148 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs 



Family— ANA TID^. 



Tufted Duck. 



Fuligula cristata, IvEACH. 



THE Tufted Duck is a very common species, and is distributed either as 

 resident or on migration over a great part of Burope, Asia, and Nortli 

 Africa ; it is not, however, recorded from any portion of America. It is a very 

 regular autumn visitor to the British Islands, and large and yearly increasing 

 numbers nest in various localities. The Tufted Duck has probably nested in 

 Scotland, notably at Loch Leven, since the beginning of the century ; in Bngland, 

 in Nottinghamshire, since 1849, and in Ireland since 1875. Its gradual extension 

 as a breeder over the country is very remarkable, and may, in recent years, have 

 been accelerated by the " Wild Bird's Protection Acts." It has also been largely 

 introduced to private and artificial waters. 



The Tufted Duck does not occur in Iceland, and is not included in the 

 Catalogue of the Birds of Greenland. It is recorded as nesting in Fseroe in 1872, 

 and is fairly common in Norway, except in the north, but increases very consider- 

 ably in numbers eastward across Sweden, Finland, and Russia. It is a common 

 summer visitor to Archangel. Mr. A. Trevor-Battye saw a female on a lake in 

 Kolguev. In temperate Europe it nests in many suitable localities north of latitude 

 50°, and also across temperate Asia. It nests regularly on the Kirghiz Steppes, 

 but is not common, and was found at the end of July breeding on the Kara-Kul ; on 

 the Pamir, however, it is rare. Dr. Thicl shot it as far north in Asia, in summer, 

 as latitude 68°. 



In winter it visits the Swiss lakes, like Geneva, where it is semi-domesticated. 

 It is a well-known species in Southern Spain, and common in Morocco in small 

 ponds in the open country. In Portugal most abundant in lagoons near the sea 

 from October to March ; the most numerous of the Anatidce in Sardinia ; thousands 

 make their appearance in the lakes on the east coast of Corsica, in winter, to the 

 end of April. Col. Feilden obtained an adult male in the Malta market, in 

 November. Plentiful in the Fayoom, and one of the commonest Ducks in Algeria 

 and Egypt ; abundant also in Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Turkey. In Transyl- 

 vania it occurs in considerable numbers on migration. The Tufted Duck is 



