. BIRDS MET WITH BY THE WILDFOWLER 313 



As soon as the brood can fly the Duck loses her primaries 

 and becomes incapable of strong flight for a short time, but as 

 soon as her quills are grown the whole family move off to join 

 the flocks, which are now rapidly forming. We are visited 

 yearly by large numbers from abroad, which increase still 

 more if the winter be unusually severe. 



The male has a glossy green head and neck, the latter 

 being encircled by a narrow white ring ; rump and centre 

 tail feathers glossy black, the four central coverts curled ; 

 chest and breast deep chestnut-red ; rest of under parts greyish 

 white, vermiculated with brown ; bill yellowish ; legs and feet 

 orange. The Duck has the general coloration buff of various 

 shades. The young resemble the female, but the males 

 assume their full dress in October. The male in "eclipse" 

 has a plumage which resembles that of the female. Length 

 23 in. ; wing 11 in. 



COMMON POCHARD 

 Fuligula ferina {Linnaus) 



Diving Ducks, of which the Pochard is a typical species, 

 may be recognised by having the legs placed farther back on 

 the body, thus rendering their progress on land rather difficult, 

 and by the hind toe being lobed. 



The Pochard is a fairly common winter visitor to our shores, 

 occurring in most seasons, but being in some years much more 

 numerous than in others. It also inhabits the Palaearctic 

 region, but does not occur in the extreme north and east. 

 Its haunts are chiefly along the sea-shores, feeding on Crus- 

 tacea, molluscs, and a certain amount of marine or aquatic 

 weeds, which it procures almost entirely by diving, but it is by 

 no means entirely confined to such localities, and is frequently 

 met with on inland waters, provided they are of sufficient size. 

 In spring the majority leave us for their breeding haunts on 

 the Continent, but as a breeding species with us it is on the 



