Common Pochard 15 
No. of eggs 6 or 7 to II as a rule, exceptionally 13 and 14. Mr. Jourdain has seen 
clutches of 1 1 eggs more than once. 
Incubation 24 days (Hon. Gerald Legge), 23 days (Naumann). 
Young in Down. — Rusty brown on crown and back of neck ; upper parts brown, 
inclined to be rusty near the neck and on the wings and thighs. A pale brownish 
yellow on the side of the back ; under parts yellowish white ; cheeks and stripe above 
the eye yellowish white with a slight brown tint. The irides are dark grey (Hon. 
Gerald Legge). Salvadori states that the legs, feet, and bill are " light bluish," but Mr. 
Gerald Legge, who has had good opportunities of studying the young, since he had raised 
two lots from the egg, sends me the following description of one that died in his possession 
at four days old : ** Bill, lower mandible, light flesh colour. Upper mandible, dark brown, 
getting a little lighter towards nail. Nail, dark flesh colour. Feet and legs, black on 
under side of the leg, with an olive yellow stripe running down the side of each toe. An 
olive yellow stripe also runs down the outside and inner side of the leg." 
hmnature Male. — In August the forehead and crown dark brown, the rest of the 
head and neck fulvous brown, in some cases turning to grey on the throat and chin ; chest 
grey brown, with a distinct russet tinge ; under parts grey, with whitish ends to the 
feathers ; back of the mantle vermiculated with light grey ; rest of the mantle, scapulars, 
and wing coverts brown, with the scapulars edged with rusty brownish yellow ; rump 
brownish black ; wings similar to female at first, but becoming lighter in the secondaries 
during winter ; vent and thighs grey brown ; a few white-edged feathers on the under 
tail-coverts. The breast and head are never so light as in young females. In September 
the cheeks and neck, especially at the sides near the mantle, assume a much richer red 
brown tint. In August the irides are a dark amber colour. In November the first 
feathers of maturity make their appearance in the young male. Many red feathers come 
into the head and neck, and grey ones into the scapulars, mantle, and back. It is a curious 
fact that when the black feathers appear they do so from the base of the neck and extend 
along the sides of neck to the mantle, each feather being edged with grey brown (which 
wears off by the end of March). Early in January young m^ale Pochards usually change 
to the adult plumage on the head, neck, and all the upper parts, and are still in immature 
dress on all the lower parts from chest to tail-coverts. I have killed young males 
on January 15, probably early-hatched birds, that were almost in complete full dress, 
only a few immature feathers being left on the belly, and others bearing the last traces 
of immaturity at the end of that month, so that we may say that the young male is 
adult at eight months. The whole plumage of the young male when it has assumed 
full dress in February is never so rich or complete as that of older birds ; the back and 
scapulars especially are of a duller grey. Those who know the Pochard well can also 
notice a difference in colour between second and third year, for it is not until the third 
spring that the male Pochard is attired in full beauty. Nevertheless young males in 
full dress will pair and breed during the first spring. In July it passes into eclipse. 
Adult Male. — Whole head and neck a deep rich chestnut, upper breast and hind 
neck, black. In winter this black breast shield is edged with grey on its lower half, but 
these grey edges wear off in April, and the breast is quite black until July. Rump, 
upper tail-coverts, and under tail-coverts, black ; upper parts, clear grey, finely vermi- 
