216 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



Description. — Adult male, from Europe. 



Head, neck and upper breast glossy greenish-black ; back finely vermi- 

 culated with black and white ; quills, rump, upper and under tail-coverts 

 and tail dull black ; secondaries with a white speculum, margined with a 

 blackish border ; abdomen white. 



Iris yellow ; bill and feet pale slate-colour. 



Total length 19 inches, wing 8-50, culmen 1-80, tarsus I'lO. 



Adult female, front of head and chin white ; rest of head, neck, back, 

 and breast dark brownish-black, with slight vermiculations on the back ; 

 abdomen dull white. 



Although there appears to be no recorded instance of the 

 occurrence of the Scaup Duck in Tunisia, the species has been 

 obtained so close to the Tunisian frontier that I have no hesitation 

 in including it among the birds of the Kegency. Loche states that 

 he obtained a fine male specimen of this Duck on Lake Halloula, 

 and that the species is to be found in Algeria in autumn and winter. 

 Examples of this species from Algeria are preserved in the Milan 

 Museum, under the numbers 17,962 and 17,963. The Scaup appears 

 to be unrecorded from Marocco, but, according to Colonel Irby, it 

 has been met with occasionally in the Straits of Gibraltar in winter. 

 The species is a winter visitor in the Mediterranean generally, being 

 more abundant in the east than in the west of that basin, but it is 

 somewhat irregular in its appearance, and appears to be far more 

 abundant in some seasons than in others. 



Essentially a marine species, this Uuck is chiefly to be found on 

 the sea-coast, and rarely on inland waters. It is gregarious and to 

 be met with in large flocks, often in company with other allied species 

 of Ducks. It flies fairly swiftly and swims and dives expertly, being 

 able to remain submerged for a considerable length of time. Its 

 note is said to be a loud and harsh " scaup," whence its English 

 name. Its food consists largely of small shell-fish, but marine plants 

 and their seeds are also eaten. 



It is not particularly shy, and when engaged in feeding, may be 

 approached fairly closely. 



