THE SMEW 333 



smew. Although by no means a common bird 

 in any part of Britain, it cannot be considered 

 a rarity. A few are said to breed in Scotland, 

 but this, from all accounts, seems to be doubtful ; 

 its visits are chiefly from the autumn to the spring. 

 Colonel Irby thus describes its plumage : 



* Male. Head and upper neck glossy metallic 

 black, slightly crested ; lower neck and under 

 parts white ; rump and tail ashy -gray ; bill 

 blood-red ; iris red. 



' Female. Head and upper neck light chestnut, 

 crested ; above slate-gray, below white ; wing- 

 spot white.' 



In hard winters the smew is by no means in- 

 frequently to be met with in all parts of Britain 

 on our rivers and lakes. Those birds, however, 

 which venture inland are chiefly females and 

 immature males. It is a singularly smart-looking 

 and handsome bird. 



In winter its plumage is as follows : 



' Male. Black, gray, and white ; head and 

 neck white, slightly crested ; black stripe through 

 eye to nape ; rump ash-gray. 



' Female. Head and nape chestnut, crested ; 

 above slate- gray ; black patch from bill to eye ; 

 rump grayish-black. 



' Young Male. Like female, but has no black 

 patch between eye and bill.' 



The adult male is seventeen inches in length. 



A remarkably good specimen of an adult male 

 was shot by a friend of mine on the river Test in 



