POCIIIEB. 61 



or alarmed, their note is a low whistle, but that at other 

 times it is a rough croak. 



Meyer says, 'about the end of April the Ked-headed Pochards 

 pair; there are no quarrels between the male birds, for the 

 female is said to choose her own mate; and the pair remain 

 inseparable, and do not quit the spot until the young brood 

 are hatched and ready to follow them towards the larger 

 lakes, etc., where they consider them out of danger.' 



The nest of the Pochard is made among rushes or other 

 coarse herbage, and is lined with feathers. Many nests are 

 placed near each other, in suitable localities, such as osier 

 beds or grassy places. 



The eggs are from eight or ten to twelve or thirteen in 

 number, and of a buff white colour. 



The Pochard bred, in the year 1855, in the gardens of 

 the Zoological Society, as Frederick Bond, Esq. has written 

 me word. 



Male; weight, one pound thirteen ounces; length, about 

 one foot seven inches and a half; bill, greyish blue across, 

 black at the tip and about the base; iris, reddish or yellowish 

 orange. Head on the sides and crown, deep glossy chesnut 

 brown; neck in front, shading into deep brownish black on 

 the breast; nape, brownish black. Breast above, deep brownish 

 black, and on the sides dark dusky grey, marked with waved 

 darker lines; and below the same, but paler. Back on the 

 upper part, brownish black; on the middle and lower part, 

 fine greyish white, with black waved pencillings. 



The wings expand to the width of nearly thirty inches; the 

 first quill feather is the longest; greater wing coverts, bluish 

 grey; lesser wing coverts, greyish white, but darker and 

 pencilled across with black; primaries, dark dusky brown, 

 ended with darker brown; secondaries, bluish grey, tinged 

 with brown, and narrowly tipped with white; tertiaries, 

 freckled over with fine pencillings of grey, on a white ground. 

 Tail, dusky greyish; it consists of fourteen feathers; upper 

 tail coverts, nearly black; under tail coverts, black. Legs 

 and toes, greyish blue; webs, bluish black, and large in size. 



The female has the bill black; iris, brown; head on the 

 crown, and neck on the back, sides, and nape, dusky greyish 

 brown, with some ferruginous. The lower part of the neck 

 in front is dark brown, with a tint of dark red. Chin and 

 throat, pale greyish white, with an admixture of reddish 

 brown. Breast above, dark reddish brown, the edges of the 



