238 rocHAED. 



The food of the Pochard consists of shell-fish; a large portion of green vegetable 

 matters, oats, when attainable, and seeds of various kinds. Sand and gravel are also 

 always present. 



The nest is placed in some tuft of reeds, rushes, or coarse herbage, and contains ten 

 or twelve eggs, which are of a buffy white colour, and measure two inches in length, by 

 one inch and five-eighths in breadth. 



The Pochard is readily tamed, but we have not heard of its breeding in captivity. 

 Mr. C. St. John gives the following account of one in his possession: — "The Pochard 

 which I brought home from Spynie, remains quite contented, and goes about with the 

 other Ducks. He will eat whatever they feed upon, but prefers worms to everything 

 else, showing great activity in diving for them when they are flung into the water. If 

 they are given to him on land, he usually carries them to the water before eating them." 



In the adult male the bill is bluish gray in the centre; black at the base and tip. 

 Irides, cherry red. Head and neck, rich chestnut colour. Lower neck and breast, deep 

 dusky black. Back, scapulars, greater and lesser coverts and tertials, pale gray; with 

 minute wavings and specks of dark gray. Primaries, clove brown; gray towards the 

 base. Secondaries, gray, tipped with white. Kump and upper tail coverts, and tail, 

 black; belly, pale gray, with minute wavings of a darker shade; vent, black. Legs and 

 feet, blue gray; the membranes of a darker shade. 



The female has the bill black; head and neck, dusky brown, paler on the throat; 

 back, darker and more uniform in colour than in the male; lower neck and breast, dark 

 ash brown; belly and vent, pale gray; under tail coverts, dark gray. 



The weight of the adult male is about two pounds one or two ounces. 



The length, nineteen to twenty inches, 



PAGET'S POCHAED. (Fuligula ferinoides.) Bartlett. 



Theee specimens of this Duck have been obtained: one in Norfolk, the others in the 

 London market, we believe. Mr. Yarrell has described it as the American Scaup, 

 Fuligula mariloides, Vigors. It however differs so little from the Scaup, that it is un- 

 necessary for us to do more than refer to an article in the "Zoologist," page 1778, 

 for a full account of the bird; and to Mr. Tarrell's description, in his "British Birds." 



