l8 Coward, Faunal Survey of Rostheme Mere. 



Marbury and other waters which are nearer to the estuary 

 than Rostherne On July 21st, 1908, we first saw one on 

 Rostherne ; again there was one on the water on April 

 17th, 191 1, and another on March 29th, 1912. On no 

 occasion did the birds make a prolonged stay ; they were 

 shy and nervous, and one which we saw depart went off 

 north towards the salt water. 



In July and August, 191 3, 

 Casarca ferriighiea {VdiWdis). a Ruddy Sheld-duck was 



constantly on the water. 

 It was wild and sh}^ flying strongly when approached 

 by a boat, but there is little doubt about its origin. 

 It was almost certainly one of a number bred by Lord 

 Newton on his ponds in L}'me Park. The birds, 

 he informs us, usually leave the park in August, and 

 return about the end of October. Some which left Lyme 

 in the summer of 19 13 did not return, and as a bird was 

 shot on Frodsham Marsh on September 4th, shortly after 

 we missed the Rostherne visitor, and two others at Stret- 

 ford in October, it is probable that the wanderings of this 

 artifically reared bird led to its destruction.^' 



The Mallard 

 Anas platyrJiyiuJia platyrJiynciia Linnaeus, is, as on other 



waters, the 

 most abundant duck at Rostherne. There is no regular 

 stocking of the water by hand-reared birds, although a 

 few gathered eggs are sometimes placed under hens, but 

 on one or two other meres birds are reared from bought 

 eggs. On the whole, however, the Rostherne birds show 

 little sign of domestic blood, which is often apparent 

 on waters where birds are artificial!}- reared. Many pairs 

 nest in the coverts and withy-beds round the mere, and 

 almost annual)}'- wild birds will mate with the few white 



'^British Birds. VII., iiS, 199. 



