i6S cassell's book of birds. 



lay, her mate remains true to his duty, and carefully watches over her safety. When, however, she 

 begins to sit upon her eggs, the male deserts his charge, leaves her while he amuses himself in the 

 society of other roving males, and finally troubles himself no more about either mother or eggs. 

 After the lapse of twenty-two or twenty-three days, the young ones make their appearance, and on the 

 very day of their birth are to be seen paddling about upon the surface of the water, but at first they 

 do not venture beyond the shelter of the floating herbage at the side of the pond. Soon, however, 

 their parent, by. the pressure of her body, crushes down the reeds and water-plants, so as to make a 

 sort of bed, to be used as a sleeping or resting place, and here she may be found sitting, closely 

 surrounded by her little flock, as they sun themselves and preen their feathers. If disturbed in their 

 snug retreat, they endeavour to -save themselves by repeatedly diving, and if the threatened danger 

 continues, the mother hastens to lead them to a more secluded spot, always, if possible, making their 

 way thither by water, never, except in cases of urgent necessity, trusting to the dry land. The size of 

 the young Ducks rapidly increases, and they do not leam to fly until they have attained their full 

 growth. Owing to the excellence of their flesh, the chase after these birds is eagerly followed up, 

 and the sportsman is able sometimes to bring down several of them at once, seeing that, if pursued, 

 the young birds always crowd closely together. Occasionally they are taken in considerable numbers 

 by means of decoys. 



THE RED-HEADED DUCK, DUNB,IRD, OR POCHARD. 



The Red-headed Duck, Dunbird, or Pochard (Aythya ferind), one of the best-known 

 representatives of the above group, is of a beautiful brownish red upon the head and fore part of the 

 neck, the front of the breast is black, the back and sides are pure ash-grey, delicately marked with 

 cross lines of black. The under side is greyish white, the region of the vent black ; the wing-covers 

 are ash-grey, the wing-spots light grey, and the quills and tail grey.. The eye is yellow, the beak black 

 at its base, and the margins elsewhere blueish grey ; the foot is greenish grey. In the female the head 

 and neck are reddish greyish brown, marked with an indistinct crescent of dark brown. Her body is 

 whitish grey, and wings ash-grey. The young males in their summer dress resemble the females, but 

 are somewhat brighter in hue, and have the back-feathers of a purer grey. The length of this bird is 

 nineteen inches, its breadth thirty inches, the wing measures nine inches and a half, and the tail two 

 inches and a half. 



The Red-headed Ducks are winter visitors to Great Britain, appearing in October, and, as a rule, 

 departing in spring. Occasionally a few have been said to remain and breed in Norfolk. These 

 birds do not confine themselves to the sea-coast, but visit inland lakes and rivers. Their note is 

 usually a low whistle, but, when alarmed, they utter a hoarse croak. The nest, which is. placed 

 among rushes or coarse herbage, contains from ten to twelve buffish-white eggs ; they are about two 

 inches long, and one inch and five-eighths broad. " Although," says Audubon (in speaking of this 

 species, which is numerously met with during winter about New Orleans, East Florida, and 

 Chesapeake Bay), " these Ducks dive much and to a great depth, while in our bays and estuaries, yet 

 when in the shallow ponds of the interior, they are seen dabbling in the mud along the shores, much 

 in the manner of the Mallard ; and, on occasionally shooting them there, I have found their stomach 

 crammed with young tadpoles and small water lizards, as well as with blades of grass ; nay, on several 

 occasions I have found pretty large acorns and beech-nuts in their throats, as well as snails, entire or 

 broken, and fragments of the shells of several small unios, together with much gravel." 



Pochards are sold in large numbers in the London markets, and Gould tells us, on reliable 

 authority, that no less than 14,400, the sale of which produced ,£1,200, have been captured in one 

 decoy. 



