NYROCA AFRICANA. 227 



(38) NYROCA AFRICANA. 

 THE WHITE-EYED POCHAED oe WHITE-EYE. 



Aythya nyroca, Jenlon, B. I. iii, p. 813 ; Hume, Nest ^ Eggs, p. 645 ; id. 



Str. Feath. i, p. 265 ; Adam, ibid. p. 402 ; Butler, ibid, iv, p. 30 ; v, p. 234 ; 



Davids. S)' Wend. ibid, vii, p. 93 ; Ball, ibid, p, 232. 

 Fuligula nyroca, Hume, Str. Feath. vii, p. 493 ; ibid. Cat. no. 969 ; Scully, 



Str. Feath. viii, p. 363; Hume S,- Mar. 6ame-B. iii, p. 263; Vidal, Str. 



Feath. ix, p. 93 ; Hume, ibid. p. 259 ; Butler, ibid. p. 439 ; Beid, ibid, x, 



p. 84 ; Davidson, ibid. p. 326 ; Taylor, ibid. pp. 528, 531 ; Oates, B. of 



Brit. Burm. ii, p. 287 ; id. Nests 4' Eggs (2nd ed.), iii, p. 292 ; Barnes, B. 



of Bom. p. 413 ; Hume, Str. Feath. xi, p. 347 ; Sinclair, Jour. B. N. H. S. 



xiii, p. 192. 

 Njrroca ferruginea, Blanford, Fauna B. I. iv, p. 460. 

 N3rroca africana, Salvadori, Cat. B. M. sxvii, p. 345. 

 Nyroca nyroca, Oates, Game-B. ii, p. 318. 



Description. Male. — Whole head, neck, and breast rich rufous or bay-brown, 

 the nape somewhat darker, a dark collar of brownish-black round the neck and 

 thence behind to the back the same colour, a small white spot on the chin ; whole 

 upper parts dark blackish-brown or dull black, the feathers of the scapulars and 

 upper back more or less vermiculated with rufous, the vermiculations often almost 

 entirely absent. Wings as in JS\ baeri, but are said, as a rule, to have the white 

 purer; I have, however, specimens of both species quite inseparable in this 

 respect. Lower plumage the same as in N. baeri. Irides white ; bill dull slaty ; 

 legs dull dark slate, tinged either with grey or green ; and sometimes mottled 

 about the joints. 



Length about 17 inches, wing 7'1, tail 3*3, tarsus 1*2 ; bill from front 1-56, 

 from extreme base 1-96, width at front '78 and at base "64. 



"Length 16 to 17*1 inches, expanse 24-5 to 27'3, wing 6*8 to 7*45, tail from 

 vent 3-1 to 3"5, tarsus 1-1 to 1*3, bill from gape 1*9 to 2-1. AVeight 1 lb. 2 ozs. 

 to 1 lb. 9 ozs. 



" The bill is black, bluish-black and dark leaden, often browner below ; the 

 irides white or greyish-white ; the legs and toes slate-colour, leaden or dusky 

 grey ; tlie tarsi often Mith a greenish tinge ; the claws and webs dusky to black." 

 (Hume.) 



Adult female. — Similar to the male, but with the whole plumage duller, the 

 head and breast more brown than rufous and ill-defined from the abdomen, which 

 IS itself much sullied, except in very old females. 



Length about 16 inches, wing about 7, tail about 3*3 ; bill generally rather 

 smaller than that of the male, but sometimes reaching the full dimensions given 

 above. Legs, feet, and bill as in the male ; irides grey or brownish-grey, some- 

 times white in very old females. 



Q'2 



