60 



TUFTED DUCK. 

 ANAS FULIGULA. 

 [Plate LXVIL— Fig. 5.] 



Arct. Zool. p. 573. — Le petit Morillonf Bmss. VI, 411. 26. pi. 37. 1. — Buff. IX, p. 227. 231. pi, 15.— 



Lath. Syn. Ill, p. 540 ^Peaie's Museum, ^o. 2904. 



/ , . 



THIS is an inhabitant of both continents; it frequents fresh 

 water rivers, and seldom visits the sea shore. It is a plump, short 

 bodied Duck; its flesh generally tender, and well tasted. They 

 are much rarer than most of our other species, and are seldom 

 seen in market. They are most common about the beginning of 

 winter, and early in the spring. Being birds of passage they leave 

 us entirely during the summer. 



The Tufted Duck is seventeen inches long, and two feet two 

 inches in extent ; the bill is broad and of a dusky color, sometimes 

 marked round the nostrils and sides with light blue; head crested, 

 or tufted^ as its name expresses, and of a black color, with reflec- 

 tions of purple; neck marked near its middle by a band of deep 

 chesnut; lower part of the neck black, which spreads quite round 

 to the back; back and scapulars black, minutely powdered with 

 particles of white, not to be observed but on a near inspection; 

 rump and vent also black; wings ashy brown; secondaries pale 

 ash or bluish white ; tertials black, reflecting green ; lower part of 

 the breast and whole belly white; flanks crossed with fine zig-zag 

 lines of dusky; tail short, rounded, and of a dull brownish black; 

 legs and feet greenish ash, webs black, iiides rich orange; stomach 

 filled with gravel and some vegetable food. 



In young birds the head and upper part of the neck are pur- 

 plish brown ; in some the chesnut ring on the fore part of the 



