442 RED-CRESTED POCHARD. 
is not uncommon, and more than two centuries ago Willughby 
obtained it in the market at Rome, while it is also resident in Sicily 
and Sardinia. It breeds in small numbers in Central and Southern 
Germany; more frequently along the valley of the Danube, and 
abundantly in some parts of South Russia; while in winter it is 
found throughout the basins of the Mediterranean, Black and 
Caspian Seas. In Africa it nests in many of the lakes to the north 
of the Sahara, though very rare in Egypt. In Asia its summer- 
haunts are in Northern Persia, and Turkestan as far east as the 
Lob-nor, but do not reach Siberia ; its winter-range extends to 
Northern and Central India (where thousands are sometimes seen 
on large sheets of water), and occasionally to China. A young 
male was found in the New York market on February 2nd 1872. 
Mr. W. E. Clarke describes a nest found in the Camargue on 
May 17th as placed in the centre of a dense mass of purslane, and 
consisting of a broad rim of down, with a few short tamarisk twigs: 
it contained 1o fresh eggs. These are clear pea-green in their colour 
(which soon fades): measurements 2°3 by 1°6 in. The food-— 
obtained very largely by diving—consists of water-weeds, frogs, 
small fish, insects &c. ; the flesh of this bird is generally held in 
high estimation. The call-note, seldom heard by day, is a deep 
grating kwrr, but occasionally the male utters a sort of whistle. 
The adult male in spring has the beak crimson, with a paler nail ; 
irides reddish ; crown and erectile crest golden-bay, rest of head 
and upper neck vinaceous-chestnut ; throat, lower neck, breast 
and belly brown-black ; flanks white, with a tinge of salmon-pink ; 
mantle yellowish-brown ; lesser coverts and a band across the 
secondaries white, with a greyish border to the inner secondaries ; 
primaries brown at the tip, and whitish above; tail-feathers ash- 
brown ; legs and toes vermilion-red ; webs blackish. In less mature 
birds the soft parts are duller in colour. Length 22 in.; wing 
to‘5 in, The female has no crest, and the top of the head is dark 
brown; the cheeks and throat are greyish-white ; the upper and 
under parts pale rufous to greyish-brown ; the point of the shoulder 
and the wing-patch dull white ; the beak and legs dull red. Young 
drakes at first resemble the females, but the crest and the red colour 
of the bill soon become apparent. 
This species is the type of the genus /Ve/fa, Kaup, which differs 
from Fuliguda in having 16 tail-feathers in place of 14, a longer bill, 
and some other points. Like the rest of the group of Diving 
Ducks, it has a broadly lobed hind-toe. In adopting We/ta I have 
followed Count Salvadori, Dr. W. T. Blanford and others. 
