— 76 — 



back of liead ; upper parts dull black ; wing patch white ; 

 under parts white ; eye golden yellow. 



The female has the black parts of the male replaced with 

 dull brown. Under parts brown barred with grey. Yoimg 

 birds somewhat resemble the female. 



317. White-eyed Duck. Fuligida nyroca (Guldenstadt). 



Nijroca leucofhthalma. Shelley, p. 288. 



Very abundant during the winter in Lower Egypt, where it 

 usually frequents reed-girt canals and ponds in preference to 

 more open pieces of water. 



Length about 16 inches. The adult male has the bill bluish ; 

 iris white ; head, neck, and upper breast rich chestnut ; chin 

 white ; back and wing coverts dull dark brown slightly glossed 

 with green ; wing bar white bordered with black ; lower breast 

 and belly white ; flanks brownish chestnut ; vent greyish. 



The female is slightly smaller and the chestnut less intense 

 in colour, and the eye is never so white as is that of the male ; 

 the under parts, moreover, are seldom, if ever, of so pure a white. 



318. Scaup. Fuligula marila (Linnaeus). 



Fuligula marila. Shelley, p. 290. 



This duck has been included by Shelley on the authority of 

 Von Heuglin, but if it occurs in the country it does so very 

 rarely. No example has ever come under my notice, and I 

 have never heard of a scaup having been shot here. 



Length 19 inches. The adult male has the head, neck 

 and upper breast black glossed with green ; under tail coverts 

 black ; mantle vermiculated with black and white ; under 

 parts and wing bar white. 



The female has a white band at the base of the bill ; head 

 and neck brownish black ; back and breast brown, the former 

 vermiculated with white ; flanks mottled with brown ; belly 

 dull white. 



319. Stiff -tailed Duck. Erismatura leucocephala (Scopoli). 



Erismatura leucocephala. Shelley, p. 291. 

 Shelley considered this duck to be tolerably plentiful in 

 Lower Egypt, although he only met with it ahve on one occasion. 

 I consider that it is probably more abundant than it appears to 

 be, and the fact that it is so seldom obtained or seen is due to its 

 retiring and almost grebe-like habits. 



