The Pochards. 321 



The Western White-eyed Pochard is 

 entirely a fresh-water bird, and I cannot 

 find that it has ever been observed on 

 the sea-coast. I shall let Mr. Hume 

 speak of its habits, as European observers 

 have written very little indeed regarding 

 this Duck. He says : 



" Unquestionably weedy lakes and 

 broads, containing moderately deep water, 

 are its favourite haunts in this country ; 

 but I have occasionally met with it on 

 river banks, small ponds, and even utterly 

 bare shallow sheets of water, like the 

 Sambhar Lake. 



" It is seldom seen in the open water, 

 and I have never seen any very huge 

 flocks ; but while I have often met with 

 pairs and small parties of from three to 

 seven on small tarns and ponds, I have 

 put up successively many hundreds from 

 different parts of large rushy, reedy lakes. 

 Not en masse, but successively, for it is 

 a characteristic of this Duck to cling to 

 cover and rise singly, or in twos and 

 threes, and only when compelled to do so. 



" When on the wing the flight of this 

 species is fairly, but by no means very, 

 rapid. They rise with some little diffi- 

 culty, and always by preference against 

 the wind (indeed when there is no wind 



VOL. II. 21 



