AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 201 



the neck of a very fine old male, and by still greater 

 luck to rescue my bird out of a rough tumbling sea. 

 I found a few of this species haunting the harbour 

 of Santander in the winter of 1878, and secured two 

 or three. I saw one pair in the Gulf of Foz near the 

 mouth of the Rhone, in the winter of 1874, but the 

 Velvet Scoter is, in my experience, an exceedingly 

 rare bird in any part of the Mediterranean. As far 

 as I have been able to judge, this species exactly 

 resembles the Common Scoter in habits and food, 

 but it is perhaps rather less difficult of approach 

 on smooth water than that bird. It is said to be 

 common during summer in Scandinavia and Northern 

 Russia, but, according to Mr. H. Saunders, has not 

 been met with in Iceland. 



I must add that Lady Mary Thompson informed 

 me that this species had occurred near Milton many 

 years before the date of her letter, 1876 ; but from 

 collateral statements I have reason to doubt whether 

 the identification in this case was entirely satisfactory, 

 and rather suspect that the Common Scoter was in 

 fact the species alluded to by my correspondent, 

 though I hereby give the Velvet Scoter the benefit 

 of the doubt. 



194. GOOSANDER. 



Mergus merganser. 



This handsome species occasionally appears upon 

 the Nen and the large reservoirs of our county during 

 severe weather, and I have several records of the 

 capture of female and immature birds, amongst 

 which I may mention two or three upon Naseby 

 Reservoir, one at Fawsley, and three in the neigh- 



