210 BRITISH SEA BIRDS. 



The Tufted Duck retires to inland waters for the 

 summer, its favourite resorts being meres, lakes, 

 and marshy grounds full of small ponds. A 

 partiality is also shown for small pools on heaths, 

 or fairly well-timbered ground. This Duck 

 probably pairs for life ; in the breeding season it is 

 certainly social, many males consorting together, 

 and many females making their nests within a small 

 area. The nest is usually made in a tussock of 

 sedge, beneath a bush, or amongst rushes and 

 coarse grass, and is a mere hollow lined with a little 

 dry vegetation, and an abundance of down from the 

 female. The eggs are usually from eight to ten in 

 number, and greenish-buff. They are laid, accord- 

 ing to locality, from April to June. The female 

 alone brings up the young. Outside our islands, 

 the Tufted Duck breeds in the Arctic or temperate 

 parts of Europe and Asia, visiting the southern 

 portions of those continents, as well as North Africa, 

 during winter. 



POCHARD. 



This handsome Duck, the Anas ferina of 

 Linnaeus, and the Nyroca or Fuligula ferina of 

 modern writers, is another winter visitor to the 

 British Islands, where, however, it breeds locally, 

 and in somewhat limited numbers, thus coming 

 within the category of our resident species. In 

 some districts the male of this Duck is known as 

 the " Red-headed Poker," the female as the 

 "Dunbird" or " Dunker." The colours of this 



