638 BRITISH BIRDS. 



tree. On our return home we were able to verify the eggs by weighing 

 them. The eggs of the Smew are on an average smaller than those of 

 the Wigeon, but they are proportionally heavier. All my eggs of the 

 Smew weigh more than two scruples and a half ; a few of my largest eggs 

 of the Wigeon just balance that weight, whilst one only, an abnormally 

 rough egg, turns the scale. The following comparison of the difference 

 in the measurement in inches between two eggs of each of these species 

 will illustrate the point : 



Smew. Wigeon. 



1-9 by 1'48 weighs more than 2'25 by T55. 



2-05 by 1-5 ditto 2'2 by 1-55. 



The second Wigeon' s egg is the very rough one already spoken of. 



The eggs of the Smew are from seven to eight in number, creamy white, 

 fine-grained, and slightly glossy, indistinguishable from those of the 

 Wigeon except by weight. They vary in length from 2'05 to 1*9 inch, 

 and in breadth from 1*52 to 1'42 inch. No Wigeon's egg as small would 

 weigh two and a half scruples. The down is greyish white, scarcely dis- 

 tinguishable from that of the Golden-eye. 



In winter the Smew is a gregarious bird, being seen in small flocks, 

 which feed together for mutual safety, one generally keeping guard whilst 

 the rest are diving. 



The Smew is much smaller than the Goosander, and is scarcely larger than 

 the Wigeon. The adult male in nuptial dress has the whole of the under - 

 parts white vermiculated with grey on the flanks, and with a few brown 

 feathers amongst the under wing-coverts ; the head and neck are also white, 

 with a large black patch glossed with green on each side between the eye 

 and the base of the bill, and another on each side of the nape, where they 

 meet. The back is black ; there are two narrow black crescents on each 

 side of the breast ; the scapulars are white margined with black, and are 

 separated from the white median wing-coverts by a brown margin to the 

 wing ; the greater wing-coverts and secondaries are black tipped with 

 white; but the innermost secondaries are grey, and the primaries are 

 nearly black ; the rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail are grey. Bill slate- 

 grey ; legs and feet pale slate-grey, darker on the webs ; irides bright 

 red. 



The adult female has the forehead, crown, and nape chestnut, the fea- 

 thers of the latter elongated to a conspicuous crest. The rest of the upper 

 parts are slate-grey, obscurely barred with pale grey, and shading into 

 almost black on the lower back ; but the wings are coloured like those 

 of the male. A large black patch extends from the eye to the base 

 of the bill ; an ill-defined grey ring passes round the lower neck ; the 



