102 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



Pochard, or Tufted Duck. Flights of Wild Ducks wheeled round 

 in every direction, while flocks of Wigeon and Teal passed and 

 repassed over head, crossing and re-crossing each other in an endless 

 maze. Amongst them all I noticed one sharp-winged bird, of 

 very rapid flight, the species of which I could not detect. If we 1 

 had had guns we might have made a good bag in a short time, but 

 the sight quite repaid us for our walk. 



Fuligula Rufina. " The Red -crested Pochard/'' This bird is a 

 very rare visitant to our island. Hart has a very good bird, a male, 

 in his museum, obtained many years ago from the neighbourhood, 

 but he is not able to give me circumstances or date. It belonged 

 to his father's collection, which was gathered from the locality. 



Nyroca Ferruginea. " The Ferrugineous Duck," or "Nyroca 

 Pochard/' or " White-eyed Duck."" This bird, again, is by no means 

 common in our islands, but it is occasionally obtained in the Poole 

 district. Hart has a good pair of these birds, the one shot in Poole 

 Harbour on January 6th, 1879, and the female procured in the 

 district in 1865. It is generally called the Ferrugineous Lucky or 

 « — as more lately — the White-eyed Duel ; and it is the same bird as 

 the Nyrocha Pochard. But there seems to have been some con- 

 fusion of late years between this species and a somewhat similar 

 plumaged bird that is now called, I believe, Paget's Pochard, and 

 styled Fuligula Homeyeri v. Ferinoides. It resembles in a great 

 measure the Nyrocha Pochard, but is of a heavier and thicker build, 

 and would almost seem to be a cross between the Red-headed 

 Pochard and the Nyrocha. Hart has a fine specimen — a Drake — 

 also procured from the same district as the other; and when with him 

 last year, we carefully compared the two together, and the difference 

 could be detected at once, though the general arrangement of the 

 plumage was somewhat similar. It occurs, I believe, very rarely ; 

 but frequently enough to cause a distinct appellation to be assigned 

 to it, and the real facts of the case must wait for further and fuller 

 investigation ere one can be certain of its origin. 



Fuligula Fmerita. "The Scaup Pochard." This is the sea 

 Pochard of all its tribe ; unlike the others never being found very 

 far away from the salt water. It is a more northern bird also in its 



