232 BIRDS OP NOEFOLK. 



water, on 22nd January, 1887. The goosanders have 

 been observed occasionally to leave the Gunton lake and 

 to resort to a smaller piece of water in the neighbouring 

 parish of Antingham. 



On the lake at Holkham they are regular visitors, 

 and here Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., saw a pair on the 13th 

 March, 1889 ; also to a fine piece of water in the park at 

 Kimberley. Lord Kimberley, in a communication to 

 the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society (iv., p. 

 604) says, " The goosander has visited us in unusual 

 numbers of late. In December, 1884, 1 saw 13 together, 

 several of them old male birds. They stayed here a long 

 time. Every year since there have been several here, 

 and always some old male birds. Last spring [1888] 

 several stayed as late as May. Of course I never 

 molest them." Mr. T. E. Gunn ("Zoologist," 1885, 

 p. 56), after stating that goosanders were unusually 

 abundant in this county in the winter of 1883-4, says 

 that when pike-fishing on the lake at Kimberley, on 4th 

 February, 1884, he counted fourteen of these birds, one 

 being an adult male. The keeper told him the goos- 

 anders had been there several weeks, and seemed quite 

 able to take care of themselves, something like 200 

 yards being the nearest approach they allowed. Mr. 

 Gunn also mentions having received an adult male 

 goosander, on February 20th, 1883, which had been 

 killed on Gunton lake, where it was found in company 

 vdth six or seven grey birds of the same species. 



The frequent mention of small parties of from seven 

 to ten " females or young birds," and the presence of 

 one adult drake amongst them, would seem to indicate 

 that they were family parties, which would probably 

 remain in consort till they returned northward in 

 spring. 



In the Ranworth decoy books is one entry of the 

 capture of this bird, dated March 8th, 1865. 



The arrival and departure of these birds is, of course, 

 to a great extent governed by the weather, but they 

 have certainly been met with from October to early in 

 April, and were undisturbed, as stated by Lord Kim- 

 berley, as late as the month of May. 



