342 NATATORES. 



at the margins, and dusky grey towards the tip, and pecti- 

 nated in the margins ; the irides yellowish white ; the tarsi 

 and toes blood-red ; the webs of the feet dusky black. The 

 female is blackish brown. These birds are abundant on the 

 shores of the United States in the winter, but retire towards 

 the northern parts in the breeding season. They are found 

 on both shores of the American continent. 



POCHARD (Faligula). 



The birds of this genus have no very remarkable distin- 

 guishing characters. They have the bill broad and flat for 

 its whole extent, and the body thick in proportion to its 

 length. They resort more inland, and to the fresh waters, 

 than most of the others that have the hind toe margined by 

 a web. So far as is known, none of them breed in any part 

 of the British islands ; and only three species may be con- 

 sidered as regular winter visitants. Their flesh is better 

 flavoured than that of any of the other of the British diving 

 ducks. 



THE RED-HEADED POCHARD (Fuligula ferina). 



This species is about twenty inches in length, thirty in 

 extent of the wings, and twenty-nine ounces in weight. It 

 is rather a heavy-looking bird; and although the mark- 

 ings upon some parts of its plumage are very delicate, its 

 plumage is by no means brilliant. The bill, which is very 

 flat in its whole length, is dull grey, with black on the mar- 

 gins and the tip, and a bluish band across the middle. The 

 feet are dull bluish ; the irides bright orange ; and there is 

 no wing spot. The head and neck are reddish brown, with a 

 rich gloss ; a collar round the lower part of the neck, the 

 throat, the upper part of the back, the rump, and the under 

 tail coverts, are black. The scapulars, wing coverts, and 

 belly, greyish white, finely lined and mottled with dusky. 



