310 



PODICIPID^. 



Bengal, and also in Ajmere, and to breed in the higher valleys of the 

 Himalayas, in Beloochistan and Persia. A wood cut of the species is 

 given to aid identification. 



Mergellus.— /Se?%. 



Bill shorter and wider than in Mergus ; tip broad and much less 

 hooked ; mandible toothed. 



Mergellus albellus, Lin.; P. E.Am-, Gould. B. Eur. pi. 387; 

 Jerd. Birds Ind. iii. p. 818; 8tr. F. i. 265; iv. 31, 202; Murray, Ildhk., 

 Zool., 8fc., Sindy p. 240; Hume, Game B. Ind. iii. p. 293. — The 



Smew, 



Male, — A black patch with green reflections from the base of the 

 bill extending round the eye; head white, occiput with a longitudinal 

 black patch descending down the back of the neck ; chin, throat, neck, 

 breast (except two crescentic black bands) and lower parts white ; 

 flanks and thigh-coverts white, with dark zigzag transverse strias; 

 back black ; greacer wing-coverts glossy black, tipped with white ; 

 lesser wing-coverts partly white ; primaries dusky black ; secondaries 

 glossy black, edged narrowly and tipped with white, forming two narrow 

 bands across the wing ; tertiaries leaden grey ; upper tail-coverts and 

 tail greyish ash ; under tail-coverts white ; bill light plumbeous with 

 a bluish tinge; irides reddish brown ; legs and feet plumbeous. 



Length.— \1 to 18 inches, wing 7-55 to 8-5, tail 3-37 to 3-9, bill 1-5 . 

 to 1-6. 



The Female has thehead, crown, nape and hind neck reddish chestnut 

 brown ; sides of the neck white ; crest short ; back, upper tail-coverts 

 and tail deep ashy gre^' ; chin and throat white; breast greyish white ; 

 abdomen white ; flanks grey ; wings as in the male, but the dark parts 

 grey instead of black. 



Length.— \Q to 17 inches, wing 7-5 to 7-75, tail 3 to 3*2, bill at front 

 1-2 to 1-4. 



JJa7?.— Sind, Persia, Afghanistan, Punjab, Oudh, N. W. Provinces, 

 and North Guzerat. A winter visitant to India, arriving in Sind and 

 the Punjab about the last week in October. The Smew is a shy and 

 wary bird, taking to flight with great readiness. Smews are gregarious 

 and are always to be found in flocks of from 10 to 20 or 30, usually in 

 deep water on the Indus and other large rivers. Hume says — " They 

 are difficult to approach. They keep in deep water, far away from any 

 cover, and you can only shoot them from a boat, they can swim faster 

 than any ordinary native boat can be propelled, and are always on the 

 alert.'^ They feed on fish and Crustacea chiefly. 



Family, PODICIPID^. 



Tarsus compressed ; primaries short ; feet lobed ; tail very short, 

 almost wanting ; bill slightly curved above at the tip. 



