60 POCHARD. 



Leeds, Sheffield, Hebden Bridge, Barnsley, and Burlington. It 

 occurs more or less frequently in Northamptonshire, the Hon. 

 T. L. Powys has informed me. In Cornwall Mr. Cocks quotes 

 it as common in the market at Falmouth, January 19th., 1850. 

 In Oxfordshire they are very frequently seen in the winter; 

 so also in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, and have been known 

 to breed in the latter county, at Scoulton Mere. In Derbyshire 

 they have occurred on the Trent; also in Durham. In Surrey 

 fifty or more have been seen at Godalming. 



In Orkney they abound on the Loch of Scaill, and various 

 other sheets of water in divers parts. In 1831 one was shot 

 in Sanday, so late as the 28th. of June. It seemed, however, 

 to be a solitary bird, I quote, as in so many instances, from 

 the 'Natural History of Orkney,' published by Dr. W. B. 

 Baikie, and Mr. Robert Heddle. 



Tn Ireland they are common. 



In Scotland, Sir William Jardine has shot one or two in 

 Dumfriesshire, and they are frequently on sale in the market 

 at Edinburgh. 



They frequent fresh-water lakes, marshes, and rivers, as also 

 the mouths of the latter when they join the sea, and the 

 coast. 



The Pochard is a winter visitor to us, arriving in October 

 and November. The northern migration is carried on, it is 

 asserted, during the month of March. 



During the day-time these Ducks keep to the sea, and 

 towards night come in to the streams. They are to a con- 

 siderable degree marine birds. They are in much estimation 

 for the table, but when they have fed by the sea lose the 

 flavour which they otherwise are considered to possess. 



They swim, like other birds of their class, with great speed, 

 and dive with much expertness, keeping for a long time 

 beneath the surface. They seem to lie rather deep in the 

 water. They fly with tolerable quickness, but with some 

 exertion, the wings being moved with short and quickly- 

 repeated strokes. They go in a body, and not in a straight 

 or diverged line. On the dry land they make indifferent 

 progress. 



Their food consists of the stems, shoots, roots, seeds, blossoms, 

 and leaves of various water-plants, obtained by diving and 

 otherwise, as also of tadpoles and young frogs, lizards, the 

 fry of fish, insects, Crustacea, and mollusca. 



Mr. Yarrell mentions that when these Ducks are not excited 



