LONG-TAILED DUCK. 217 



grounds as are suitable to scoters and other diving 

 ducks. On the 28th November, 1879, while steam- 

 ing along the shore, and also through the gatways 

 between Yarmouth, Lowestoft, and on towards the south 

 as far as Benacre and Southwold, I met with several 

 large flocks near each of the j^laces mentioned. Com- 

 mon scoters were by far the most numerous of the fowl 

 gathered off this attractive portion of the coast, though 

 velvet scoters, long-tails, and golden-eyes were well 

 represented. . . . Every winter when spending my 

 time at sea off that part of the coast, I have observed 

 long- tailed ducks." 



By far the greater number of those obtained are im- 

 mature birds ; mature males are decidedly rare, and their 

 occurrence seems almost accidental, winters of great 

 severity sometimes passing without a single individual 

 being obtained, whereas, in exceptionally mild winters, 

 they may occur several times. 



Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear speak of the long- 

 tailed duck being unusually numerous in the winter of 

 1819-20, particularly at Yarmouth, where many of them 

 were obtained ; they also mention that this species has 

 been taken in Herringfleet decoy, a statement which 

 seems extremely improbable, as, in addition to its not 

 being likely to occur on the lake, it is so expert a diver 

 that some special contrivance would probably be required 

 to effect its capture ; possibly there was some confusion 

 between the long-tailed duck and the pintail. Hunt 

 (" British Ornithology," ii., p. 303, foot note) also says, 

 " we have been gratified with the examination of several 

 specimens which were exposed for sale in the Norwich 

 Market in the early part of November, 1819. It is the 

 only instance we remember of this species being shot in 

 Norfolk." The "Norwich Mercury" for 10th March, 

 1832, after stating that '' it might naturally have 

 been supposed that the present unusually mild winter 

 would have been little calculated to tempt the more 

 rare species of wild-fowl to quit their northern hiber- 

 nacula and migrate to our shores," goes on to state that 

 no less than twenty velvet dacks had been sent to Mr. 

 J. Harvey, of Yarmouth, in the course of the week, and 

 that with them " four of a still more rare species, the 

 2e 



