1 POCHARD.
From tin' view obtained through the glasses at the Pochards, it appeared that none showed the perfect ailnlt
Though I hi' autumn iloek* seliloin arrive before October, an old male or two may occasionally lie
recognized almut Hie Norfolk broad* all through slimmer. On the 1st of September, 1871) while stationed in
a punt on the upper pari Of Breydon, a drake flew at a considerable height direct over my head, and on bcim*
kuiveked down by a shot from a shoulder-nun, proved to he in very richly coloured, though worn and faded,
plumage-.
Though the larger bodies pny little or no attention beyond wheeling round onee or twice, small parties
of 1'oebard almost invariably alight close to the wooden decoy-ducks 1 make use of in winter. Ten or a
dozen carefully constructed dummies moored by a ring in the breast to a small anchor so closely resemble the
wild birds as they ride bead to wind, rising and falling with the swell, that it is almost impossible to scare
away a fowl or two of this specie* thai have been attracted and settled in their company. On the 20th
of January, ls72, by way of ascertaining how long they would remain, I repeatedly drove up with the
punt a couple of tine drakes. The poor birds continued swimming round their inanimate companion-, turning
and regarding the group intently when the boat approached within the distance of ten or a dozen yards.
Though occasionally rising on wing, they resolutely refused to quit the spot, returning after a short and
hurried Bight, and in the end 1 lell them floating contentedly in the midst of the fascinating dummies.
In the eastern counties these bird* are usually known to the natives as Pokers or Sandy-head Pokers+,
Dun-birds or Redheads being the tides most commonly assigned to them hy the fowlers along the south coast.
Tngel'a Pti<-li"iil—Scientific naturalists are, 1 believe, of opinion that this form is merely a cross between
HIE Common Pochard and ihe I'crrnamnns or 'White-eyed Duck. After comparing the specimen from which
the figure in the Plate is taken with the two species, it was obvious that there could bo little, if any, doubt on
the subject. Unfortunately no opportunities fell in my way for acquiring any information concerning the
habits of this fowl, anil I am only enabled to g in extracts from my notes for 1S71 concerning itscaptnre,
coupled with the stale of the weather at the time of the occurrence.
Novcmlier Kb Hard frost, tight north-easterly breeze. On reaching the water-side a couple of hours lieforc
daybreak, the punts were discovered frozen firmly in, thick coating of ice having formed in the dykes.
While the men were clearing the punts, I made my way across the bill towards the broad, the moon shining
brightly and lighting up an exceedinL-ly wintry scene. The whole of the south side of the broad npponreil
laid with thin ice, with the exception of a small piece of open water near the point of the bill, in which
a number of Mallard were feeding and slushing about, evidently enjoying themselves to the fullest extent.
Well aware that it was ullerly impossible, owing to the ice, to approach the party in the punt, I endeavoured
to stalk within range from the bank before the noise of the boats crashing up the dyke should disturb them.
All went well until • itliin about sixty yards, when a crust of ice over vi Inch 1 was crawling gave way and
instantly put up the fowl. Oa the arrival of the piiul, we broke straight through to the open waler, and
then edged round the ire to the western side of the broad, in order to take advantage of the first, signs of
(lav light. Shortly after reaching the outskirts of the large reed-bed, a small bun eh of fowl (MI ideutly Pochards)
* A iwmenhal -inpjlar mishap wumil It OK abol. Oming to Ihe pill <• hwrj mgztlr-loailillK lo-lwrc, turvintr in the toe barret* •
tricar tn-i"K [PUIII-,1, luith ihalp~> i-iplinli-tl ILI llie •!•»•- moronil. Thi.iurh no rifoil TO noticed (merely a > -lixlil numnnf-M Ijeinjr rlprrnneid IB
the tsmta] 'hi' (run flea rW my fboillJ.T, anil ana dmuleml * ilh Ihe Inirtrln firmly fivetl in llif mud liftman tbnv mi'l limr naren from
the Lout.
T Col. RAVKW .t.lea (eleventh EDITION, JMB-, ANIL} that » the tmtlr* ate called iW.ArW. ON tho aouth AND watt coaata, and JTOFCN or
POCHARD.
IP. There won not above half a dozen in all, and for a time a more favourlight
increased, it became evident that with the exception of a tingle bird,
mud a patch of flouting wed at the distance of about fifty yards to the
ed without breaking through a quantity of drift-ice. At last Ihe Pochard*
tug the barrel of the big gun, tho lanyard was pulled ; a snap, however,
not the slightest attention was paid to the crack of the cap hy tho party
ned, the single fowl rose instantly on wing, and flew straight to cross
sond later the charge exploded, the shot being fatal to the half-dozen
which fell stone-dead only fifty yards ahead of the punt. The first rays
Mlgh, ami as the bird was lifted on board, the singular bloom of claret tint
y v isihle and at once attracted attention, leading eventually to the discovery
able chan awaited. As
1 wai 1111 ble t identify, feedii
right, no other fowl could be re
came slo wly b gether, and di
was the sole R spouse. Thong
at whiel the gnu had been
the muz le of the gun. A
1'oehard 1 as the unkno
of the SI a wen now breaking
on tho h ad an 1 neck was disli
of the w ite ey e, dark hack, an
Utd light markings 011 the wing*,
elulwrate description of the specimen is not required, as the Plate will supply all necessary iufonnaliun
ing the plumage.
\