TES, TUFTED DUCK 
obtains its food chiefly at night. It flies well and power- 
fully, the noise of its rapidly beating wings being very 
characteristic in this species. It swims well, sitting 
rather low in the water, and is a wonderful diver, re- 
maining on occasion as much as a minute below the 
surface. It passes the day generally well out from shore, 
sleeping on the water, rarely visiting land. Its note, 
not often heard, is a harsh kurr. Its food consists of 
aquatic insects, worms, grubs, lizards, frogs, and small 
fishes, together with the roots, stems, leaves, or buds 
of water plants. In our islands the nest is made in May. 
This is placed amongst the vegetation on the banks of 
some mere or pond, and is made of dry grass and other 
vegetable scraps, lined with down. ‘The eight or ten 
eggs are greenish buff, and the female takes sole charge 
of the young. 
The diagnostic characters of the Tufted Duck are the 
metallic green and purple crown and neck, the con- 
spicuous crest, and the scarcely perceptible vermiculations 
on the upper parts (male); the white axillaries and 
alar speculum, and dark brown, unvermiculated head, 
neck, and upper parts (female). Length 16 to 17 inches. 
The Scaue (Fuligula marila) is a thorough salt-water 
species which occasionally visits the Metropolitan area. 
I find it recorded from Wanstead as a casual winter 
wanderer. ‘The diagnostic characters of the male are 
the metallic green and purple crown and neck and the 
white vermiculated with black lower back and scapulars ; 
of the female, the white alar speculum and axillaries, 
and the varying amount of white vermiculations on the 
upper parts. Length 18 inches. 
In conclusion I may also add that Swans (CyGNnINz#) 
and Grrsr (ANSERIN#) are accidental visitors to the 
Metropolitan area, and pass over it in some numbers 
during their spring and autumn migrations. V-shaped 
flocks of Geese may frequently be detected at a vast 
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