this country, appearing about the beginning of October, and
leaving us again in the spring to seek, during its breeding-
season, higher northern regions.
While here it resorts to inland lakes and rivers, as well as
the sea-shore, and though a difficult bird to take in a decoy
on account of its shyness and caution, and the facility with"
which it dives enabling it to get back under water in the
pipe, yet, from being-very abundant as a species great numbers,
according to authorities, are taken every season. Many
thousands are sold every winter, in one market only in London
; and Montagu mentions that the method formerly practised
for taking the Pochard, was something similar to that fof
taking Woodcocks. Poles were erected at the avenues-to
the decoys, and after'-a great number of tHeS^birds had c o l lected
for some time on the pond, to which wild-fowl resort
only by day, and go to the neighbouring fens' lefefeed by
night, a net was at a given time erected by pulleys to these-
poles, beneath which a deep pit'h ad “previously been dug*
and as these birds, like the Woodcocks, go to feed just as^b
is dark, and are said always to rise against the-wind, a whole
flock was sometimes taken together in this-mapper; for if
once they strike against the net, they never attempt to re-'
turn, but flutter down the net till they are. received-into the
pit, from whence "they cannot rise, and thus we -are told
twenty dozep have been taken at one catch. !
Dun-birds are, in general, remarkable for the excellence of
their flesh, and probably but little inferior ' to the far-famed
Canvass-backed Duck of the United States, which it . very
closely resembles in the colour of its plumage, i-feut our Dim-
bird is the smaller Duck of the two. As the Canvass-backed
Duck of America is considered to_ derive th§ goodness and
flavour for which it is so much: esteemed from its taking a
considerable portion of a particular vegetable food,* and is
* Dr. Nuttall, who is a botanist as well as an ornithologist* has mentioned
much less prized in spring when deprived of it, and obliged
to. feed entirely at sea; So our Dun-birds are best while they
feed at the mouths of rivers', and about fresh-water, but when
they feed at sea on fishes, Crustacea, and mollusca, I have
found them coarse And. ill flavoured. They feed principally
during the night.
When;'these Ducks are no(f excited, or alarmed, their note
is*a low- whistle;:%ut at other times it: is a rough croak. The
Dun-birdis not so slender, and elegant in form as the Wild
Duck, and others^©fit|e,.first division, or more'surface-feeding
Ducks;? but. are short - in"the - body,; and depressed in form,
swimmings low in the watery apjd aM-observed to be bad
walkers bn land, from the backward position - of their legs;
an arrangemehèi of great service, gt© them as swimmers and
divers» j Rusticus* of Godaiming,, says-thit -fifty or more have
b;eentseen on thé pieoeiof? water there called-the Old; Pond, in
company with Wild Ducks ; from whic|ek-however, they always
separated on rising! Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear, in
their Norfolk fCatsdogue: of Birds;,meptioh, in 1§25, that- this
-§pe©ies.br,eed ai-.Scoulton Meréftv and the? Rey. Mr. Lubbock
sent une word, that it. has also, bred there of lat.e years.- Mr.
Hewitson says a small number of dhe Pochard; remain,during
thfe-summer months,, and breed o u .k ^ borders.laf, the inland
m&ék,is©; nuihiéro,us in many parts, of Holland. The pest is
placed.anaongst the .rushes, or other coarse herbage abounding
in those-* situations*. The; eggs-.vary in number from ten t©
twelve^ The specimen; figured in Mr. Hewitson’s work on
th ^e^ a'&f onr British Birds, is of a buffy-white. colour, two
inches in length, and .one; inch and five-eighths in breadth.
M. Vieipet says this,sp:ecies appears in France at two periods
tjje'nam'es,'(i^'FhZlsn«ria Americiïfta, Zmterw mariha, Grass-wrack’, and Ruppia
tnajitimayi Sea-grass, called,* also in America* Eel-grass, from, the form and
length of .the; stem. The Dupks dive and .pull up these aquatic plants to obtain
the tender roots, the;Ot5y>parts tfièy seem to eat. - The two plants last
named--are .common near the' eoast in this country.