J48 
RED-IIEADED POCHARD. 
met with them neither on the coasts of Labrador 
nor in Texas. The habits of the pochard in Ame- 
rica are described by him as chiefly maritime, seek- 
ing its food by diving; at the same time, when 
feeding in the shallow ponds of the interior, “ they 
are seen dabbling the mud along the shores, much 
in the manner of the mallard ; and on occasionally 
shooting them there, I have found their stomach 
crammed with young tadpoles and small water- 
lizards, as well as blades of the grasses growing 
around the bank. Nay, on several occasions, I 
have found pretty large acorns and beech-nuts in 
their throats.” * Dr. Richardson states that this 
species breeds “ in all parts of the fur countries, 
from the fiftieth parallel to their most northern 
limits.” t 
When newly killed, the bill is black at the base 
and tip, having a rich bluish grey or lead-coloured 
space in the centre. The head and neck is rich 
chestnut-brown, shading into deep brownish black 
on the breast, occupying the whole of that part, 
and running round the back in a narrow dark 
colour; the colour of the neck at the back part 
running farther down, the dark shade being scarcely 
of so deep a lint ; the rump, tail, and vent are also 
black, but the whole intermediate part of the body 
is of a delicate pale grey, minutely waved over with 
blackish grey ; the wings are of a deeper tint, the 
quills dark clove-brown, and the lower tertiary fea- 
* Aud. Om. Biog. iv. p. 199. 
f Faun Bor. Amer. ii. p. 437. 
