12 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol, XI1i. 
The Tufted Duck breeds, as far as we know, throughout the northern 
portion of its range and in some parts very far south. Thus it 1s known 
with comparative certainty to breed in some of the upland Lakes of 
Abyssinia, in Southern Europe in many countries, and in Central Asia. 
The nest is typically rather a slight affair made more of grass and 
bents and less of weeds, rushes and water plants than are most ducks’ 
nests. The lining, which is generally very plentiful, is said by Dresser 
to be of “sooty brownish-black down, having dull greyish-white 
centres.” The nest may be placed either close to water or actually at 
the edge, never, as far as I can learn from anything recorded, actually 
in the water itself. The water may be either fresh or salt, an inland 
lake, far from the shore, or an estuary or creek of the sea itself. Asa 
rule the nest is placed amongst either grass or bushes, but sometimes 
quite out in the open, amongst stones, ete. This sort of situation is 
not, however, it would seem, as often selected by the Tufted Duck as 
it is by the Scaup, nor can I find any mention of its placing its nest in 
holes as does the latter bird. 
Dr. Leverkhiin sends me an interesting note on the breeding of this 
duck. He says, in epistola, “‘ Fuligula fuligula is a very common bird 
on the great lakes of Hungaria, Slavonia, Germany and Bulgaria, and 
I have taken many of its nests during the month of May. The duck 
when frightened and leaving the nest covers the eggs with all the 
contents—which there may be at the moment—of her intestinal 
tractus ; for the Oologist it is hard work to clean them afterwards. 
“One nest I found was covered in, ina very beautiful manner, by 
the tips of the grass surrounding the nesting place ; one would have 
said that this particular duck had known the art of sewing, so finely 
had she joined the grass helms together, probably with her bill.” 
The eggs only vary from six to ten in number, less therefore than 
many other ducks’ clutches. Dresser says that the eggs are uniform pale 
olive,.green or greenish-buff in colour, smooth and polished in texture of 
shell, and in size average about 2°3 by 1:65 inch. Wolley’s egg figured 
by Hewitson is of exactly the same size. | 
Morris figures the ege as exactly like that of the Stan but longer 
and proportionately narrower. In colour itis rather a bright pale buff. 
As regards their breeding he says: “These birds breed along 
the stony shores of the sides of inland waters, among the cover 
