The Pochards. 307 



of the body are pale brown. The axillaries 

 are white ; the under wing-coverts greyish. 

 The back, the upper wing-coverts, the 

 inner secondaries and the upper tail- 

 coverts are of a pale drab-brown, very 

 similar to the same parts in the male. 

 The scapulars are lighter, and the rump 

 darker, brown. All the feathers of the 

 upper plumage are more or less margined 

 paler. The quills of the wing are 

 similar to those of the male, but the light 

 parts of the primaries and secondaries 

 are a darker grey. The tail is brown, 

 with the outer feathers whitish. 



In post-nuptial plumage, the drake is 

 said to be very similar to the duck, but 

 may be distinguished by the brighter 

 colour of the bill and eyelids, by the 

 larger crest, by the darker colour of the 

 lower plumage, and by the redder colour 

 of the feet. 



Duckhngs change from down into a 

 plumage resembling that of the female, 

 but very soon after the change the young 

 drake commences to assume some black 

 feathers on the mantle and breast, by 

 means of which it may be easily recog- 

 nised and distinguished from the female. 



Adult males, after the autumn moult, 

 have the feathers of the dark parts of the 



