Part 36

It breeds regularly on the Continent from Sweden southwards, becoming commoner in the east.

The nest is usually placed in a dry and often open situation, where there is but little cover. The eggs resemble those of the Teal, but are rather greener in tint.

The crown and nape of the male are dark brown, with a conspicuous white stripe passing backwards over the eye. Cheeks and neck brown ticked with white. Back dark brown; wing coverts bluish grey. Chin black; breast pale brown, with dark crescentic bars; remainder of under parts white. Vermiculated on the flanks. Speculum green; bill black; legs greenish. Female somewhat similar to Duck of the common Teal, but may be distinguished by the presence of a light stripe over the eye. The feathers of the back are dark with light margins, not barred as in the Teal, while the feathers of the breast are also entirely dark with white margins. Length 16 in.; wing 7·8 in.

THE WIGEON Mareca penelope (Linnæus)

The Wigeon is one of our commonest winter visitors, arriving in large numbers from early in September onwards, and frequenting estuaries, bays, and tidal waters, but rarely wandering far inland. Although feeding also on marine insects and crustacea, it is chiefly a vegetable eater, living almost entirely upon Zostera marina.

In Scotland a good many pairs remain to breed, and during the summer it frequents high moorlands and inland waters. The nest is placed in a tuft of rushes or among heather, and the eggs, usually ten in number, are of a delicate creamy white. The note is a melodious whistle, which may be expressed as "whee you."

The male has the head and neck chestnut, with a broad buff stripe extending backwards over the crown; back grey uniformly vermiculated; throat and upper neck chestnut; breast white, vermiculated on the flanks; shoulders white; speculum green. In the eclipse plumage the head is dark chestnut, grizzled with brown; back brown, with chestnut edgings to the feathers; flanks chestnut; under parts white. The female is dark brownish grey above, lighter on the wing coverts, and white underneath. Length 18·5 in.; wing 10·5 in.

THE AMERICAN WIGEON Mareca americana (J. F. Gmelin)

One or two examples of this species have occurred in this country at long intervals. It may be distinguished from our Wigeon by the forehead and crown being dull white, the cheeks and neck whitish, speckled with brown, and a green stripe passing backwards from the eye. The female has the head and neck yellowish white, speckled with black. Length 19 in.; wing 10·25 in.

THE RED-CRESTED POCHARD Netta rufina (Pallas)

The Red-crested Pochard, whose nesting home is in South-Eastern Europe, though it also nests sparingly in the Rhone delta and Spain, is only a rare straggler to these islands, and most of the examples have been obtained in Norfolk, where as recently as last year, 1906, a flock of eight appeared, and needless to say were soon all shot.

It is a much larger bird than the Common Pochard, and may be distinguished by its rufous crest, red bill, and legs, though differing also in many other particulars. There are sixteen tail feathers instead of fourteen as in the genus Fuligula. Length 22 in.; wing 10·5 in.

THE COMMON POCHARD Fuligula ferina (Linnæus)

With this and the preceding species we come to the second division of the Ducks, which are known as Diving Ducks, in contradistinction to the others which are known as surface-feeders, although quite capable, when alarmed, of diving. Diving Ducks may be recognised by having the legs placed further back on the body, thus rendering their progress on land rather difficult, and by the hind toe being lobed.

The Pochard is chiefly a winter visitor to our shores, occurring not uncommonly in most seasons, but being in some years much more numerous than in others. It chiefly frequents the sea-coasts, feeding on crustacea, molluscs, and a certain amount of marine or aquatic weeds, which it procures almost entirely by diving, but it is by no means exclusively confined to such localities, and is frequently met with on inland waters, provided they are of sufficient size. In spring the majority leave us for their breeding haunts on the Continent, but as a breeding species with us it is on the increase, and may be found in a certain number of favoured localities throughout England and Scotland. In Ireland, where it is fairly abundant during the winter, it has only been known to nest on a few occasions.

The note of the male is a low whistle, but both sexes utter an alarm-note, which may be syllabled as "curre." The nest is always placed in thick cover close to the water's edge, and the eggs, which number seven to ten and are fairly large for the size of the bird, are of a greenish drab colour.

The adult male has the head and neck chestnut; the breast and upper parts black, the latter being finely freckled with grey. Under parts greyish white. Bill black, with a broad band of slate grey across it. Legs bluish grey. In its eclipse plumage the head becomes much browner, and the chest is brown, faintly barred with lighter. The female has the head, neck, and chest dull brown; the chin light, the rest of the plumage being like the male but duller. The young resemble the female. Length 19 in.; wing 8·25 in.

THE FERRUGINOUS DUCK Fuligula nyroca (Güldenstädt)

In England this species has been observed on a good many occasions, though some of the instances may have been those of escaped birds. It has also been obtained in Scotland and Ireland. It breeds fairly abundantly throughout Central and Southern Europe, where it is resident.

The male has the head, neck, and upper breast rich chestnut brown, the rest of the upper parts brown, under parts white. The female is duller. It may always be recognised by the white irides. Length 16 in.; wing 7·75 in.

THE TUFTED DUCK Fuligula cristata (Leach)

This species is the commonest of our Diving Ducks, nesting in increasing numbers on many of our inland waters throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland.

In winter, as is the case with most Ducks, large numbers arrive from abroad, and may be found in shallow bays, estuaries, and inland waters in company with other species.

In food and habits it much resembles the Pochard, and is very good eating after it has been in inland waters for some time.

The nest is placed on rushes, and the eggs, which sometimes number as many as thirteen, are greenish buff, and are said to hatch after about twenty-three days' incubation.

The adult male has the crest, head, and neck purplish black; speculum white. Under parts, including the flanks, snow white. Bill slate grey; eye golden yellow; legs bluish. In the eclipse plumage it becomes much browner, somewhat resembling the female.

The female is sooty brown above and greyish brown below, and her crest is much shorter than that of the male. At the end of summer she becomes white round the base of the bill for two or three months, but individuals vary much in this respect. The young resemble the female, and have a whitish forehead. Length 17·25 in.; wing 8 in.

THE SCAUP DUCK Fuligula marila (Linnæus)