RED-HEADED POCHARD. 147 



common. Their comparative scarcity may be owing 

 to the unsuitableness of the districts to their habits. 

 They do not frequent the alpine lochs, and the 

 places where they are chiefly found are river estu- 

 aries and the larger pieces of water in low lying 

 districts. TVe have once or twice shot this species, 

 during winter, in the river Annan. In the Edin- 

 burgh markets it is a frequent bird, though its quali- 

 ties for the table are not generally known; the 

 supply there is chiefly obtained from the coast. 

 Mr. Yarrell states, on the authority of the Rev. 

 Mr. Lubbock, that the pochard breeds occasionally 

 at Scoulton Mere, Norfolk, which is confirmed by 

 Messrs. Shepherd and Wheat ear's catalogue. 



On the Continent of Europe the pochard seems 

 also to be generally and abundantly distributed. 

 It is not, however, traced commonly to the north ; 

 and a few breeding in Holland can only be looked 

 upon as a boundary of their incubating range, as the 

 few stragglers may also be which remain in some 

 of the more favourable English localities. 



Out of Europe it is said to be found in North or 

 North-western Africa. In India it is found, and 

 specimens we have seen are identical,; on the pe- 

 ninsula Mr. Jerdon states it to be not very common, 

 and to be seen generally in pairs. In North Ame- 

 rica it is common, being, however, in some districts, 

 migratory, as at New Orleans, where it arrives in 

 November, departing again in April; it is also 

 found in great numbers in the States of Illoinois, 

 Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, but Mr. Audubon 



