VARIETIES OF WILDFOWL. 81 



marks ; breast white ; under parts dull white, spotted with 

 dark brown. 



The POCHARD or DUNBIRD (Nyroca ferina) is also a 

 winter visitor, first coming over in October and leaving in 

 March. It is a very shy bird, and frequents fresh water as 

 well as our sea-coasts and bays. The flesh is of excellent 

 favour, and is highly prized for the table, resembling the 

 famous canvas-backed duck of the United States, though but 

 a humble imitation, in my opinion. The length of this duck 

 is 19-J inches. The male has a pale blue bill with a black 

 point and base; iris red; head and upper part of neck rich 

 chesnut ; lower part of neck and upper part of breast deep 

 black; back of a freckled grey; rump and upper tail coverts 

 black; tail greyish brown; lower breast and belly grey; 

 legs and toes blueish grey. The female has the bill all black ; 

 iris brown; head and neck dusky brown; lower part of neck 

 and breast dark brown. 



The PIXTAILED DUCK (Dafila acuta) is also occasionally 

 found on our internal waters, and is one of the first taken in 

 the decoys in October. It is, however, chiefly a frequenter 

 of our creeks and bays. It is not common in Wales, nor is 

 it often met with on the south-western coast of Devon and 

 Cornwall, but from Poole Harbour to Lymington it is fre- 

 quently seen, and has obtained there the name of the sea- 

 pheasant, from its peculiarly shaped tail. As its flight is 

 extremely rapid, it is not a very easy shot, but it is not so 

 shy and difficult of access as the widgeon. It forms its nest 

 in rushes and strong herbage, where it lays seven or eight 

 eggs of a greenish- white colour, two inches and one line in 

 length by one inch five lines in breadth. In winter the 

 adult male has the bill lead grey on the sides, the central 

 ridge and base being of a brownish black ; iris dark brown ; 

 head and neck dark brown, the feathers on the back of the 

 neck being tinged with purple ; upper parts a rich grey, 

 formed by a mixture of fine lines of black and white ; pri- 

 maries greyish brown ; secondaries black, with a speculum of 

 dark green ; tertials elongated, black in the centre, with a 

 white outer margin, and the inner one grey ; tail coverts ash 

 grey ; elongated tail feathers black ; short ones dark brown, 

 edged with white ; a white stripe on the side of the neck, 



G 



