ANATID^. 129 



Scaup Duck (Fnligtda marild). An uncommon 

 winter visitor here, although often enough procured 

 during hard weather on the sea-coast, and at the 

 mouths of rivers. It is a very expert diver, and its 

 food consists of aquatic plants, insects, and mussels. 

 From the nature of its food its flesh is naturally- 

 coarse and tough, and hence it is held in no estima- 

 tion for the table. On the 26th of January, 1855, 

 the Rev. B. Burgess observed a female Scaup Duck 

 swimming about in company with Coots and Dab- 

 chicks on the water in the park at Latimer, near 

 Chesham, which was not frozen ; and a few days 

 afterwards Mr. Elliott, of Chesham Bois Mill, sent 

 him a Scaup which he had just shot on the stream. 

 The Rev. H. Crewe states that it is an occasional 

 winter visitant to the Wilstone reservoir ; and I have 

 no doubt but that specimens have been killed on the 

 Thames at various times. 



Tufted Duck {Fidigula cristata). The Tufted 

 Duck, or Tufted Pochard, is a common winter visi- 

 tant at the Marsworth and Wilstone reservoirs, but it 

 does not so often occur on our rivers. The Rev. 

 B. Burgess informed me that Mr. Elliott, of Ches- 

 ham Bois, sent him a Tufted Duck one day in 

 February 1855, which had been shot on a stream of 

 water in the neighbourhood. Mr. Burgess states 

 that he has repeatedly observed these ducks on the 

 water at Latimer. Mr. Hasell, of Windsor, received 

 some Tufted Ducks for preservation which were shot 



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