324 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



(occasionally 3) inches long, in female seldom exceeding 1 inch ; 

 young <J and $ with feathers of hinder -crown slightly elongated 

 forming a rudimentary crest. Other structure as in JV. /. ferina. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad. <£) slate-blue, nail black, (ad. §) slate-grey, 

 nail black ; legs and feet (ad. £) lead-blue, (ad. $) light grey faintly 

 tinged greenish ; iris golden-yellow. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Adult male distinguished by black 

 head and crest, females and juveniles have upper-parts faintly 

 dusted, never vermiculated white (distinction from Scaup), juvenile 

 females can be confused with those juvenile female Scaup with no 

 vermiculations on upper-parts but in Scaup upper-parts are 

 lighter, white at base of bill more extensive and bill larger and 

 broader. 



Field -characters. — The dependent occipital tuft, apparent enough 

 at close quarters, especially in male, is not always obvious at a dis- 

 tance unless blown clear of bird's head by wind, but broad snow- 

 white sides of otherwise black male (Scaup is grey, not black, on 

 back) identify him on water a great way off. Female has no dis- 

 tinctive markings on water, but sooty-brown plumage and heavy 

 build are useful guides. Occasionally she has a narrow white line 

 at base of upper mandible, but nothing comparable with broad white 

 band on face of duck Scaup. In flight, which is rapid and noisy, 

 both sexes look black above and white below, with white wing-bar 

 and a narrow white subterminal line along whole inner margin of 

 wing. Chiefly a freshwater duck, addicted to lakes, reservoirs, and 

 large sheets of water which afford it spacious diving room. Call a 

 harsh " kur-r-r, kur-r-r " ; and in breeding-season male utters a 

 low, clear "tuc, tuc, tuck; quit, quit, quitta; wheeo, whit; quit, 

 quit, quie " (Whitaker). 



Breeding-habits. — Found on lakes and ponds in breeding-season. 

 Nest. — Often on islands, or on shore, generally within a few yards 

 of water, but occasionally as much as 20 yards away or more, shel- 

 tered by tussock of grass or rushes, low bushes or rank vegetation ; 

 lined dead grasses or rushes and well supplied with down (feathers 

 from nest, see Brit. Birds, n, PI .2). Exceptionally has bred on wall 

 in island. Eggs. — -Usually 7 or 8 to 13, but 14 to 20 on record and 

 sometimes several ducks will lay in a joint nest (21, 28, etc.). Eggs, 

 large, rather elongated, greenish-grey. Average of 150 eggs, 58.9 x 

 40.75. Max.: 65.9x46.3 and 63.9x47.2. In.: 53x38 and 58.6 

 X37.7 mm. Breeding-season. — Last fortnight May in England; 

 end of May and early June in Scotland. Incubation. — By female 

 alone. Period usually 25 to 27 days, but rather variable 24 and 28 

 days on record. Single brooded. 



Food. — Varied, both animal and vegetable but chiefly former. 

 Small fish, and spawn, frogs, tadpoles, mollusca, both fresh and 

 salt water (Limn&a, Rissoa, Littorina, Mytilus, Pisidium, etc.), 

 large numbers of insects, especially diptera, but also water- 



