DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS. 209 



are white. In the female, the black is replaced by 

 dark brown, and the white with brownish-gray : the 

 white speculum remains. Many Tufted Ducks 

 breed, and are apparently resident in our islands in 

 certain inland districts ; but the majority of the 

 birds that occur round the coasts are migrants from 

 the north. This Duck begins to arrive off the 

 British coasts towards the end of October, and con- 

 tinues to do so into November. It remains in 

 our area until the following spring, passing north in 

 March and April. Its principal haunts are the more 

 low-lying coasts, especially in the vicinity of estuaries 

 and mud-banks. It is gregarious enough at this 

 season, some of the flocks consisting of many thou- 

 sands of birds. In its habits generally, it very closely 

 resembles the Scaup Duck, a species whose company 

 it often keeps. It swims in much the same low 

 manner, dives with equally marvellous adeptness, 

 and shows the same propensity for keeping well out 

 to sea during the day, coming shorewards and into 

 shallower water at night to feed. It rises from the 

 sea in the same apparently laboured way, striking 

 the water with its feet the splashing thus made by 

 a flock of birds being audible for a long distance. 

 Its alarm note during winter is a harsh kurr, but 

 the bird is not a very noisy one. The food of this 

 Duck consists of molluscs, small fish, and the roots, 

 stems, leaves, and buds of various water plants all 

 of which is obtained by diving, the bird sometimes 

 remaining beneath the surface for as long as a minute. 



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