174 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



■was reared at Woodfolcl, l)ut the female and the six 

 young rambled to some densely reeded reservoirs near, 

 and were not seen after 1st August. I purchased another 

 female Tufted Duck in April 1888, hut although the 

 male Pochard (which had left for the winter) turned up, 

 the birds did not breed. On June 5, 1889, the male 

 Pochard again appeared, but stayed only a few days. I 

 was determined, if possible, to have another brood of 

 hybrids, and therefore purchased a pinioned male 

 Pochard on February 20, 1890. The full-winged male 

 Pochard came to the reservoir, but did not stay : the 

 pinioned birds apparently paired. Both birds disap- 

 peared ; neither Pochard nor Tufted Duck breed now 

 at Woodfold. The female hybrids in the Corporation 

 Park laid in 1889 and 1890, but the nests were taken. 

 In June 1891 the birds were more successful and 

 hatched one and six young respectively ; four of these — 

 all males — were reared, but two only were caught and 

 pinioned. Of the unpinioned birds I shot one on 

 August 25, 1891, the other flew away in December. 

 The pinioned birds cannot now be distinguished from 

 adult male Pochard. This year (1892) two more broods of 

 hybrids were hatched : one of four on May 29, and the 

 other of eight young on June 1. I believe that a 

 Pochard is the father of all the hybrids. On June 11, 

 a Pochard in the Corporation Park hatched six young ; 

 when in down these are not to be distinguished from the 

 hybrids."*— Ed.] 



* [Pochard, 7 days old : — Centre of forehead, crown, hind neck 

 and upper parts generally, olive-brown ; chin and throat, yellow ; 

 broad streak over eyes; sides of face, wing and riunp patches, 

 breast and belly, yellowish-buff, darker towards vent ; irides, 

 yellowish-brown ; bill, dark liver-coloiu' ; length, 75 inches ; width 

 at widest part, one-third from tip, 4 inches ; sides of tarsi and toes, 

 lio-ht olive ; front of tarsi and toes, and webs, dark oUve.. — R. J. H.] 



