26 INDIAN SPOKTING BIEDS 



The bird is thoroughly well known to the natives. Besides 

 the Hindustani names of Golahi sir or Golah-lal-sir, it has the 

 BengaH one of SaJcnal, and that of Dinnrar or Umar in Nepal 

 and Tirhoot. 



Common Pochard. 



* Nyroca ferina. Burar-nar, Hindustani. 



Being the original and typical pochard, this bird, as Hume 

 says, really does not need a qualifying epithet; "red-headed," 

 that commonly applied to it, is no more distinctive than the 

 Hindustani Lal-sir, since both this and the red-crested species 

 have red heads. Pochard, by the way, means in French a 

 drunkard, and I rather fancy it was applied to this species on 

 account of the red eyes, which are a most noticeable feature in 

 the drake. We all know the text, " Who hath red eyes and 

 carbuncles? Those that follow after strong drink." 



It is true that authors persist in saying the e3^es are yellow, 

 but this is really rarely the case in the living male, though the 

 eye may turn yellow after death, or even temporarily during 

 extreme fright, as when the bird is handled. In females, as far 

 as I have seen, the eyes are almost always brown, but I once 

 saw a red-eyed specimen. This pochard is a squat, thick-set, 

 big-headed duck, with a very short tail, which is not noticeable 

 on the water, as the bird swims very low, especially astern. 

 The male's pale grey body, contrasting with the black breast and 

 chestnut head (which at a distance also looks dark), is very 

 characteristic both on the water and on the wing, especially as 

 the latter has no conspicuous mark, being grey like the body. 

 The female is also grey, but dull and muddy, with the head and 

 breast a decided brown. The absence of any white on the wing 

 will distinguish her from all the other diving ducks except the 

 rare stiff-tail, which is sufficiently well characterized by its 

 peculiar beak and tail, to say nothing of other parts. Males in 

 undress have the breast grey instead of black. This is a heavy 

 duck for its size, weighing about a couple of pounds or little 

 under, and showing but little sex difference in weight. 



*Fuligula on plate. 



