384 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



THE POCHAED OE DUN BIED. 



FULIGULA FERINA. 

 Lacha mhasach. 



OVER the whole of the West of Scotland the Dun bird is a very 

 familiar species. In some districts it appears in very large flocks, 

 and offers a temptation to sportsmen to try a raking shot. On 

 Loch Lomond many hundreds congregate together and feed in 

 shallow water over the borders of some of the low lying islands, 

 such as Inchmoin, where half a dozen or more could easily be 

 obtained by firing into their midst. 



On many of the Inner Hebrides this species is also common, 

 being found in the fresh- water lochs of Islay and Mull, where they 

 are frequently shot. Unusual numbers were sent from the west 

 coast shootings in the winter of 1866-67. I have not been able 

 satisfactorily to make out the proportion of Pochards among the 

 vast flights of wild duck that frequent the lakes of the outer 

 islands, as I have not been there in the winter season. Limited 

 numbers at least fly in company with wigeon and tufted ducks; 

 and those who practise shooting on these lochs for the table, readily 

 distinguish it from the next species. 



On the eastern shores of Scotland, where fresh -water lochs are 

 of less frequent occurrence than on the west, I have seen great 

 numbers of this bird frequenting estuaries after nightfall. In 

 Fifeshire and East Lothian it may be called abundant. I recollect 

 being on Tyne Sands on a moonlight night many years ago in 

 company with the late Mr Nelson of Kirklandhill, and seeing a 

 constant stream of Pochards coming in from the sea and flying up 

 to the muddy parts of the estuary. We bagged seven brace in 

 little more than half-an-hour, and every flock we saw passing 

 overhead appeared to be of the same species. All the wigeon and 

 mallards were up the stream fully an hour before ! We therefore 

 inferred that the Dun birds had been far out at sea, where they 

 had probably been feeding all day like their allies the scaups. 

 That they were addicted to eating shell-fish, sea urchins, etc., 

 we indeed abundantly verified on dissecting some of the specimens. 

 It is worthy of note that while in western Scotland the Pochard 

 is useful as a bird for the table, it is on the east coast in poor 



