BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 299 



POCHARD. 



(Fuligula ferina.) 

 Order ANSERES ; Family ANATID^: (DUCKS). 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about nine- 

 teen inches. Bill of medium length, depressed 

 near the centre, black at the tip, pale blue in the 

 middle, and black at the base, which is slightly 

 raised. Irides red. Head and upper part of neck, 

 all round, deep chestnut, lower part of neck, all 

 round, black. Back, scapulars, tertials, and wing- 

 coverts finely freckled with grey and dusky undu- 

 lating lines ; secondaries and primaries bluish-grey, 

 the former tipped with white and the latter ending 

 in dusky -brown. Rump and upper tail-coverts 

 dusky-black ; tail feathers dusky-brown mixed with 

 grey. Breast, sides, and under-parts greyish-white, 

 marked by minute dusky lines, darkest on the vent. 

 Legs, toes, and webs leaden grey. 



The female differs considerably in appearance. 

 Her bill is black. Irides reddish-brown. Head 

 and upper part of neck dull greyish-brown, lightest 

 in front ; lower portion of neck dusky-brown. Upper- 

 parts darker, and under-parts dull greyish- white, 

 clouded with brown ; under tail-coverts dusky grey. 



Situation and Locality. On the ground, in tufts 

 of rushes, coarse grass, in osier beds ; amongst 

 flags and sedges growing on the shores of lakes, 

 broads, and tarns in the north, east, and south of 

 England ; also in Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Our 

 illustrations were procured in Norfolk. The nest 

 was situated amongst the reeds on the right-hand 

 side of the picture on page 301. 



Materials. Sedges, rushes, and dry grass, with 



