RED-BREASTED MERGANZER 345 



Hammond. Mr. C. Gordon procured it at Dover ; the 

 Eev. W. B. Delmar at Elmstone ; Mr. H. Ullyett at 

 Folkestone ; Dr. F. Plomley in Romney Marsh, and 

 Mr. G. Dowker at Stom-mouth, 1884. 



There is a male Goosander in the Maidstone Museum, 

 obtained in Eomney Marsh on December 5, 1884, by 

 Mr. R. J. Balston. 



EED-BREASTED MERGANSER. 



Mergus serrator, Linna'ns. S.N., i., p. 208 ( 1766). 



A frequent winter visitor to the coast and estuaries 

 of Kent, and there are many records of it having been 

 obtained in various localities. 



Boys includes it in the Birds of Sandwich, 1792. The 

 Rev. J. Pemberton Bartlett, in 1844, states that it is 

 " common." 



In the Zoologist, 1870, p. 2182, Mr. G. F. Mathew 

 says : " A friend of mine shot a magnificent pair of 

 Hooded Mergansers, the male of the latter species being 

 in splendid plumage." This remained uncorrected until 

 1876, when Mr. G. F. Mathew wrote to the Zoologist, 

 May 9, 1876 (p. 4958) as follows : "I must apologise to 

 Mr. J, H. Gurney for having left his question concerning 

 the occurrence of this species (the Hooded Merganser) 

 at Sheerness in March, 1870, so long unanswered. The 

 birds in question were merely the common Red-breasted 

 Merganser, the male being in fine breeding plumage. I 

 am sorry such a mistake should have occurred, and can 

 only attribute it to a slip of the pen, for I never noticed 

 the error myself, and am much obliged for attention 

 having been called to it." This correction was over- 

 looked by the Editor of the last edition of Yarrell's 

 British Birds. 



