POCHARD 735 



sparkle the ruby irides of his eyes, relieved by the greyish-blue 

 of the basal half of his broad bill, and the deep black of his 

 gorget, while his back and flanks appear of a light grey, being 

 really of a dull white closely barred by fine undulating black 

 lines. The tail-coverts both above and below are black, the quill 

 feathers brownish-black, and the lower surface of a dull white. The 

 Dunbird has the head and neck reddish-brown, with ill-defined whitish 

 patches on the cheeks and chin, brown irides, the back and upper tail- 

 coverts dull brown, and the rest of the plumage, except the lower 

 tail-coverts, which are brownish -grey, much as in the Pochard. 

 This species is very abundant in many parts of Europe, northern 

 Asia, and North America, generally frequenting in winter the larger 

 open waters, and extending its migrations to Barbary and Egypt, 

 but in summer retiring northward and inland to breed, and is 

 one that has certainly profited by the legislative protection lately 

 aff'orded to it in Britain, for, whereas during many years it had 

 but a single habitual breeding-place left in England, it is now 

 known to have several, to some of which it resorts in no incon- 

 siderable numbers. American examples seem to be slightly larger 

 and somewhat darker in colour, and hence by some writers have 

 been regarded as specifically distinct under the name of iV. or F. 

 americana, ; but America has a perfectly distinct though allied species 

 in the celebrated Canvas-back Duck, N. vallisnermna, a much larger 

 bird, with a longer, higher and narrower bill, which has no blue at 

 the base, and, though the plumage of both, especially in the females, 

 is very similar, the male Canvas-back has a darker head, and the 

 black lines on the back and flanks are much broken up and further 

 asunder, so that the effect is to give these parts a much lighter 

 colour, and from this has arisen the bird's common though fanciful 

 name. Its scientific epithet is derived from the freshwater plant, 

 a species of Vallisneria, usually known as " wild celery," from feed- 

 ing on which its flesh is believed to acquire the delicate flavour that 

 is held in so great a repute. The Pochard and Dunbird, however, 

 in Europe are in much request for the table (as the German name 

 of the species, Tafelente, testifies), though their quality in this 

 respect depends almost wholly on the food they have been eating, 

 for birds killed on the sea-coast are so rank as to be almost worth- 

 less, while those that have been frequenting fresh water are generally 

 well- tasted.^ 



would in the ordinary way become the English Pochard or Poker may be regarded 

 as certain ; but then it is not known to be used in French as a bird's name. 



1 The plant known in some parts of England as "willow- weed" — not to be 

 confounded, as is done by some writers, with the willow-wort {Epilohium) — one 

 of the many species of Polygonum, is especially a favourite food with most kinds 

 of Ducks,and to its effects is attributed much of the fine flavour which distinguishes 

 the birds that have had access to it. 



