EED-CRESTED POCHARD 35 



The scaup is a bird of the high north, but in winter is found 

 as far south as the Mediterranean, South China, and Guatemala, 

 for it inhabits America as well as the Old World. It is not 

 difficult to get near, but is extraordinarily tenacious of life and a 

 most energetic and rapid diver when wounded ; while when at 

 length captured it is not good eating, so that its rarity here is not 

 a matter for much regret. 



Red-crcstcd Pochard. 



* Netta rufiria. Lal-chonch, Hindustani . 



The big red bill and bushy chestnut head of the big red- 

 crested pochard distinguish him from afar, to say nothing of his 

 strongly contrasted body-colouring, black at breast and stern, 

 and brown and white amidships ; the black runs all down the 

 under-surface, though on the water only the white flanks are 

 seen. 



The female, although with no bright colours, being merely 

 brown, with cheeks and under-parts dirty white, is easily 

 distinguished from other ducks ; she also has a bushy-looking 

 head and in particular a black bill tipped with red. 



The drake in undress plumage hardly differs from her but in 

 having more red on the bill — in fact, in some specimens this 

 remains as completely red as in the full plumage. 



The red-crested pochard is the biggest of all our diving ducks 

 except the goosander, drakes weighing about two and a half 

 pounds and ducks only about half a pound less. 



The flight is less heavy and whizzing than that of pochards 

 in genera], but the wing-rustle is usually distinguishable from 

 that of the common pochard, being louder and harsher. 



These birds are very abundant in many places in India, flocks 

 even of thousands occurring, which look, from the bright-coloured 

 heads of the drakes, like beds of aquatic flowers ; they come in 

 in October and November and leave about April. The big flocks 

 tend to split up into parties of a few dozen where there are not 

 very large pieces of water, but stray specimens may turn up 



* Branta on plate. 



