MEEGUS ALBELLUS. 263 



" The legs and feet vary from pale blue-grey to plumbeous and dark lavender ; 

 the webs, except just where they join the toes, being dusky to black, and the 

 claws brownish-black. Often there is an olive tinge on the tarsi, and occasionally — 

 in the young only, I think — both tliese and the toes exhibit small dusky spots 

 and patches. 



"Length 17 to 18-1 inches, wing 7"55 to 8-32, tail from rent 3-35 to 4-1, 

 tarsus 1-2 to 1'31, bill from gape 1-63 to 1-72. Weight 1 lb. 4 ozs. to 1 lb. 12 ozs.'* 

 (Hume.) 



Female. — The black loreal patch in the male is replaced by rich dark brow n, 

 almost black in very old females ; whole upper head, crest, and nape ferruginous- 

 brown, richest and reddest at the end of the crest. Upper back grey-brown, 

 changing to blackish-brown on the lower back and again to dark grey-brown on 

 the rump, upper tail-coverts and tail ; wings like those of the male, but the 

 inner secondaries darker and browner, and the lesser coverts brown instead of 

 black ; breast mottled grey ; rest of lower plumage white, the flanks more or less 

 mottled with dark brown, axillaries white. 



The colour of the soft parts would seem to be the same in the females as in 

 the males, but the irides are brown. 



" Length 15'5 to 16*75 inches, wing 7*01 to 7'3, tail from vent 3*3 to 8'9, 

 tarsus 1-11 to 1-19, bill from gape 1-48 to 1-6. Weight 1 lb. to 1 lb. 6| ozs." 

 (Hume.) 



Male in post-nuptial plumage assumes the plumage of the female, but; 

 appeal's to have the white wing-bar larger and the lesser wing-coverts darker. 

 They also " show the two dark crescentic bands on the breast " (Salvadori). 



" Males in first nuptial dress have brown streaks on the hind-neck and 

 scapulars." (Seebohm.) 



The young resemble the adult female, but have no dark defined loreal patch, 

 and the crest is darker and rather duller. The white wing-patch is suffused 

 Avith brown, more or less, and the breast is more spotted. 



Young in down. — " Upper parts, including the sides of the head below the 

 eye, but only the back of the neck, dark brown ; below the eye a very small 

 white spot ; white spots on the posterior edge of the wing, on the sides of the 

 back, just near the joint of the wing, the sides of the rump, and on the flanks ; 

 throat and sides of the upper part of the neck conspicuously white ; crop- 

 region dusky ; flanks brown ; breast and abdomen white." (Salvadori.) 



The hal)itat o£ the Smew during tlie summer and breeding-season is 

 practically tlie Palaearctic Region throughout Europe and Asia, whence it 

 descends south into Southern European countries, the basin of the 

 Mediterranean, Northern India and adjoining countries, China and Japan,, 

 and very rarely, also, it has been recorded from North America. 



As regards its occurrence in India, Blanford writes :—" Within our 

 limits the Smew is fairly common in winter in the Punjab, and is found 

 in Sind, Northern Guzorat, the North-West Provinces, and Oudh. 

 Jerdon records it from Cuttack, and I met with it more than once near 



