78 A. F. CHOSSMAK NOTES ON BLRDS 



tliere. The cormorant has been recorded five times in Hertford- 

 shire, the last time being in October, 1888, when one was seen at 

 the Reservoirs. 



CoiiiioN Bittern {Botaurus stellaris). — Mr. Sainsbury Verey has 

 informed me that Mr. Griffin showed him a specimen of the bittern 

 which was shot some thirty years ago in a field immediately opposite 

 his place of business at Eickmansworth. Several occurrences of 

 this bird have been recorded in this county, and in 1849 a nest 

 with four eggs was found at one of the Tring Eeservoirs. This 

 is a bird that has become a thing of the past so far as breeding 

 in this country is concerned, and unfortunately the words of the 

 poet who said — 



" No more the screaming bittern, bellowing harsh. 

 To its dark bottom shakes the shuddering marsh," 



are only too true. Every year we hear of the slaughter of some 

 of these fine birds ; and no doubt if such useless slaughter ceased, 

 we should sometimes have the bittern nesting again in parts of the 

 country suited to it, although many of its former haunts have 

 disappeared before agriculture. 



^ViLD Geese. — On March 11th Mr. Arthur W. Dickinson saw 

 nearly a hundred wild geese passing eastwards over New Farm, 

 ISt. Albans, but did not distinguish the species. On November 30th 

 my father saw fifteen wild geese pass over Berkhamsted, but in 

 this case also the species was not distinguished. 



Shovellee [Spatula clyfeata^. — This handsome duck bred near 

 one of the Reservoirs in 1895. The birds first appeared there 

 on April 6th, and Street found a nest with eggs in a field about 

 two miles from the Reservoirs on May 13th. The young birds 

 were hatched a few days later. 



AViGEON {Mareca penelope). — This bird occurred in small numbers 

 at the Tring Reservoirs during 1895. One of its notes is a shrill 

 " whew," and, when it is flying, its wings look much more pointed 

 than those of the common wild duck. 



Pochard {Fuligula ferina). — This bird was plentiful at the 

 Reservoirs in the early part of the year. Pochards swim very low 

 in the water, and when flying look much shorter in the neck and 

 body than the mallard. They utter a hoarse note, something like 

 that of a carrion-crow, but not nearly so loud nor so prolonged. 

 The female, which is of a dark dusky-grey colour, is very dull 

 in comparison with the male. The latter has a chestnut-coloured 

 head, and a light grey body, which, in the distance, with the sun 

 shining on it, looks nearly white. The first nests were found 

 about May 11th. The pochard lays from seven to fourteen eggs, 

 and the nests, which are usually made of grass and down, are 

 placed amongst the undergrowth by the side of the water. Young 

 pochards have a light patch by the eye, instead of a light eyestreak 

 as young wild ducks have. 



Tufted Duck [Fuligula cristata). — This bird also occurs at the 

 Tring ReseiToirs, but not so plentifully as the pochard. These 



