THE COMMON POCHARD. 317 



is easily distinguished from all its British congeners in all plumages 

 by grey speculum and wing-coverts. 



Field -characters. — Bright chestnut-red head and neck, vermicu- 

 lated pale grey back and black breast and under tail-coverts 

 separate male at once from other British ducks. Colour of female 

 much less pronounced, but general dull brown tint of upper-parts 

 coupled with greyish-white cheeks and throat and absence of white 

 on wing are useful characters. Rather more squat and heavy than 

 Tufted Duck, which it resembles closely in its gregarious habits, 

 fondness for freshwater, straight and rapid flight by quick beats of 

 short wings, diving powers, difficulty in rising from water, hoarse 

 croaking call, and general behaviour. Male utters soft low whistle 

 in breeding-season. 



Breeding-habits. — Prefers ponds and lakes where there is growth 

 of reeds, flags, rushes, etc., to provide cover for nest. Nest. — 

 Usually in or close to water ; built rather like that of Coot of dead 

 flags, broken reeds, etc., and lined down (feathers from nest, see 

 Brit. Birds, n, PI. 1). Eggs. — 6 to 11, but 13 and 14 on record ; 

 greenish-grey, with waxy surface. Average of 110 eggs, 61.4x43,7. 

 Max.: 68x45.5 and 64x46.5. Min. : 57.2x43 and 61 X 39.2 mm. 

 Breeding -season. — Usually given as first half May, but full clutches 

 may be found by April 26 in England, and during latter half May 

 in Scotland. Incubation. — By female alone. Period 23-24 days. 

 Single brooded. 



Food. — Mainly vegetable ; roots and buds of aquatic plants 

 {Potamogeton, Myriophyllum, Ceratophyllum), also Glyceria, Poly- 

 gonum, and seeds of these as well as reeds, rushes, etc. Also small 

 fish, worms, tadpoles, aquatic insects (water-beetles, etc.) and 

 mollusca (Tellina, Pisidium and other small freshwater forms). 



Distribution. — England and Wales. —Resident and winter -visitor 

 (early Sept .-mid-No v. to March-April). Increasing and now breeds, 

 or has bred, in all maritime counties of east coast, as well as Hants. > 

 Dorset, Sussex, Herts., Bucks., Berks., Beds., Staffs., Leicester, 

 Notts., Salop, Lanes., Merioneth, and probably Anglesey. In winter 

 more widely dispersed, but irregular in numbers and localities. 

 Scotland. — Breeds most parts, but only winter -visitor to Shetlands 

 and mainly so to O. Hebrides, where truly wild birds have probably 

 nested. Ireland. — Winter -visitor. A pair with young identified in 

 Monaghan, 1907, and stated to have bred in cos. Kerry, Tipperary, 

 Westmeath, Meath, Sligo, Down and Antrim. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Palaearctic region generally from Atlantic 

 Ocean to Japan, breeding chiefly in subarctic portions, wintering in 

 Mediterranean countries, east to India, China, and Japan. Acci- 

 dental in Azores, Canaries, Madeira, also Pribilof Isles. Replaced 

 by an allied race in North America. 



