m HANDBOOK OF BRITISH INLAND BIRDS 
water, and do not join the Mallards, which rest 
and preen themselves for an hour together upon 
the ice. The Pochard is a very lively diver, and 
feeds both on animal and vegetable fare. The 
nest is built among herbage by the side of the 
water, and the eight to a dozen eggs are about 
the size of the Mallard's, and a rather dingier or 
brownish green in colour. 
TUFTED DUCK. 
{Fuligula cristata.) 
Golden-eye (wrongly). — The Tufted Duck, is a 
common winter visitor, and of late years has bred 
in increasing numbers on inland waters, especially 
on various estates in Nottinghamshire. It is con- 
siderably smaller than the Mallard, and swims very 
low in the water, being ready to pop under with 
almost the readiness of a Dabchick ; the Drake is 
jet-black and white, and the Duck sooty-black and 
brown. The arrangement of the plumage is as 
follows : in the Drake the head, neck, back, and 
both upper and under tail-feathers are black, while 
the flanks and belly are white. When swimming, 
it is a small black Duck, with white patch on each 
side, shaped much like a Dutch wooden shoe, with 
the toe pointing towards the tail. It has a black 
