tHE RED-CRESTED POCttARD. 3 



tended and more ashy ; crown of head sh'ghtly crested and 

 rufous-brown, extending down the hind-neck, where it becomes 

 more ashy ; lores, sides of face, and throat pale ashy-grey ; 

 remainder of under surface of body white, the sides of the 

 body and flanks pale earthy-brown ; under wing-coverts and 

 axillaries white, the lower primary-coverts and quill-lining pale 

 ashy ; " bill black, reddish or orange towards the tip, and more 

 or less so along the lower and on the edges of the upper 

 mandible" (A. O. Hume). Total length, 19 inches; culmen, 

 1*8; wing, lo-o; tail, 27; tarsus, 17. 



Nestling. — Uniform brown above, with an olive tinge, and 

 with a slightly indicated spot of yellow on each side of the 

 lower back ; lores, eyebrow, sides of face, and under surface of 

 body pale yellow ; through the eye a streak of dusky-olive ; 

 abdomen whiter ; sides of body brown, with an olive tinge. 



Young Birds. — Resemble the old female, and have the bill 

 and feet similarly coloured. According to Mr. Hume, these 

 vary in young males from olivaceous-orange to pale olive-yellow, 

 reddish-brown, or dusky with a reddish tinge. 



Hybrids. — The present species has been known to cross 

 with the Rosy-billed Duck {Metoponiana peposaca) and with the 

 Mallard. 



Characters. — The lobed hind-toe, the white wing-speculum, 

 and the chestnut crest in the male distinguish the species. 

 The female has the speculum more grey, but has no sign of 

 vermiculations on the back ; the axillaries are white. 



Range in Great Britain. — An accidental visitor, chiefly in win- 

 ter. It has occurred mostly on the eastern shores of England, 

 but the National Collection contains one example from Pem- 

 brokeshire, and the species has been met with once in Devon- 

 shire and once in Cornwall. One Scotch record is known : 

 viz., from Argyllshire, and one from Co. Kerry, in Ireland. 



Range outside the British Islands. — This Duck seldom occurs 

 away from Southern and Central Europe, and is only a rare 

 visitor to Holland, Belgium, or France, and has occurred but 

 once in Denmark. Its eastern range appears to extend to 

 Turkestan, though it is plentiful in Southern Russia, and in 

 winter it visits the Mediterranean countries, the Black and 



B ^ 



