146 
RED-IIEADED POCHARD. 
The whole head, neck, breast, and flanks are of a 
dull chestnut-red ; the back, wings, and tail nearly 
uniform umber-brown, darker on the rump ; the 
carpal edge of the wings and base of the great-covers 
being white, tho latter forming a bar across the 
wing ; the belly is yellowish white, shading towards 
tho thighs into pale blackish brown ; the under tail- 
covers are white, and show a triangular spot there ; 
bill bluish black ; eyes bluish white, whence one of 
its names ; the irides of the two last described po- 
chards are bright golden-yellow, and these, from 
the contrast of the colour with the dark plumage, 
gives to them a great deal of expression or anima- 
tion. 
The Red-headed Pochard, or Dun-bird, Fu- 
i.igula ferina. — Anas ferina, Linn. — Fuligula 
ferina, Steph ., Selby, &c . — Canard milouin, Temrn. 
■ — Pochard, Red-headed Widgeon, or Dun-bird of 
British authors. — This chastely coloured bird is one 
of the more abundant of tho British Fuligulin®, but, 
like the others, is almost entirely a winter visitant. 
It extends from the south of England to the Orkneys 
and Shetland. In the south and fenny countries it 
is extremely abundant, groat numbers being taken 
by decoys and other devices, and brought to the 
markets, whore they are in request, from tho esti- 
mation in which they are held for the table. As 
we proceed to the north of England and Scotland, 
they diminish in frequency ; though they are still 
