248 BRITISH BIRDS. 



opinion was evidently arrived at on insufficient observation' 

 for, writing again under date October 23rd, the same man 

 states that on the previous day he had seen two packs of these 

 birds, one of which he estimated at over 500, and another 

 pack up to about 300 in number. As to the composition of 

 these packs — whether they consisted of young or old birds, 

 or a mixture of both — he could say nothing, as they were 

 all able to fly well, and were at no time nearer to him than 

 about two hundred yards. Under date November 19th he 

 ^\Tote, " There is not a Merganser to be seen on the lake." 



Herbert Trevelyan. 



GOOSANDERS IN CARNARVON. 

 On December 25th, 1911, at Lyn Ogwen (Carnarvon), I 

 watched a male Goosander {Mergus merganser) for some time 

 at long range, swimming on the lake there. On the 27th 

 it was joined by a female, and both birds were watched care- 

 fully for a long period. They landed on the remote shore of 

 the lake to preen their feathers, the red feet being then 

 very distinct through the glass. 



Although the Goosander is not uncommon on the coasts 

 of north and north-west Wales and the upper Dee according 

 to Mr. H. E. Forrest, its occurrence on the Carnarvon lakes 

 seems to deserve record. C. H. Wells. 



SANDERLING AND GOOSANDER IN BEDFORDSHIRE. 



I HAVE just been shown a Sanderling {Calidris arenaria) shot 

 at Marston, Bedfordshire, this morning (January 16th, 1912). 

 There have been several previous records for this county, 

 but it is a long way inland for this bird to come. 



An adult male Goosander {Mergus merganser) arrived on 

 the Woburn Ponds on January 1st, and is still here. 

 Goosanders have been regular winter visitors during the last 

 three years, having been attracted apparently bj^ our single 

 pinioned male. 



Since I wrote the above two more male Goosanders have 

 arrived on the Ponds. M. Bedford. 



A DISTINCTION BETWEEN YOUNG AND OLD 

 RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES. 



Although it has long been known that the pointed primary 

 in a Partridge {P. cinerea) denotes a bird of the year, I have 

 only recently been shown the difference between old and 

 young Red-legged Partridges (C. rufa). At the tip of the 

 inner web of the first primary in young birds will be found 



