46 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



Having been sliot at several times without effect, 

 his visits to these ponds became gradually less 

 frequent, but the surrounding covers being un- 

 preserved, and the bird itself too wary to suffer a 

 near approach, he escaped the fate of many of his 

 congeners, and even re-appeared with a compa- 

 nion early in the following September, to whom 

 he seemed to have imparted his salutary dread 

 of man — his mortal enemy — for during the short 

 time they remained there it was impossible to 

 approach within gun-shot of either of them. 



Adult specimens have occurred in Sussex dur- 

 ing the winter and spring months, those Avhicli 

 have been obtained in the summer and early part 

 of the autumn being generally immature birds, as 

 indicated by their speckled upper plumage. A 

 very fine old female was killed lately at Pond 

 Lye, near Cuckfield Place. I had an opportunity 

 of examining this bird immediately afterwards, 

 when it was sent to Brighton to be preserved: 

 the stomach contained a trout, which had par- 

 tially undergone the process of digestion. 



Specimens have also been shot on the Adur at 

 Shoreham, and at Beeding: it has also occurred 

 in the neighbourhood of Chichester; and farther 

 eastward, near Brighton, Pevensey Levels, and 

 Rye harbour. 



The river Arun flows throusfh an extensive 



