The Pochards. 315 



The eggs of the Pochard sometimes 

 number as many as thirteen. Though 

 generally truly elliptical in shape, some 

 eggs are rather pointed at one end. The 

 shell is smooth and has a fair amount of 

 gloss. In colour they are uniformly of a 

 greenish grey or greenish stone-colour. 

 They measure from 2*2 to 2*45 in length 

 and from 1*65 to 175 in breadth. The 

 down is greyish brown with large whitish 

 centres. 



The adult male, with the exception of 

 a small white spot on the chin, has the 

 whole head and neck rich chestnut. The 

 mantle is black. The breast is dark 

 slaty brown, the feathers with a rufous 

 margin and some indistinct black vermi- 

 culations. The abdomen and the sides 

 of the body are pale grey, the former 

 very finely vermiculated with black ; the 

 latter, more coarsely. The under tail- 

 coverts are black. The back, the scapu- 

 lars, the innermost secondaries and the 

 upper wing-coverts are grey, very finely 

 vermiculated with blackish lines. The 

 rump and the upper tail-coverts are black ; 

 the tail grey, freckled with dusky. The 

 outer primaries are ashy grey on the inner 

 web, which is tipped with dark brown ; 

 dark brown on the outer web, becoming 



