RED-HEADED POCHARD. 25^ 



round to the chin, the feathers are of a dull white ; here 

 the two colours are blended, and the white is lost by de- 

 grees in the green : under the chin is a black mark, 

 diverging like the letter V inverted ; the rest of the 

 neck and breast are whitish ; but the middle of the 

 back, the belly, and the vent are deep black : the wings 

 are dusky ; a patch of white being on the middle of the 

 covers : quills black ; the secondaries curving down- 

 wards; the shafts deep ferruginous, with a patch of white; 

 on each side of the outer ones a patch of white : the 

 bill is rich red ; and the naked sides of the elevated lobe, 

 at its base, rich orange : tail black : legs and toes ochra- 

 ceous yellow. 



The plumage of the female closely resembles that of 

 the common eider ; but is readily distinguished from 

 that by the form of the frontal process. 



We have not yet heard of any instance of this king 

 of ducks being alive in any collection; and even stuffed 

 specimens are rarely to be met with among our com- 

 mercial naturalists. 



The Red-headed Pochard. 

 Fuligula ferina, Leach. (Fig. 40.) 



Head and neck bright rufous : breast black : back and 

 upper plumage blackish cinereous, undulated with 

 transverse grey lines ; under parts white, with cine- 

 reous lines : rump and under tail covers black. 



Fuligula ferina, Leach, Cat. Mus. Brit. Selby, III. Brit. Orn. 

 ii. 347. Anas ferina, Linn., Auct., Wilson, viii. pi. 70. fig. 

 6. Anas rufa, Gmelin, Latham, &c. Canard Milouin, Buff. 

 PL Enl. 803. male. Temm. Man. ii. 868. Pochard, or Red- 

 headed Wigeon, of British Authors. 



Although this well-known bird truly belongs to the 

 natural division of the FuUgulin(E, or sea ducks, it is yet 

 one of those very few which frequent fresh water in 

 preference to such as is salt ; and it possesses, moreover, 

 a very decided aptitude for domestication : hence, from 

 being also a common bird in a state of nature, and 

 s 2 



