258 POCHAKDS AND TUFTED DUCK 



The day is done, and as I wend my way home 

 through the shadows disappointment has no share in 

 my reflections, for many good fishing days produce 

 less than ninety-eight pounds of salmon. 



LIX 



For some years it has been evident that pochards and 

 tufted ducks are extending their breeding 

 and Tufted range in this country, and I am able for the 

 first time to certify that both these species 

 nest in Wigtownshire. The presence of odd pairs of 

 these birds during the summer, and the early appear- 

 ance of young ones, for many years past had given me 

 a pretty strong notion that they had not travelled very 

 far. This year a neighbour of mine obtained from a 

 keeper on Lord Bute's moors two lots of young ducks, 

 which turned out on inspection to be pochards and 

 tufted duck. There are seven lochs, some of them 

 pretty extensive and studded with islets, in the upper 

 part of this parish, and here, it seems, has been the 

 regular breeding-place of several pairs. Moreover, I 

 have a moral certainty that the scaup breeds there also, 

 though it is usually reckoned a marine duck. I saw 

 two pairs of scaup on my sanctuary lake in the middle 

 of April When I returned in the first week of 

 August there were nine. 



Scaup, pochard, and tufted duck are all diving ducks, 

 not only nearly akin to each other, but associating 

 together habitually in the most friendly way. They 



