514 D U C K. 



59. Anas merfa, Pallas Tray. ii. p. 713. 29. t. H. 



URAL D. 

 t. ' *T* HIS is a trifle bigger than the commonweal. Bill large, broad, 



Description. _ && ° ' ' 



very tumid above the noftrils, and bifid in the adult bird, 



the end marked with diverging ftrias ; colour blue : head, and 

 part of the neck, white : on the crown a large patch of black : 

 eyelids black : the middle of the neck the fame : the fore parts 

 of the body yellowifh brown, undulated with black : back cloud- 

 ed with cinereous and pale yellow, powdered with brown : un- 

 der part of the body, and rump, greyifh brown, in fome lights 

 appearing of a gloffy grey : wings fmall, no appearance of a 

 fpeculum : tail longifh, in fhape cuneiform, colour black : legs 

 brown, on the fore part blueifh, and placed far back, as in the 

 Diver genus. 

 Femali. The female and young bird have the bill lefs tumid at the bafe, 



and wholly of a brown colour : the head brown : throat white, 

 expanding towards the nape. 

 Placi. This fpecies is not unfrequent in the greater lakes of the Ural 



mountains, and the rivers Ob and Irtifch. Not feen on the 

 ground, for from the fituation of its legs it is unable to walk ; 

 but fwims very well and quick, at which time the tail is im- 

 merfed in the water as far as the rump, ferving by way of rud- 

 der, contrary to the common method of a Duck's fwimming. 

 The neft is formed of reeds, and floats, fomething like to that of 

 the Grebe. By the defcription of this, and the laft bird, they 

 appear to be not unlike each other in plumage. 



Aca* 



