814 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Gen. Fuligula, Stephens. 



Syn. Platypus. Brehm — Fulix, Sdndevall. 



Char. — Bill moderately long, not raised at the base, broad 

 throughout, depressed, the sides dilated, and the tip somewhat 

 broader than the base ; lamella? distant, not prominent ; nostrils 

 advanced ; wings moderate ; tail short, rounded. 



These Ducks have the widest bills in this sub-family. The first 

 species has been separated as Marila^ Reich. It has the bill propor- 

 tionally longer than in restricted Fuligula, and not quite so broad. 



970. Fuligula marila, Linnaeus. 

 Anas apud Linn^us — Blfth, Oat. 1787— Gould, Birds of 

 Europe, pi. 371. 



The Scaup Pochard. 



Descr. — Male, head and neck black, glossed with green ; top of 

 the back and scapulars whitish, with zig-zag black lines ; lower back 

 and upper tail-coverts black ; tail brown ; wing-coverts black, 

 marbled with ashy ; speculum white ; quills brown ; lower neck 

 and breast deep black ; abdomen and sides pure white, with brown 

 zig-zag markings on the lower portion ; under tail-coverts black. 



Bill clear bluish above, dusky below, the tip black ; irides 

 brilliant yellow ; legs bluish-ashy, the webs blackish. 



The female has the head and neck blackish-brown, with a large 

 white space round the eye ; back, scapulars, and wings with brown 

 and white zig-zag markings ; lower back and upper tail-coverts 

 smoky-black ; lower neck and breast deep brown ; abdomen white, 

 marked with brown posteriorly. 



Bill deep grey. Length 19 to 20 inches ; wing 9 ; extent 29 ; 

 tail 2\ ; bill at front nearly 2 ; tarsus 1^ ; mid-toe 2^. 



The Scaup Duck has hitherto only been recorded from Nepal, 

 and must be a very rare visitant. It inhabits the Northern regions 

 of Europe, Asia, and America, and prefers sea-coasts and the 

 mouths of tidal rivers to fresh water lakes ; it feeds chiefly on 

 molluscs. 



The American representative of this species is separated by 

 Bonaparte as F. mariloides ; another species from New Zealand is 

 recorded by Bonaparte. 



