SMEW 337 



as well as making; borders to the outer side of the scapular feathers. 

 For the period that the non-breediiiL^ dress is worn the drake becomes 

 like his partner in the matter of piumai^e. With the exception of a 

 black patch in front of each eye, the upper part of the head in the 

 female is reddish brown ; but the rest of the head and all the neck, 

 except a grey stripe down the hind surface, as well as the upper-parts 

 generally are ashy grey, becoming somewhat darker on the back ; the 

 under-parts are, on the other hand, white, with a grey tinge on the 

 fore part of the breast. In birds of the year the plumage is generally 

 similar to that of the female, but the upper-parts are mottled with 

 grey. In newly hatched smews the upper-parts, inclusive of the 

 back of the neck and most of the head, are blackish brown, but 

 there is a white spot at the base of the wing, and a pair of such 

 on each side of the back, while the breast and flanks are greyish 

 brown, and the remainder of the under-parts white. The breeding- 

 haunts of the smew include the extreme north of the Old World, 

 the British Museum possessing eggs from Lapland, the Kola Penin- 

 sula, the Petchora Valley, and the Ural Mountains, while others 

 have been obtained from Siberia. In winter, at which season it is 

 alone found in the British Isles, the smew journeys southward as far 

 as the Mediterranean countries, the Punjab and other districts of 

 north-western India, China, and even far Japan. Although far from 

 numerous and never met with in large flocks, the smew visits all the 

 coasts of the British Isles in winter, but more especially those on the 

 east side, being considerably more rare on the west. The great 

 majority of these visitors are, however, either birds of the year, in their 

 immature plumage, or females, and a British-killed drake of this 

 species in the full glory of its black and white livery is esteemed a 

 rarity. To Ireland the species is a rare and irregular, although 

 probably annual visitor, seldom making its appearance till mid-winter, 

 and being less uncommon in Leinster and Ulster than in either of the 

 two sister provinces. As a rule, such smew as visit our islands prefer 

 the protection afforded by harbours and estuaries where the water is 

 more or less brackish or even fresh, to the open sea on the one hand or to 

 inland lakes on the other. In very severe weather they will, however, seek 

 the shelter of inland waters, and most of the specimens offered from time 

 to time for sale in Dublin are stated to be obtained from such situations. 

 In India during winter the species is nearly always met with on inland 

 marshes and lakes, where it associates in small flocks or parties, 

 consisting mostly of immature birds. Like all its kindred, this bird is 

 an expert diver and swimmer, and. if threatened by danger generally 



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