188 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



decoy or elsewhere in the neighbourhood of Lilford ; 

 this fact is somewhat remarkable, as many more of 

 this species now breed in England than was the case 

 between the years above mentioned. In common 

 with most, if not all, of the genus Fuligula or lobe- 

 toed Anatidce, the food of the Pochard is obtained 

 by diving, and consists principally of various aquatic 

 plants and mollusca. On narrow streams or small 

 ponds this bird is easy to obtain by watching it dive 

 and "making in" whilst it is under water; and as 

 when frequenting rivers it generally follows the 

 course of the stream for some distance, when forced 

 to take wing a second gunner in ambush can often 

 put in a satisfactory double shot at the birds that 

 have escaped from the first attack. On first rising 

 from the water these birds scutter along the surface 

 for a few yards, and afford the easiest of shots, but 

 when once well launched into the air, their flight is 

 swift and well sustained, and on open waters they are 

 wide-awake, and though perhaps not so wary as some 

 others of their family, are very well able to take care 

 of themselves. On one occasion in company with 

 a friend, I discovered a party of seven Pochards 

 diving in a shallow bend of our river near Thorpe 

 Waterville ; the ground was covered with several 

 inches of snow, and the river frozen over in many 

 places. We were both arrayed in white for conceal- 

 ment's sake, and our garments so well answered their 

 intended purpose, that the Pochards (of whose 

 number two or three were always on the surface 

 whilst the otliers were under water) allowed us to 

 walk up to within fifteen yards of them ; we secured 

 five of them as they at last rose, and before we had 

 retrieved the fifth, the other two came back over our 



