RARE BIRDS KILLED IN THE WINTER OF 1837-8. 413 



European species, and Hooper Swans. I observed no other Anatidce whose 

 numbers were materially affected. 



Mr. Hoy informs me that a beautiful male Hooded Merganser {Mergus cuculla- 

 tus), in thoroughly mature plumage, has been [secured in the county of Norfolk ; 

 being the first known instance of this bird occurring in its adult garb in Britain. 

 It is indeed remarkable that very nearly all the Mergansers, of each species, were 

 old birds in their final livery ; the younger individuals having been driven further 

 southward. This was especially remarkable in the instance of the female Smew, 

 adult specimens of which are of rare occurrence in collections ; those obtained in 

 ordinary seasons being almost without exception the young of the year, of which 

 the plumage is exactly similar to that of the young male : in the mature females 

 the sides of the face are black, as in the male, and the markings of the wings 

 much purer and better contrasted ; many such specimens appeared in the markets 

 during the severe weather, and when the frost broke up, and the communication 

 with tLe low countries was renewed, I saw a heap of Swans, from Holland, con- 

 taining many females, all of which exhibited this handsome state of plumage. 



The adult male of the Smew Merganser may be procured, every winter, more 

 or less plentifully in the London markets ; and the reason that only the young 

 of the other sex is commonly obtained, becomes obvious on consideration. A 

 bird very like the female Smew is the same sex of the Common Garrot (Clangula 

 vulgaris) ; and the London reader may repair to St. James's Park, and observe 

 how very conspicuous is the brilliantly white plumage of the male Smew at a 

 considerable distance, in comparison with the dark sober livery of the female 

 Garrot. Now birds, as they advance in age, are taught by increasing experience 

 to become more wary ; and accordingly the mature Smews, more vigilant than 

 the young, do not generally suffer an approach near enough to render the female 

 readily discoverable; besides which, if the gunner should succeed in stealing 

 within shot, the adult birds being commonly in pairs, the beautiful male is sure 

 to attract his attention, to the exclusion of its mate. To judge, however, from 

 the broken necks'"' of some of those which are brought to market, it would appear 

 that this species is occasionally taken in the decoys ; but here, again, the majority 

 of the birds so taken are the young of the year. 



It should be remarked, that the livery in which both sexes of the different 

 Mergansers appear during their first winter, is not that which immediately 

 succeeds the down; for I have obtained specimens early in the season, incom- 

 pletely moulted, in which a few of their first feathers were consequently 

 observable, indicating that the tertiaries at least, if not all the upper parts, had 



* This would be a sufficient proof of their being decoyed birds, if there are no marks of shot in 

 the body.— En. 



VOL. III. — NO. XXIII. 3 I 



