WHITE-EYED DUCK. 189 



The next species (with some closely allied ones) has been sepa- 

 rated as Nyroca, and this is admitted as a sub-genus by Gray. The 

 birds are of smaller size, and have a somewhat different colouration. 



26. Aythya nyroca, Guldenstadt. 



Anas apud Guldenstadt — Blyth, Cat. 1789 — Jerdon, Cat. 

 391 — A. leucophthalmos, Bechsticin — A. glaucion, Pallas — ■ 

 Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 368 — Lal-bigri, Beng. 



The White-eyed Duck. 



Descr. — Male, head and neck deep ferruginous, with a narrow 

 collar of blackish-brown on the lower part of the neck ; back, 

 scapulars, and wing-coverts dusky-brown, somewhat glossed with 

 green and purple, and the whole finely powdered with pale red- 

 dish-brown ; upper tail-coverts and tail dusky-brown, with a dash 

 of ferruginous ; primaries dusky ; speculum white, edged with black 

 in the lower part ; chin whitish ; lower part of the neck and breast 

 bright ferruginous ; abdomen and under tail-coverts pure white ; the 

 lower portion and vent blackish-grey. 



Bill bluish ; irides white ; legs grey. Length 16 inches ; wing 

 7f ; tail 2 ; bill at front If ; tarsus 1 J ; middle toe nearly 2. 



The female differs from the male in the head and neck beimr 



o 



brown, the feathers edged with ferruginous ; the upper parts are 

 glossy umber-brown, the feathers edged with pale brown ; the 

 irides are less pure white, and the bill and feet are dusky-grey ; 

 otherwise as in the male. 



In the young, there is still less ferruginous, and the irides are 

 pale brownish. 



This little Duck is exceedingly common in Northern and Central 

 India, less so in the South. It frequents both tanks and rivers, 

 and prefers grassy tanks and wooded j heels and rivers. It appears 

 to feed a good deal during the day, and is met with in large 

 parties scattered among the grass or weeds, the birds often rising 

 singly. 



This Pochard inhabits the same countries as the other species, 

 and is occasionally killed in Britain. It is stated to breed in 

 Northern Africa. One or two allied species are recorded from 

 Australia, and another from the Marianne islands. 



rr 



i 

 "llbhilflfy 



