392 THE GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL 



Allied forms. ^Nyroca americana, an inhabitant of the Nearctic region, 

 considered by some authorities to be of doubtful distinctness, but by others to be 

 worthy of specific rank. It is distinguished from the Pochard by having the back 

 greyer in colour, by its unvermiculated white belly, and reddish-purple gloss on 

 the neck, and by having no black at the base of the bill. Tlie famous Canvass- 

 back {N. vaUisiieria) of North America is somewhat closely allied to the Pochard. 



Habits. — The Pochard is best known as a winter visitor to the British 

 Islands, arriving in October and leaving in March and April. These dates also 

 correspond very well with the bird's arrival in and departure from India, although 

 it is a few weeks later in the extreme southern limits of its distribution there. 

 Although met with commonly enough in our Islands on the coast in winter, in 

 other localities it is almost exclusively confined to fresh water during that season. 

 In India it prefers reedy meres and broads of moderate depth, where there is a 

 considerable breadth of open water. Here it congregates in vast flocks, often 

 covering acres of water in extent. Like its congeners, the Pochard is a thorough 

 water bird, spending most of its time swimming and diving. It is comparatively 

 rarely seen on land, where it walks in an awkward, waddling manner, but in the 

 water it is the embodiment of easy grace, swimming rapidly, if rather low, diving 

 with as much skill as a Grebe or an Auk, or chasing its companions in sportive 

 mood under and above the surface. When once the bird gets fairly under weigh 

 its flight is rather quick, but at first its movements are rather slow and laboured, 

 and it rises with some apparent difficulty, against wind if possible, the wings 

 making a very characteristic rustle as they rapidly beat the air. The Pochard 

 feeds both by day and by night, but perhaps the most regularly and persistently 

 during the latter. As is usual with many other species of Duck, a considerable 

 flight is often undertaken at dusk by birds frequenting waters where food is not 

 very plentiful to waters better stocked. This Pochard obtains the greater part of 

 its food by diving and bringing up masses of weeds, which are eaten after they 

 are brought to the surface. It is principally a vegetable feeder, and water weeds 

 and marine plants are its favourite fare. It also eats considerable numbers of 

 insects, worms, small fresh-water shells, and young frogs ; and when frequenting 

 the coast, crustaceans and mollusks. Shot from fresh water the Pochard is 

 excellent for the table, but birds killed on the coast are rarely palatable, owing 

 to the stronger nature of their food. The note of this Pochard is a rather 

 loud and harsh kurr. 



Nidification.— The breeding season of the Pochard in our Islands is in 

 May, and fresh eggs may be obtained all through that month and the first half 

 of June ; farther south they are nearly a month earlier still. The nest is always 

 near to fresh water, amongst the coarse grass and sedge and flags growing round 

 the margins of pools and lakes, and in many instances is a floating structure, 



