THE LONG-TAILED DUCK ON THE SOLWAY FIRTH 157 



himself examined about fifty specimens in the flesh in the 

 course of a few weeks. The local arrival of this bird 

 appears to have been noticed first on the 3rd of October, 

 when William Nicol observed three different parties of these 

 Ducks near Silloth. He saw eleven birds altogether, that 

 afternoon. In fine, about twenty birds were shot on the 

 waters of the Solway, most of them being examined by the 

 writer. Several immature males were included in the number, 

 though the other sex appeared to predominate. No birds of 

 this species are known to have been observed on the Solway 

 in 1888. In 1889 a single female was shot in December. 

 In 1890 a single bird was shot at, but missed, in November. 

 In December that year the writer had a pretty view of 

 another Long-tailed Duck, which passed within easy shot on 

 the point of Burgh Marsh. It was shot a few days later, and 

 proved to be a male by dissection. In 1891 another im- 

 mature drake was shot on the 29th of October. On the 5th 

 of November 1892 the writer saw an adult female a few 

 minutes after it had been shot on the estuary ; indeed, he 

 received it wet and dripping from the hand of the punt- 

 gunner. Its mate had been shot only the day before, a 

 handsome male. In the following December an immature 

 male was shot and brought to the writer. In 1893 another 

 immature drake was shot on a tarn between Silloth and 

 Allonby, in October. None appear to have been seen in 

 i 894, but the writer was in too broken health to make any 

 field observations. In 1895 several female birds were shot 

 in October and November on the English side of the Solway. 

 A male was reported as seen flighting up the Esk in 

 November, by R. Raine, who had a shot at it but missed it. 

 This may have been the bird which was shot on Rockliffe 

 Marsh in January 1896 and sent to the writer. It will be 

 seen, from the foregoing notes, that this Duck has not been 

 rare on the English waters of the Solway Firth of late years. 

 Has the species really begun to visit the Firth with greater 

 frequency? Of course the punt -gunners now take an 

 intelligent interest in looking out for strange birds, and pre- 

 serve them, instead of sending them off unidentified to 

 distant markets. There is a real enthusiasm on the sub- 

 ject, which did not exist when the writer commenced his 



