116 THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 



Mr. Harting (Hand-book, B. B., p. 163), as obtained 

 in the month of August, and figured in Eyton's 

 Barer British Birds (1836). 



Obs. — The Surf Scoter has recently been obtained 

 on the Lancashire coast, making a second occurrence 

 for the north-west coast of England. Mr. B. H. 

 Thompson writes — " When sailing in the estuary of 

 the river Bibble, about 2 p.m., on the 9th December, 

 1882, I shot a fine female Surf Scoter. It was 

 swimming about five hundred yards from the shore 

 opposite Lytham. The bird was quite alone, and 

 allowed my boat to approach within about fifty 

 yards, when I fired and killed it." (ZooL, 1884, 

 p. 29.) It was identified by Mr. A. G. More. 



Genus MEBGUS. 



M. Merganser. Goosander. 



The Goosander is a winter visitant of tolerably 

 frequent occurrence on our estuaries in immature or 

 female plumage. The Solway is more favoured by 

 its visits than any other part of Cumberland, and 

 fifteen Goosanders, including three adult drakes, 

 were shot on the Solway and its Cumbrian estuaries 

 during the comparatively open winter of 1884-5. 

 The Goosander is a wary bird, and is more fre- 

 quently shot by punt gunners than by shore shooters, 

 though single birds may be surprised by a sportsman 

 who runs in while the bird is diving near a river 

 bank. 



One of the adult males just alluded to, however, 

 was surprised in January last, while resting on the 



