328 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



by the long purple-black crest of feathers from 

 which it derives its name. The head, neck, and 

 upper breast are of a similar colour ; the upper 

 parts of a duller black, the under parts white, 

 except the under tail-coverts, which are black ; 

 the bill is pale blue ; the legs and feet dark blue ; 

 the wing has a small white bar on its lower edge. 

 In the female the prevailing colour of the upper 

 parts is brown ; the under parts are brownish- 

 gray ; to this plumage the male changes during 

 the breeding season. Writing of this bird, 

 Saunders, in his 'Manual of British Birds,' 

 draws attention to the curious fact that the males 

 of this and many other varieties of the duck tribe 

 do not change fully, if at all, to the female 

 plumage during the breeding season unless they 

 have mated. 



The scaup duck, another of our autumnal visi- 

 tants, is said to breed on Loch Leven. I con- 

 clude that it most probably selects St. Serf's 

 Island for the purpose, in common with the 

 numerous other varieties of water-birds which 

 there retire for the purpose of breeding. It is 

 fairly common throughout the winter on our coasts. 

 I shot a specimen of this duck on the moat of 

 the old fort at Tilbury, opposite Gravesend. It 

 is of somewhat sombre plumage, the head, neck, 

 and breast being black ; the upper parts freckled 

 with gray and white, the under parts white ; rump 

 and tail brown ; bill pale blue ; legs and feet 

 grayish-blue. The female has the breast and neck 



