VELVET SCOTER. 179 



in the collection of Dr. Kershaw, and was obtained at 

 Ehodes, Middleton, on November 20th, 1883. Mr. W. 

 E. Beckwith has a young male, killed at Flookburgh on 

 Cartmel sands in December, 1876, and Mr. S. Smith 

 says {Naturalist, 1865) that a male in perfect plumage 

 was shot by Eobert Croft on November 20th, about two 

 miles from the mouth of the Wyre, the gizzard being 

 found to contain five marine shells {Littoiiiia Uttorea), 

 besides some young crabs. Other specimens have been 

 obtained in the neighbourhood of Southport and Liver- 

 pool. [I saw several A^elvet Scoters between Southport 

 and Blackpool in September 1883. — Ed.] 



SUEF-SCOTEE. 



CEdemia perspicillata (Linn?eus). 



Mr. Eichard H. Thompson, of Lytham, writes me 

 under date December 16, 1883 : "In December last I 

 shot a very good specimen of the female Surf- Scoter 

 {CEdemia 'persirinllata) about five hundred yards from 

 the shore opposite this place. Mr. A. G. More pro- 

 nounced the bird to be of the species." No other 

 instance of the occurrence of this rare Duck on the 

 Lancashire coast is upon record. [The Eev. H. A. 

 Macpherson informs me that the above specimen is 

 really a young male. — Ed.] 



GENUS MERGUS. 



GOOSANDEE. 



Mergus merganser, Linnreus. 



In severe weather the Goosander follows the courses 

 of the various rivers, especially the Eibble and its 



N 2 



