288 ANATID^. 



autumn, and retire in spring to various parts of Scandinavia 

 and otlier high northern localities. In winter, particularly 

 during severe weather, they are not uncommon on our coast, 

 appearing to prefer bays and estuaries, but sometimes pur- 

 suing the course of rivers and visiting inland waters. They 

 do not confine themselves, in their visits, to any particular 

 counties. They frequent the eastern coast as mentioned by 

 Mr. Selby, in his catalogue of the Birds of Northumberland 

 and Durham, Holy Island, and the Fern Islands, being 

 favourite localities. Thence they pursue a course southwards 

 by Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, The Rev. L. Jenyns 

 told me that a female had been killed in Burwell Fen, Cam- 

 bridgeshire, in summer. They are more rare on the shores 

 of Kent, but visit the Thames, where they are called Saw- 

 bills, in reference to their conspicuously toothed beak ; and 

 Mr. Jesse sent me a fine specimen that was shot during 

 severe weather above Putney Bridge. The Red-breasted 

 Merganser is included in the catalogues of the Birds of 

 Dorsetshire ; I have had specimens sent me from Devon- 

 shire. It has been killed in Cornwall, and as high up the 

 Severn as the vicinity of Worcester. Mr. Dillwyn has 

 noticed its occurrence at Swansea, and it has been obtained 

 on the coasts of North Wales and Lancashire. 



In reference to the breeding stations of this species, Mr. 

 Thompson says it is indigenous to Ireland, nestling on islets 

 both of marine and fresh-water loughs. Pennant has record- 

 ed its breeding in the Isle of Islay. Sir W. Jardine and 

 Mr. Selby found nests of this species when on a fishing ex- 

 cursion upon Loch Awe, in Argylcshire. One of these nests 

 was upon a small wooded island, placed among thick brush- 

 wood, under the covert of a projecting rock, and completely 

 surrounded with nettles, long grasses, and fern. It Avas care- 

 fully made of moss, plucked from the adjoining rocks, mixed 

 with the down of the bird ; both in structure and materials 



