43^ SCAUP DUCK. 



ranean, though not uncommon in the east, as well as on the Black 

 and Caspian Seas. During the cold season it also frequents the 

 coasts of Palestine. Egypt, and Northern Persia, but is unknown 

 in Turkestan and extremely rare in Northern India ; the mountains 

 and elevated table-land of Central Asia diverting its line of migration 

 to the east of the meridian of Lake Baikal, whence we trace it 

 southward to Japan, China, and Formosa. Across North America, 

 from the Pacific to the Atlantic, it is distributed north of lat. 50° in 

 summer, and down to Mexico and the West Indies in winter ; but 

 in Greenland it is of rare occurrence. There is also a smaller form 

 — of doubtful specific distinctness — known as the American or 

 Lesser Scaup, jF. affinis of Eyton {F. marilo'ides of Vigors) ; but the 

 example figured as the above in the earlier editions of ' Yarrell,' 

 and now iii the collection of Mr. F. Bond, appears to be a hybrid 

 between the Scaup and the Pochard, and is certainly not the 

 American bird. 



The nest is placed in rough herbage or among stones in the 

 vicinity of water, and the eggs, clay-buff in colour, are usually 6-1 1 

 in number, though as many as 22 have been found together, the 

 united produce of more than one female : average measurements 

 2 "6 by 175 in. The note is remarkably hoarse and discordant, 

 resembling the word scaups and its utterance is accompanied by a 

 peculiar toss of the bird's head. The food consists chiefly of 

 molluscs and sea-plants during winter, obtained by diving, over beds 

 of oyster- and mussel-shells known as 'scalp' or from reefs on which 

 tangle grows ; the bird is therefore almost uneatable, and, not being 

 an object of pursuit, is, as a rule, rather tame. 



The adult male has the head, neck, upper breast and back glossy- 

 black ; mantle finely vermiculated with greyish-brown and white ; 

 on the secondaries a white speculum terminated with greenish-black ; 

 quills, rump and tail-feathers brownish ; belly white ; bill pale blue ; 

 nail black ; irides straw-yellow ; legs and toes dull blue. Length 

 18 in. ; wing 8"5 in. The female has a broad white band round 

 the base of the bill, which is lead-coloured ; head and neck dark 

 brown ; upper breast and mantle rather lighter brown with greyish 

 vermiculations ; belly dull white ; flanks and under tail-coverts 

 mottled with brown. The young drake at first resembles the 

 female, and does not attain the full glossy-black head until he is 

 more than three years old. 



