156 A. F. CROSSMAN — NOTES ON BIEDS 



1864. On the 30th of that month the female waf? shot while 

 devouring a fish. The male continued in the neighbourhood for 

 some time and then disappeared. This species has been recorded 

 in our ' Transactions ' on several occasions, the most recent record 

 being of one that was seen fishing in the E,iver Lea, near Wheat- 

 hampstead, in September, 1887. 



Little Bittern [Ardetta minuta). — In the ' Birds of Middlesex,' 

 Mr. Harting mentions a male of this species in good plumage, 

 then in the collection of Mr. Bond, which was obtained at Elstree 

 Eeservoir in 1840. There is one other record of this bird in 

 Hertfordshire. On 17th October, 1884, one was shot near the 

 Carthagena "Weir near Broxboume. 



BiTTEEN {Botaurus stellaris). — Mr. Lucas informs me that 

 a bittern was heard near Hitchin in 1894, and Mr. Latchmore 

 states that one, now in the possession of Mr. William Hill, was 

 shot near there some years ago. 



"Whoopee {Cygnus fmm'cus). — The Rev. H. H. Crewe informed 

 Captain Clarke Kennedy that this bird was an occasional visitor 

 to the Tring Eeservoirs. From oiu* ' Transactions ' I find that 

 in the winter of 1875-76 a pair of whoopers fi'equented a piece of 

 water in Great Gaddesden parish, and that in 1892 thirty were 

 seen flying over Hertford, one of them being afterwards shot at 

 Woodhall. 



Common Sheldrake {Tadorna cornuta). — This bird is also men- 

 tioned as an occasional visitor to the Tring Reservoirs. In 

 December, 1896, one was also observed at Elstree Reservoir, where 

 another is recorded as having been shot in 1883. The only other 

 record of this species in Hertfordshire is of one seen at Tring in 1888. 



Pintail {Bafila acuta). — The pintail formerly occurred at Tring 

 every winter, but in recent years it has only been recorded on 

 two occasions in this county, both being at Tring. 



Teal {Querquedula crecca). — I observed this species at the Tring 

 Reservoirs on several occasions in 1896, and Mr. Thompson tells me 

 that the keeper at Elstree Reservoir also saw it there occasionally. 



Widgeon [Mareca penelope). — The widgeon used formerly to occur 

 plentifully at Tiing during the winter, but is now usually seen 

 there only in small parties. Street saw five there on 5th January, 

 1896. The bird is also frequently seen at Elstree. 



ScAtrp {Fidigula marila). — The scaup is mentioned in ' The Birds 

 of Berks and Bucks ' as being an occasional visitor to the Reser- 

 voirs at Tring. In recent years it has only been recorded in 

 Hertfordshire on two occasions, viz., one at Easneye, near Ware, 

 in 1881, and one at Tring in 1884. 



Golden-eye ( Clangula glaucion). — This bird appears to have 

 always been a fairly regular winter visitor to Tring, and the year 

 1896 was no exception in this way, as Street saw nine there on 

 January 6th. It is only veiy rarely that drakes in full plumage 

 are seen there, the annual ^-isitors being usually females and young 

 birds. In 1849, at the beginning of the year, a fine male in full 

 plumage was obtained. 



