408 ANATID^. 



them are inhabitants of salt water during a great part of the 

 year ; and all of them dive freely. 



The Eed-crested Pochard or Eed-crested Whistling 

 Duck, was first noticed as a straggler to the British Islands 

 by Hunt, who figured in his ' British Ornithology,' ii. p. 333, 

 a female killed at Breydon, in Norfolk, in July 1818. In 

 his ' List of Norfolk Birds,' published in 1829, Hunt records 

 two more shot at Breydon in 1826, and one (now in the 

 collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney) at Surlingham Broad in 

 December 1827. In January 1826, a male was shot near 

 Boston, in Lincolnshire, while feeding on fresh water with 

 some Wigeons, as recorded by the Author (Zool. Journ. 

 ii. p. 492). During the same winter several others were 

 obtained, more than one occurring in the London markets, 

 and were eagerly purchased for collectors, one being secured 

 by Mr. Bartlett (Naturalist, iii. p. 420). In January 1844, 

 an example was obtained at Horsey Mere, near Yarmouth ; 

 and one, taken about the same time, near Colchester, passed 

 into the Museum of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. 

 A second occurrence at Boston was recorded in 1854. In 

 February 1867, an adult female was shot at Hickling Broad, 

 near Yarmouth ; and there are several other specimens in 

 existence which have been killed in the eastern counties. 

 Mr. John Hancock mentions a female killed in November 

 1857, at Fenham Flats, Northumberland. 



The female represented by Gould in his ' Birds of Europe,' 

 was in the collection of the Hon. W. T. T. Fiennes, and was 

 killed out of a flock of eighteen, at Erith, on the Thames. 

 In February 1845, one was killed at Falmouth, in Cornwall ; 

 and an adult male was obtained at Braunton, North Devon, 

 in December 18G7. G. Ii. Gray says that one of two reputed 

 British specimens in our Museum, was presented by Lord 

 Cawdor, and had been shot at Milford Haven ; and this is, 

 probably, the example stated by the lute Mr. l)ix (Zool. 

 s.s. p. 1678) to have been killed at Stackpole (Lord Cawdor's 

 seat), Pembrokeshire. 



In Scotland this species has only once been recorded :■ — a 



