Zoological Society. 428 



Entire length, 17| inches ; wing, from carpal joint, 7f ; bill, from 

 forehead. If ; middle toe and claw, 2^ inches. 



I have proposed the above specific name for this bird, as it appears 

 more closely allied to our common Pochard than to any other species. 

 I have called it, at Mr. Fisher's suggestion, Paget's Pochard, after 

 the late E. J. Paget, Esq., of Great Yarmouth, a gentleman well- 

 known as a zealous and accomplished naturalist, and one of the au- 

 thors of the ' Sketch of the Natural History of Great Yarmouth and 

 its Neighbourhood,' near which place the first authenticated British 

 specimen was obtained. 



Remarks. — This bird may be readily distinguished from the com- 

 mon Pochard (which it most resembles) by its smaller size, darker 

 colouring, the conspicuous white speculum on the wing, and the colour 

 of the eyes. The female is unknown to me, but I presume it will 

 much resemble the female of the Pochard, and will doubtless possess 

 the white speculum on the wings. 



The trachea of F. ferinoides diflTers from that of F. ferina in being 

 rather longer and narrower, the tube being much narrower at the 

 upper part, gradually enlarging towards the middle, where it is 

 largest, and contracting gradually towards the end, which is its 

 smallest part : the labyrinth is smaller in front, but much wider and 

 differently formed on the left side ; the enlargement at the bottom 

 of the tympanum is also greater than that of the corresponding part 

 in F. ferina: although the sternum is much smaller, the emargina- 

 tions are quite equal in size to these parts m ferina. 



With reference to the supposition that these birds are hybrids, I 

 beg to remark, that I have paid some attention to the subject of hy- 

 brids, and have compiled a list of the different species of Water Fowl 

 (as far as I have been able to collect) which have produced hybrids. 

 On referring to this list it will be seen that nineteen different kinds 

 are mentioned ; five of these are referable to the Common Goose, and 

 five of them to the Common Duck ; the remaining nine kinds are re- 

 ferable to species commonly kept, and which breed freely in a state 

 of captivity. I am unable to find one instance of any species of the 

 genus Fuligula (which includes no less than 15 species) having under 

 any circumstances crossed. These birds are most difficult to breed 

 in a state of captivity ; I have known several pairs of the Common 

 Vochard (Fuligula ferina) kept for years in places well-suited for 

 breeding (where many wild species and one of this genus annually 

 breed), yet these birds showed no inclination to breed, although they 

 were perfectly healthy, and assumed the breeding dress at the proper 

 season. As these birds have the power of suppressing and checking 

 their desires when not in a perfect state of nature, I cannot imagine 

 or think it probable that they would associate and breed, in a state 

 of nature, with species distinct from themselves, possessing as they 

 do the power of travelling over the globe if necessary to find a mate 

 of its own species. Again, the fact of three specimens having been 

 obtained at distant periods, agreeing in internal as well as external 

 characters, is I think sufficient to prevent any one entertaining such 

 an opinion. 



