BIRDS MET WITH BY THE WILDFOWLER 313 
As soon as the brood can fly the Duck loses her primaries 
and becomes incapable of strong flight for a short time, but as 
soon as her quills are grown the whole family move off to join 
the flocks, which are now rapidly forming. We are visited 
yearly by large numbers from abroad, which increase still 
more if the winter be unusually severe. 
The male has a glossy green head and neck, the latter 
being encircled by a narrow white ring; rump and centre 
tail feathers glossy black, the four central coverts curled ; 
chest and breast deep chestnut-red ; rest of under parts greyish 
white, vermiculated with brown ; bill yellowish ; legs and feet 
orange. The Duck has the general coloration buff of various 
shades. The young resemble the female, but the males 
assume their full dress in October. The male in ‘‘eclipse” 
has a plumage which resembles that of the female. Length 
23in.; wing II in. 
COMMON POCHARD 
Fuligula ferina (Linnaeus) 
Diving Ducks, of which the Pochard is a typical species, 
may be recognised by having the legs placed farther back on 
the body, thus rendering their progress on land rather difficult, 
and by the hind toe being lobed. 
The Pochard is a fairly common winter visitor to our shores, 
occurring in most seasons, but being in some years much more 
numerous than in others. It also inhabits the Palearctic 
region, but does not occur in the extreme north and east. 
Its haunts are chiefly along the sea-shores, feeding on crus- 
tacea, molluscs, and a certain amount of marine or aquatic 
weeds, which it procures almost entirely by diving, but it is by 
no means entirely confined to such localities, and is frequently 
met with on inland waters, provided they are of sufficient size. 
In spring the majority leave us for their breeding haunts on 
the Continent, but as a breeding species with us it is on the 
