AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 187 



the male lias a low, but decided ' quack.' 1 need 

 hardly say that in its proper season, and away from 

 salt-water, the flesh of the Teal is super-excellent. I 

 consider this bird to be the favourite quarry of the 

 Peregrine, and at Lilford I have always found that 

 the first appearance of Teal is immediately followed 

 by that of this Falcon. A very beautiful male hybrid 

 of this species and Mallard was taken on our decoy 

 on December 21, 1894, and unfortunately killed by 

 the decoyman, who did not recognize its peculiarities 

 till after he had broken its neck. It had dropped in 

 at morning flight with a small bunch of Teal, of which 

 six and eight Mallard were taken in the same ' drive.' 

 I never handled a specimen of this cross before, and 

 have not a doubt that we have here the "Bimaculated 

 Duck " of Latham and other authors. 



188. POCHARD. 



Fuligula ferina. 



An irregular and not very abundant visitor to the 

 valley of the Nen. During protracted winter and 

 early spring-floods, when our meadows are covered 

 by several inches of water, small flocks of Pochards 

 may frequently be seen consorting with the other 

 wild-fowl that are attracted by the perfect security 

 aff'orded by these temporary lakes, and a few of these 

 " Dunbirds," as they are locally called, are generally 

 to be found on our river, singly or in companies of 

 from five to ten, during severe frosts. In my former 

 rambles along the river between 1850 and 1870, a 

 Pochard or two often helped to swell our bag, but of 

 late years I have only heard of a few as seen on the 



