BIRDS OF THE AlARSH AND LAKE 399 



only. It is a rare and local species, but is said to 

 be increasing in certain localities, owing to wise 

 protection during the nesting time. 



The Gadwall or Grey Duck, a bird resembling 

 the female ^lallard save for the white bar on the 

 wing, is a winter visitor also of rare occurrence. 

 It is an extremely shy fowl, hiding closely in the 

 reed-beds during the day and feeding by night. 



The Pochard is a much more abundant species, 

 and although in the main a winter visitor, it breeds 

 in considerable numbers on the more extensive 

 lakes and meres both in England and Scotland. 

 The plumage of the drake is ashen-grey, with the 

 upper breast and neck black and the head of a 

 deep chestnut-red. This latter characteristic has 

 caused it to be known in some localities as the 

 Red-headed or Hot Poker. 



The Pintail is a most graceful bird, made con- 

 spicuous at once by the long feathers of the tail. 

 Under the title of Sea Pheasant it is sometimes con- 

 fused with the Long-tailed Duck, but in plumage 

 the two are essentially dissimilar. In the Pintail 

 the head of the drake is dark-brown, with a white 

 line extending down the neck and joining the grey- 

 ish-white breast, with the upper surfaces ashen- 

 grey and the tail black. In the Long-tailed the 

 w^hole plumage is deep brown merging into black 

 and beautifully variegated with pure white. Both 

 are w-inter migrants only, the Pintail being a fairly 

 regular visitor and much the commoner bird of the 

 two. 



The Golden-eye, also, is a constant winter visitor 

 to English lakes and estuaries, although never in 



