150 
BED-CRESTED POCHARD. 
England ; as stated above, it is considered a rare 
species everywhere, being met with only now and 
then, as in Britain, in the different parts of the 
European continent where ornithology has been 
attended to. Out of Europe, Africa and India 
seem the only countries where we have an authen- 
tic notice of its presence. Mr. Yarrell describes, 
the male from his British specimens, as having the 
“ beak vermilion-red, the nail white, the i rides 
Feddish brown, the whole of the head and upper 
part of the neck, all round rich reddish chestnut ; 
the feathers on the top of the head considerably 
elongated, forming a conspicuous crest ; the back 
of the neck below, and the upper-tail coverts, dark 
brown ; the back and a portion of the scapularies, 
wing coverts, and tcrtials, yellowish brown ; a 
white patch on the carpal joint of the wing, and 
another over the joint ; greater coverts, ash brown ; 
wing primaries and tail-feathers greyish brown ; the 
secondaries with the outer webs white, forming a 
speculum ; front of the neck, breast, belly, and under 
tail-coverts, rich dark brown ; the sides and flanks 
white ; legs and toes vermilion red ; interdigital 
membrane almost white. The whole length twenty- 
two inches. The female is without a crest; the 
top of the head dark brown ; cheeks, throat, and 
sides of the neck, greyish white ; upper surface of 
the body pale rufous brown ; front of the shoulder 
and speculum greyish white ; breast reddish brown ; 
the other parts of the under surface greyish brown ; 
beak and legs reddish brown.” 
