded by 

 bilberries and cranberries growing amidst tussocks of sedge and cotton- 

 grass. Dry broken sedge, overlain with a plentiful supply of the bird's 

 own down, forms the lining of the nest, so that when the duck leaves 

 her precious charge for a short time there is but little fear of the eggs 

 becoming chilled. From 2.5 to 2.65 inches is the length of the longer 

 diameter of the eggs. 



The idea that the American scaup-duck {A'yroca affinis or A^. 

 mariloides) has occurred wild in Great Britain is not founded on fact ; 

 and in one instance at least is based on the circumstance that a 

 presumed hybrid between the pochard and the white-eyed duck was 

 mistaken for that species. 



Tufted Duck '^^^ tufted duck, or tufted scaup-duck, as it is some- 

 (Nvroea fuliffula) ^^'^"'^s designated — the Ftdigula cristata of some 

 writers and Fidigula fiiligtda of others — is specially 

 characterised by the crest of plumes adorning the head in both sexes, 

 the black head and neck of the drake, and the uniformly coloured 

 back of both sexes. These three characteristic features are indeed 

 amply sufficient to differentiate the species from all its relatives, but 

 it may be advisable to append the following fuller diagnosis. 



In the breeding-plumage of the drake the crest is formed by the 

 long pendent feathers of the nape of the neck ; this crest, in common 

 with the rest of the head and neck, being black with purple reflections, 

 while the back, the fore part of the breast, and the under wing-coverts 

 are dull black without such gloss ; in marked contrast to this sable 

 garb are the white under-parts and wing-spot, the latter bordered with 

 black : as regards the bare parts, the beak is slaty grey with a black 

 " nail," while the eyes are golden yellow, and the legs and toes slaty 

 blue with black webs to the latter. During the period that he reverts 

 to the non-breeding livery the drake wears the less striking colours of 

 his partner, with the exception that some of the feathers of his full 

 dress are invariably retained. In the duck at all seasons the crest is 

 much less developed than in the drake, and sooty brown replaces the 

 black of her mate's breeding-dress, which on the under-parts are brown 

 with grey barrings ; the tout etiseinble being much less effective and 

 striking than is the case in the drake. Young birds differ from their 

 female parent merely by the white-spotted head ; and duckling are brown 



