192 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



buff colour, and, according to Mr. H.Saunders, usually 

 from six to eleven in number. I am not aware of 

 any record of the nesting, or even of the laying, of 

 this species in the semidomestic condition in which 

 it is frequently kept. 



190. TUFTED POCHARD. 



Fuligula cristatu. 



Never met with by me in any considerable numbers 

 in our county, yet by no means an uncommon casual 

 winter visitor to the Nen Valley. Few seasons pass 

 without the occurrence of a few of these ducks in the 

 neighbourhood of Lilford ; the majority of my records 

 refer to immature birds, but we have several times 

 obtained specimens in adult plumage ; on one 

 occasion I found five of these birds diving in a 

 shallow reach of the river near Lilford, but this is 

 the only instance recorded in my note-books of my 

 having met with more than two of this species 

 together in Northamptonshire ; but during the severe 

 weather of February 1895, a bunch of ten appeared 

 on the Nen near Tichmarsh, and paid heavy toll to 

 our gunners. In this part of the country I never 

 found these birds in the company of other wild-fowl. 

 I consider the flesh of the Tufted Duck when living 

 on fresh water as far superior in flavour to that of 

 the Common Pochard, though the latter is by no 

 means to be despised. In habits, this pretty little 

 fowl much resembles its congeners, seeking its food 

 almost entirely at the bottom of the water, but from 

 my own experience, I am inclined to think it feeds 

 whenever favourable opportunities occur, by day as 



