KETTA. 457 



tail brown ; primaries whity-brown, white towards the base, the 

 tips of all, the outer borders of the first five, and the greater part 

 of the first dark brown; secondaries creamy-white, each with a 

 subterminal brown bar and white tip ; tertiaries and most of the 

 wing-coverts greyish brown, the coverts near the edge of the 

 wing, sides of body, and sides of back at the junction of the 

 wings, under wing-coverts, and axillaries white; lower plumage 

 from breast to under tail-coverts glossy brownish black, browner in 

 the middle of the abdomen. 



Fig. 120. Bill of N. ruf.no. ^. 



Female almost uniform greyish brown above, scapulars rather 

 paler ; tail and quills as in male, except that the secondaries are 

 greyish white ; sides of head below eye and of neck, chin, throat, 

 and all lower parts whitish. This bird may be known from 

 females of other Pochards occurring in India by having the lower 

 surface white throughout. 



The adult male has the bill vermilion red, the nail whitish or 

 pink ; irides reddish brown ; legs and feet orange-red. Females 

 and young males have the bill black, reddish or orange towards the 

 tip ; irides brown ; legs brownish orange to yellow. 



Length of male 21 ; tail 3 ; wing 10-5 ; tarsus 1*75 ; bill from 

 gape 2'25. Females are slightly smaller. 



Distribution. This Pochard breeds in Southern Europe, Northern 

 Africa, the neighbourhood of the Black and Caspian Seas, Persia, 

 and Eastern Turkestan, It is a winter visitor throughout 

 Northern and Central India, but rare in the Deccan and farther 

 south. Layard, however, believed he saw it in Ceylon. It is- 

 found in Assam and Manipur, but has only been recorded from 

 Burma by Blyth, who quotes it, on unknown authority, from. 

 Bhamo. 



Habits, fyc. The Red-crested Pochard appears in Northern India 

 in the latter part of October or in November, and leaves about the 

 end of March. It often arrives in very large flocks, but when 

 settled for the winter keeps usually in moderate sized or very 

 small parties. It dives and swims well, has a strong heavy flight, 

 and is found chiefly on large jheels and tanks, or on rivers, 

 keeping to fairly open water. Its food is chiefly vegetable, though- 



