194* RED-HEADED POCHARD. 



branes black. The female is less, and has the top of 

 the head, the sides and back of the neck, the top of 

 the back, and the breast of a reddish-brown ; but the 

 feathers of the last part are bordered and shaded with 

 reddish-white : the space between the beak and the 

 eye, the region of the eyes, the throat, and fore part 

 of the neck are white, spotted with reddish : on the 

 sides are several large brown spots : the wings are 

 ash -coloured, spotted with white : the zigzag lines 

 on the back are less distinct than in the male : the 

 middle of the belly is whitish : and of the beak dull 

 bluish. The young males of one year resemble the 

 female ; those of two years have the red on the head 

 and on the neck more bright : the colour of the 

 breast is generally blackish-brown, often shaded with 

 clear brown : on the back and sides of the body are 

 several spots. 



Dr. Latham gives the following comparative ac- 

 count of the trachea o/ this species : " The trachea 

 is shorter, but otherwise like that of the Scaup (Fu- 

 ligula Marila), and of nearly the same diameter 

 throughout. The drum-like labyrinth is more round 

 on the upper side, but crossed with a small bony par- 

 tition, as in that bird. The bony box, of which the 

 other portion consists, is scarcely elevated on this 

 side, and on the other much less so than in the 

 Scaup : it likewise forms an obtuse angle with the 

 rest of the trachea j but in the Scaup it does not de- 

 viate from a continuation of a straight line, though 

 forming a considerable enlargement." 



This bird inhabits the northern parts of Europe, 

 Asia, and America, migrating towards the south in 



