NYROCA FDLIGULA 285 



light greyish-blue, the nail and extreme tip being black ; the irides are golden 

 yellow ; the legs and feet vary like the bill ; there is often an olivaceous 

 tinge, especially on the tarsus, the joints have usually a dusky tinge, the 

 webs vary from dusky to almost black, and the claws from deep brown to 

 black." {Hume.) 



Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but has the black replaced by 

 brown, and the definition between the brown breast and the abdomen very 

 much blurred and mottled. A bird sent me from the Indian Museum, 

 Calcutta, has the whole of the lower parts rufescent, and tliey are mottled 

 everywhere with pale-brown, except on the very centre of the abdomen. 



Colours of soft parts. — The colours of the soft parts are the same as in 

 the male, but generally duller. 



Measurements.—" Length lo'2 to IG'T.j inches, expanse 26'7 to 287, 

 wing 7'G to S'O, tail from vent 2'6 to 3'0, tarsus 1'2 to 1'4, bill from gape 

 1"81 to 2'0. Weight 1 lb. 5 ozs. to 1 lb. 12 ozs." {Hume.) 



Crest about 1 to nearly 2 inches, rarely more than 1'5. 



A very fine young male in my collection is like the adult, but has the 

 breast colour weakly defined, has no gloss on the head, and has a white face 

 extending back fully half an inch from the base of the upper mandible. In 

 this bird the white feathers of the outer secondaries have black shafts, and 

 have also a narrow black margin to the outer webs. 



" Young- in first plumage.— Closely resemble tlie adult females, but are 

 paler brown, especially on tlie chin and throat, and have no metallic-green 

 gloss on the innermost secondaries ; there are many white feathers at the 

 base of the bill. 



" Males in post-nuptial dress have white margins to the black feathers 

 of the breast, a shorter crest, no green or purple gloss on the head, and a 

 small white spot on the chin." {Salcadori.) 



" Males in moulting plumage are intermediate in colour between males 

 in first plumage and males in post-nuptial plumage. 



" Young in down are dark brown, shading into nearly white on the belly." 

 {Seebohia.) 



Distribution. — Salvadori thus defines the habitat of the Tufted 

 Pochard : — 



" Palaearctic region from the Atlantic to the Pacific ; in the 

 Ethiopian region it extends as far south as Shoa, and apparently 

 breeds in the high lakes of Abyssinia ; in winter in South China, 

 Japan, and India, but not in Ceylon or Burma ; accidental in the 

 Malay Archipelago (Philippines and Borneo), and in the Polynesian 

 Islands (Marianne Island and Pelew Islands)." 



As regards its distribution in India, Hume gives very full details. 

 He vprites : — 



