ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL. 209 
season. I also certainly found the eye of the male a clearer 
white than that of the duck. 
Male.—Head, neck, and upper breast brilliant foxy-red ; 
chin white, with spot ; throat encircled by a black ring ; back, 
wings, and tail dark brown; abdomen white, extending to the 
sides ; tail-coverts and below the tail chestnut ; wing-bar white ; 
bill and legs lead colour ; iris white. During the summer the 
male loses his brilliancy of plumage, then resembling the 
female. 
Female.—Similar to male, but colours less pure; chin 
dusky-white ; collar absent ; eye smoky-pearl, 
Young.—In down, crown of head and upper body dark 
brown; cheeks and front parts clear buffy-yellow, with a slight 
line of whitish across the wing. In first feather, duller than 
female ; less chestnut ; white portions splashed with brown ; eye 
greyish-white. 
Egg.—Yellowish-green, occasionally pale buff, very 
round; seven to twelve in number; ‘“creamy-brown; nine to 
fourteen in number” (Seebohm). May—June. Incubation, 
twenty-two to twenty-four days. 
Nest Down.—Small; very dark brown, paler at the 
root, mixed with a few brown feathers. 
MADAGASCAR POCHARD. 
(Wyroca innotata. Aythia nyroca). 
This bird is at present only known by a couple of skins. 
The head and neck of the adult male, together with the upper 
portion of the breast, are of an intense mahogany red, lower part 
white ; back and scapulars brown ; wing-bar white, with metallic 
green shading before and behind ; eye pearl white ; bill and legs 
bluish-grey, vent white. This species may be distinguished 
