188 BULLETIN 126, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



It has often struck me, in watching a flock of pochards, that there is always an 

 unusual preponderance of males, and a party can usually be recognized at a consid- 

 erable distance by the redheads and shining lead-blue bills of the males. Females 

 and young are always more difficult to distinguish from other ducks owing to their 

 more uniform color. With their feet so far to the rear they walk with a decided 

 roll, keeping the body in a fairly vertical position. But when standing still or 

 taking alarm ashore, they raise the breast and assume a somewhat upright attitude. 

 They never stay long on land, on which they appear to be little at home, but on 

 the water they are expert swimmers and quick in all their movements. They swim 

 deep, with the tail trailing in the water, and when engaged in diving further sink 

 the body, depress the tail under water, and even allow the water to wash over the 

 mantle. 



In diving, their leg push is powerful and creates a considerable swirl after the 

 bird passes out of sight. The bird swims rapidly to the bottom and probes in every 

 direction for food, staying under as long as a minute, and then floating quickly to 

 the surface with legs stationary on either side. Generally they come to the top in very 

 nearly the same place at which they have dived. Nearly all their food is swallowed 

 where it is found, but I have seen them bring fish to the surface, where it is passed 

 across the bill several times until rendered soft enough to swallow whole. Certain 

 roots are also treated in the same fashion. Naumann states that pochards can remain 

 under water for "nearly three minutes." This may be possible, but I have never 

 timed one, even in confinement, to stay so long beneath the water. 



Their ihght is rapid and "scurrying." The wings, not being large, have to be 

 beaten quickly to bear the weight of the body, and the pace is not very swift. It is 

 accompanied by a rushing sound; the birds fly very close together in a some- 

 what compact mass. When high in the air they often assume a V-formation, as 

 if desirous of being led by some experienced individual, and the whole flock some- 

 times indulge in a remarkable "header," or plunge from the sky down to some sheet 

 of water where they wish to alight. They can not rise easily from the water unless 

 there is a considerable breeze, and sometimes scurry along the surface for some dis- 

 tance before getting under way. They also alight on the water somewhat clumsily. 

 In the air they are readily recognized by the large head, body, and feet, short stumpy 

 tail, and short wings. Although this duck may be said to be cautious on large sheets 

 of water, it is not a difficult bird to approach even in large flocks, especially in a 

 small sailing boat, and this may be due to its disinclination to fly, especially as it 

 must come upwind toward the point of disturbance. I have sailed right in amongst 

 pochards and scaup in October before putting them to flight. On small ponds they 

 show even greater tameness, and, if undisturbed, will often consort with pinioned 

 birds and tame species, and soon become as tame as domestic ducks. There are 

 many instances of wild pochards joining domesticated ducks, and remaining with 

 them for months. I have never found pochards on the sea in Scotland except during 

 hard frosts. A few days of 10° below freezing point and I was certain to find pochards 

 on the Moray Firth, where I shot with the big gun for three seasons, and if the frost 

 continued for more than 10 days the birds left for the winter, most probably for the 

 open water of the southwest, not returning until the lakes were open in March. 



Game. — When found on small ponds pochards are by no means shy, and will gen- 

 erally allow a gunner to walk within gunshot if simple precautions are taken, but it is a 

 mistake to shoot these birds in such places if there is a desire on the part of the land- 

 owner to establish the species as a resident, for all ducks soon learn the spots where 

 they are protected , and will not tolerate much molestation . If specimens are required , 

 or the needs of the pot are pressing, it is much better to attack the birds on large 

 sheets of water or on the estuaries, which they are not easily made to forsake. In 

 the autumn these large flocks are easily approached by a small sailing boat to within 

 gimshot of an 8-bore, or even a full choke 1 2-bore, but if numbers are wanted the punt 



