WHITE-EYED POCHARD 29 



clear of. But this species likes cover, and also packs much less 

 than ducks generally, half a dozen being a far more likely party 

 to come across than half a hundred, exiremely numerous as the 

 birds are in certain districts. They also often go in pairs or even 

 singly, and in any case have a habit of getting up independently 

 like quail, which of course endears them to the sportsman on 

 account of the number of chances he gets. The flight also 

 resembles a quail's in being low as a rule, and often terminating 

 in a sudden stop ; it is fairly fast, though the bird starts 

 awkwardly, rather like a coot, which in some ways it resembles 

 in habits, just as the goosander does a cormorant ; so distinct are 

 the ways of ducks in reality, though people seem to look on them 

 as monotonous uninteresting birds. Winged birds are notorious 

 for their skill in taking cover and disappearing altogether. 



It must not be supposed, however, that the white-eye is 

 confined to weedy water ; it is a most versatile bird, and will put 

 up with any sort of aquatic habitat at a pinch, so long as it is 

 actually in water, for it does not seem to feed on land. Thus it 

 may be found down on the sea-coast or up in the pools of the 

 hill-streams, on lakes without cover or even on rivers, and, unlike 

 all other diving-ducks, in little stagnant pools. On land, although 

 not quick or elegant in its movements, this species seems less out 

 of its element than other pochards, as I have known it live well 

 in an aviary in the Calcutta Zoo with only a very small tank ; 

 but then I have also known even smews do this at home, so 

 perhaps it is only an evidence of constitutional toughness. In 

 feeding, this duck is particularly omnivorous, vegetable and 

 animal food being much alike to it ; it is thought but httle of 

 for the table, as a rule, but I could never see why it was so 

 much abused ; but then I am fond of ducks generally, as well 

 for eating as for observation. The note is a kurr in the female, 

 a weak, faint quack in the drake, which jerks back his neck in 

 a curve when courting her. 



The white-eye breeds in Kashmir only in our limits, nesting 

 late as a rule, for when it was the custom to take wild ducks' 

 eggs for sale, this poaching traffic did not begin till June. About 

 half a dozen eggs make a sitting, though more occur; they are 

 drab or some shade of buff or pale brown. The nest is made of 



