ANATID.E—DUCKS. 195 
RUDDY SHELDRAKE. 
Tadorna casarca (Linn.). 
Adult Male: Head pale creamy-rufous, white on forehead; 
a narrow ring round lower neck, primaries, upper tail-coverts 
and fail black ; wing-coverts white ; outer web of secondaries 
metallic-green, otherwise rufous-buff ; bill, legs and feet black ; 
irides brown. Length 24 to 25 inches ; culmen 1°7 ; wing 13 
fo-145 taligca5. LAsuS 2°25. 
Adult Female: Similar to male but without any ring 
round the neck ; fore part of head also paler. 
Young in first plumage: Are paler than adult females 
and have the wings and wing-coverts largely suffused with 
brown. 
Immature Birds: Closely resemble adult female. 
Distribution: Found in South-eastern Europe, where it 
breeds, as also in Northern Africa and in Central Asia. Com- 
mon winter visitant to India. Of rare occurrence in Northern 
Europe. 
Habitat: Fresh inland waters; reedy margins of rivers or 
lakes. 
(NON-DIVING DUCKS). 
Genus ANAS. 
WILD DUCK. 
Anas boscas Zinn. 
Adult Male: Head deep metallic-green; narrow collar white ; 
lower neck, fore part of back and chest chocolate ; scapulars 
grey and brown, pencilled with dusky-brown ; back, rump and 
middle tatlfeathers black, glossed more or less with purple ; 
outermost rectrices bordered with white ; central ones narrow 
and curled upwards ; wings greyish-brown, the sfecu/um deep 
metallic purple and green, bordered on either side by black and 
white ; under parts greyish-white, finely vermiculated with grey ; 
bill yellow ; legs and feet orange; irides dark brown. Length 
23 to 24 inches; culmen 2°25 ; wing 10°5 to 11; tarsus 2. 
In summer the female plumage is assumed by the male 
until October. 
e.2 
