[Cn\r. IX. 

 I'.vhas. -27 \- L'S.] ■^-' 



27<g Pochaid. — Once on the wing, ivriteh Stuart- 

 Baker, tliey go away at a good pace, but they are slow ofif 

 the water and awkward as well. 



Wfiitt'-eped Iiach: — They rim, saj^i, J 1 urn e, with some 

 little difficulty. If flushed from water, they strike it 

 rei)ea(e(lly with their feet, like Coots, but in a less 

 exaggerated style. Rising out of the reeds, they fluster 

 up and go ofif much like Partridges with a low, straight, 

 flight, often dropping suddenly, almost Quail-like, after a 

 ^.hort flight. 



Kises very obliquely, says Stuart-Baker, nor does it 

 rise high when well on the wing but generally flies within 

 a few yards of the surface of the water, getting on consider- 

 able ])ace when once fairly away. 



Tvftf.d Duck. — Just as expert, writes Stuart- Baker, 

 as are the rest of the Pochards on or in the water, it excels 

 the majority of these in getting away from it. It rises 

 with less fluster, noise and splashing than is caused by the 

 rising of other Pochards, and also gets ofif the water 

 more quickly and gets more quickly into its stride. 



KEY 13. 



A. — Quick at gettiv j off the Water. — 



Mallard. 



Gadwall. 



Garganey Teal 

 Tufted Duck. 



B. — Medium at ''jdtiug off the Water. — 



Wigeon. j Pintail. 



C. — Slow at qettinq off the Watn-. — 



All the Pochards. 

 Spotbill. 



Shoveller. 

 Marbled Duck. 



The fliglit shooter and the iield naturalist see the 

 formations ^^i^^'k tribe in the formations which they adopt for regular, 

 in rtight. systematic flight for long distances. The man in a drive 



Ji^Y H ) ^^qji ^^q{. jjj^yg opportunity to observe this interesting 

 phenomenon, since birds under fire or merely doing short 

 journeys from one jhii to another by day do not take any 

 particular formation: Everyone however will have seen some 

 time or other, and in particular at the season of migration, 

 how the Ducks tend to fly iuA'-shape, Y-shape or in "line.'' 

 Ducks are not alone in this respect Cranes, Storks, Geese, 

 cntain sea-birds and certain Waders do the same. But 

 is it correct to say the formation is "line "? Probably, 

 i I all cases it will be found that the line is what is more 

 c )rrectly to be called echelon, which the Cavalry drill book 

 defines as "a formation of successive and parallel units 

 ficing in the same direction, each on a flank, and to the 

 rear, of the unit in front of it." From the simple echelon 

 the V and Y formations seem to develop when the dressing 

 of the line gives way. 



