NETTA RUFINA 251 



"Iris yellow : bill brownish-red above, fleshy beneath, nail brown; legs 

 and feet murky-yellow." (Legoe) 



Measurements.— "Length 20'1 to 220 inches, expanse 33"75 to 37'0, 

 wing 90 to 10'2o, tail from vent 3'5 to 3'S, tarsus 1'5 to 1'75, bill from 

 gape 2'25 to 2'i. Weight 1 lb. 10 ozs. to 2 lbs. 6 ozs." (Hume.) 



"Young male similar to the female, but the darker centres of the 

 feathers of the underparts are brown, instead of grey ; back and breast 

 darker brown ; and more indications of a crest." (Seebokm.) 



Colours of the soft parts are those of the female, the legs and feet being 

 less tinged with red or orange, often of a uniform dull brown, barely tinged 

 on the shanks with reddish ; the irides are plain brown. The bill becomes 

 redder before the full plumage is assumed, but does not become really red 

 or crimson-red until the bird is practically adult. 



" Males in first nuptial dress have the underparts more suffused with 

 brown, the white not suffused with pink, and the bill much paler." 

 (Sccbohm.) 



" Males in moulting plumage very closely resemble the adult females, 

 but may be distinguished by the brighter colour of their bills and eyelids, 

 by the greater development of their crest, by the darker brown of the belly 

 and under tail-coverts, and by the -redder colour of the feet." (Salvadori.) 



" Young in Down are described by Baldamus as having the upper parts 

 dull olive-grey with a buff spot on each shoulder, and the underparts buff ; 

 a buff' stripe pisses over each eye, and through the eye runs a dark stripe, 

 which divides into two behind the eye." (Salvadori.) 



Distribution. — The habitat of the Eed-Crested Pochard may 

 roughly be said to be the countries surrounding the Mediterranean 

 and Central Western Asia. 



It is common in South Russia, Turkestan, Persia, Afghanistan, 

 Baluchistan, and thence, in winter, in India. Throughoiit the 

 countries of southern Europe it is common, and it ascends north as 

 a frequent straggler to Northern France, England, occasionally as 

 far as Scotland, North Germany (where it breeds), and Central 

 Russia. 



On the south coast of the Mediterranean it is much less common. 

 It is rare in Egypt and Tangiers, more common in Algiers, and 

 east of Algiers, but has not been recorded further \vest. 



In India, the Red-Crested Pochard occurs practically throughout 

 the whole of the north and Central India. It is common in the 

 North-west Provinces, the Punjab, Sind, Rajputana, and Gudh 

 Central India, and the Central Provinces, except in the south, and 



