TUFTED DUCK. 



433 



after which all trace of them was lost. The following June 

 a Tufted Duck made its appearance in the poultry-yard, 

 answered to the accustomed call, and took food from a 

 saucer for several days, until one morning it was accom- 

 panied by eleven young ones. Tufted Ducks bred in con- 

 finement in the ponds at the Gardens of the Zoological 

 Society, during the summers of 1839 to 1848. Mr. Sclater 

 says that in 1849 a Tufted Duck crossed with a Ferruginous 

 Duck {F. nyroca), and the hybrids thus produced continued 

 to breed either inter se or with one of the parents, till 1861 

 (P. Z. S. 1880, p. 624). Major E. A. Butler informs the 

 Editor that there is in the Belfast Museum a bird shot 

 near Downpatrick, which is apparently a hybrid between 

 the Tufted Duck and the Pochard. In general appearance 

 it takes after the latter, but it is much darker, has a rudi- 

 mentary crest, and the feathers of the neck have a purple 

 gloss. The result of a cross between a male of the Ameri- 

 can Wood Duck {Aix sponsa) and a female Tufted Duck 

 is described by Baillon. 



The adult 'male has the bill pale blue, except the nail, 

 which is black ; in form nearly parallel, or but little dilated 

 towards the point ; the irides brilliant golden-yellow ; the 

 head and neck glossy purplish-black ; the back, rump, tail, 

 and wings, black, except a small portion of each of the 

 secondaries of the wing, which is white, forming a white 

 bar, or speculum, but tipped with black ; the sides of the 

 head, behind and below the eyes, are tinged with purple ; 

 the occipital feathers considerably elongated, forming a 

 crest or tuft, from which the bird derives its name ; at the 

 chin a small triangular spot of white ; breast, belly, sides, 

 and flanks, pure white ; vent and under tail-coverts black ; 

 legs and toes dark blue, the webs black. The whole length 

 of the bird is seventeen inches; of the wing, from the 

 carpal joint to the end, eight inches ; the first and second 

 quill-feathers nearly equal in length. 



The female is dark brown on all those parts which in the 

 old male are black ; the white of the under surface of the 

 body less pure in colour, being tinged with grey, or pale ash- 



8 K 



VOL. IV. 



