SMEW. 
3 
other water-fowl, and the black and white well-defined colour¬ 
ing of the adult male in particular contributes greatly to its 
immediate detection. 
The motions of the Smew on the ground, much resemble 
those of ducks in general, and are not very elegant; but its 
flight is quick, noiseless, and powerful for its size, and its 
powers of swimming and diving are perfect both in capacity 
and beauty. 
The natural size of the adult male Smew is seventeen 
inches from the tip of the beak to the extremity of the tail ; 
the beak from the forehead, one inch and a quarter; the 
tarsus one inch and a half. 
The plumage of the adult male is as follows:—On each 
side of the face, and surrounding the eye, is a patch of black, 
with green reflections; the occiput and part of the crest, 
the same ; the head, neck, breast, and all the under parts 
pure white. The back, and two crescent-shaped bands that 
partly encircle the lower part of the neck are black. The 
shoulders, and part of the lesser wing-coverts are white ; the 
scapulars are white, partly greyish, and are edged on the 
outer webs with black ; the secondaries and greater wing- 
coverts, glossy black, with a narrow ridge of white ; the sides 
and flanks are marked with transverse zig-zag lines of black. 
Upper tail-coverts and tail bluish grey ; the quills are 
dusky; the beak, legs, and feet bluish grey ; the eye pearl 
grey. 
The female is smaller than the male, and the plumage 
differs in having the head, and occipital crest, and nape 
brown ; the throat and upper part of the neck white ; the 
lower part of the neck, breast, sides, and flanks, ash-coloured; 
the back, scapulars, upper tail-coverts and tail grey, 
mixed with brown. The middle part of the lesser wing- 
