TUFTED DUCK 125 



thirteen in number, are greenish-yellow. Incubation com- 

 mences about the end of May. 



The Tufted Duck breeds in several English counties, 

 among which may be mentioned : Nottinghamshire, York- 

 shire, Lancashire, Northumberland, Norfolk, Sussex, Hamp- 

 shire and Dorset. In Scotland it has increased markedly 

 of late years as a breeding-species, the individual nesting 

 districts being far too numerous to mention (Harvie- 

 Brown, Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1896, and Proc. Koy. Phys. 

 Soc. Edin., 1895). 



It now breeds in several localities in Ireland, though 

 formerly in the time of Thompson (1849), it was but a 

 winter visitor. According to Mr. Ussher's investigation 

 since 1890, the bird has in all likelihood bred in the fol- 

 lowing counties : Kerry, Cork, Clare, Tipperary, West- 

 meath, Longford, Koscommon, Sligo, Leitrim, Fermanagh, 

 Monaghan, Armagh, Antrim, and Londonderry. In some 

 localities the breeding-birds have noticeably increased. 



The Tufted Duck is easily tamed and breeds in captivity ; 

 hybrids with the Ferruginous Duck and the Pochard have 

 been raised. 



Geographical distribution. Abroad, it breeds in the 

 Northern but Sub-arctic regions of Europe and Asia, migra- 

 ting in winter over the rest of these Continents, until India, 

 China, and Japan are reached. Wanderers extend their 

 journeys even to the neighbouring islands in the North 

 Pacific Ocean. On the African side the bird reaches 

 Abyssinia. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. Head, with its crest of 

 thin wavy feathers, neck and upper breast, glossy-black, 

 reflecting shades of purple and green ; back, scapulars, 

 wing-coverts, and under tail-coverts, duller black ; wing 

 speculum, white with a black border ; primaries and tail, 

 blackish-brown; lower breast and abdomen, white; flanks, 

 shaded with greyish-white. 



Adult male, post-nuptial or eclipse. Kesembles the 

 female plumage, but the brown is much darker, almost 

 black, and the flanks are streaked with black. 



Adult female nuptial. The black parts are replaced by 

 dark brown, and the breast and abdomen are shaded from 

 dirty white to brownish-grey. 



