RED-CRESTED POCHARD. 47 



until the middle of October. The brown immature drake is 

 duck-like at first, though he shows a tendency to slate about 

 the head and neck, and, later, vermiculations and other 

 masculine characters. Length, 28 ins. Wing, 11 ins. Tarsus, 

 175 ins. 



Red-crested Pochard. Netta nipm (Pallas). 



Those ducks which habitually obtain their food by diving 

 are collectively known as the Diving Ducks, as opposed to 

 the Surface-feeders. The Red-crested Pochard (Plate 20), an 

 uncommon visitor to Britain, is one of this group. The majority 

 of its occurrences have been in the eastern and southern 

 counties, though it has been met with on single occasions in 

 Scotland and Ireland. Its home is the Mediterranean area, 

 eastward into western Asia. At times flocks wander northward 

 into Europe. 



Compared with the familiar Pochard this bird is large, but 

 apart from that it has several distinctive characters. The adult 

 drake has a crimson, yellow-tipped bill, and a conspicuous 

 golden bay crest on his otherwise rich chestnut head ; the crest 

 shows distinctly in flight as well as on the water. At the base 

 of the wings, on the shoulders, and on the flight feathers, are 

 three distinct white patches, the last, often slightly tinged with 

 pink, represents the speculum or wing spot of the surface- 

 feeding ducks. The neck, breast, and abdomen are so dark 

 a brown as to look black from even a short distance ; the rest 

 of the upper parts are yellowish brown and the flanks greyish 

 white. The duck has no crest, but her very dark crown con- 

 trasts with her grey cheeks, whilst her upper parts are almost 

 uniform pale brown, her under parts grey ; her wing spot is dull 

 white, and her bill reddish brown. 



Its habits roughly correspond with those of its congeners ; 

 it is a diurnal feeder, diving for its animal and vegetable iood 



