THE POCHARD. 99 



on this great lake, fowling, fishing, and bird-hunting 

 for forty years. I have heard of Pochard nesting 

 on some northern waters, but (except in one instance 

 at Lough Beg) cannot, as in the former case, be 

 sure of the correctness of the report. 



Pochards usually arrive about the end of Novem- 

 ber, in small parties ; but, with the advent of frost, 

 increase in number up to the end of January. Out 

 of a score of Pochards killed in a day, I have 

 counted not more than three young birds, and per- 

 haps two-thirds of the number would be adult 

 males. It is curious how wildfowl differ in this 

 respect. With Goldeneyes, for instance, it is all 

 the other way, perhaps not one adult male in fifty, 

 but nearly all females and immature birds. With 

 Scaup, the females greatly predominate, but the 

 males are mostly adult. 



Pochards may be seen on the south-western estu- 

 aries in numbers varying from a dozen to a thousand, 

 and I have seen, after a gale, five thousand collected 

 together. They are common on all the inland lakes 

 of Ireland, and are known as " Red-headed Divers " 

 in many localities. Their presence or absence 

 depends much on the weather on the coast ; frost 

 will bring them without fail where in mild seasons 

 they are scarce. 



After a shot, never pass Pochards that may appear 

 nearly dead, in pursuit of those more lively. Whilst 

 you are chasing the latter, the others will often 

 revive and disappear. Failing to overtake the 

 strong cripples, you perhaps turn back, with the 

 consoling thought that the others are easily to be 

 found. Never was hope more delusive : they are 



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