196 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



only during and after heavy weather that they are driven 

 in and fall to the shore gunners ; at such times they 

 not uncommonly resort to inland waters, and have been 

 met with far from the sea. The Rev, H. T. Frere says 

 that on two occasions the velvet scoter has been killed 

 on Diss mere, a small piece of water of about six acres 

 in extent, some thirty-five miles from the sea, and nearly 

 surrounded by houses and gardens. Many other inland 

 examples have occurred, as an adult male, shot on the 

 river at Cossey, near Norwich ; a specimen killed at 

 Larlingford, &c. This species is frequently associated 

 with the common scoter and long-tailed duck ; and Mr. 

 Cordeaux, as quoted by Mr. Saunders in " Yarrell " (ed. 

 4, iv., p. 476), observes that "in the Lynn and Boston 

 ' Deeps ' almost every flock of the common scoter have 

 a pair or two of the velvet scoter swimming with them." 

 Mr. Lubbock speaks of upwards of twenty specimens 

 coming into the hands of a bird preserver, in Norwich, 

 in the winter of 1829-30 ; the next year the same man 

 received only one. In Sir W. Hooker's MS., under the 

 signature of T. Penrice, occurs the following entry : — 

 " March 1st, 1832, J. Harvey brought me nine of these 

 birds, eight drakes and one duck, all just shot on the 

 coast ; and a few days afterwards he told me he had just 

 had ten more ! " This remarkable abundance of velvet 

 scoters is mentioned in the " Norwich Mercury " of 10th 

 March, 1832. Hi February and March, 1855, one of 

 the most severe seasons known for many years, a number 

 of females or immature males were shot on different parts 

 of the coast ; 1859-60, also a very severe season, produced 

 several, which were killed on the larger broads, and even 

 further inland ; but no adult males are recorded. A female 

 was exposed for sale in our Fishmarket on 7th April, 

 1866. Mr. Stevenson mentions an miusual number off 

 the coast in November, 1870 ("Zoologist," 1871, p. 

 2498), and others in 1871, on the 4th January of which 

 year a fine old male was shot at Hunstanton, and a 

 second adult male was exposed for sale in Norwich 

 Market, on the 11th February. About the same time, the 

 weather being very severe, females and immature males 

 were frequent off the coast in flocks varying from ten to 

 twelve (" Zoologist," 1871, pp. 2600-1). In 1874 several 



