198 SCAUP POCHARD. 



their first arrival they are very lean, but they soon 

 recover, and become fat and in good order : their 

 flesh is greatly esteemed by the American epicure : 

 they are extremely shy, and can rarely be approached 

 unless by stratagem. When wounded in the wing 

 they dive to such prodigious distances and with such 

 rapidity, continuing it so perseveringly and with so 

 much cunning and vigour, as generally to render the 

 pursuit hopeless. During the day they are dispersed 

 about, but towards evening they collect in large flocks, 

 and sometimes in such multitudes as to cover several 

 acres of the rivers, and when they rise suddenly, pro- 

 duce a noise resembling thunder. Their nest and 

 eggs have not been discovered. 



Specimens of these birds were obtained during the 

 unfortunate expedition of Captain Franklin towards 

 the northern Frozen Ocean. 



SCAUP POCHARD. 



(Fuligula Marila.) 



Fu. nigra, humeris cincreo-undulatis, abdomine speculoque alari 

 nlbis (mas.): vel Jusco-ferruginea, specula alarum abdomine 

 capitisque annulo ad rostri basin albis (femina.) 



Black Pochard with the shoulders waved with ash-colour, the 

 abdomen and speculum of the wing white (male) : or, rusty- 

 brown, with the speculum of the wing, the abdomen, and a 

 ring on the head at the base of the beak white (female.) 



Anas Marila. Linn. Sysl. Nat. 1. 19G. Gmel. Syst. Nat. I, 

 509. Lath. Lid. Orn. 2. 853. 



