206 THE BIEDS OF OXFORDSHIEE. 



recent occurrence of whicli I have had notice is that of a fine 



old male, procured in the flesh by Mr. W. Warde Fowler^ which 



was stated to have been shot near Woodstock about the end 



of January, 1888; it is now in Mr. A. H. Macpherson^'s 



collection. Dr. Lamb mentions a male and female shot on 



the Thames, near Reading-, in October, 1792 [Ornitkologia 



BercJieria). 



>-, 

 THE VELVET SCOTER. \; VJ O 



(JEdeniia fusca. 



The Velvet Scoter is an occasional visitor of rare occurrence. 



The Messrs. Matthews state that they have seen specimens from 



the neighbourhood of Oxford dui-ing severe winters [Zoologist, 



P- 2539)- 



THE GOOSANDER. ^'j ^ ^ 



Meiyiis merganser. 



As a winter visitor the Goosander is of occasional, and 

 irregular occurrence, several years often passing without its 

 being noticed, while in some winters it has been observed on 

 two or three occasions during the season. The male, in its 

 black and white adult plumage, has not, as far as I am aware, 

 been procured in the county, unless the example shot on the 

 Isis at Eynsham on the 5th January, 1871, and recorded as 

 adult, was a male (A. H. Smee, ZooJogut, 1871) ; all the other 

 specimens procured, or observed, being in the plumage of 

 the female or young, in which stage there is an example (shot 

 at Rousham in 1837) in the University Museum. 



The following occurrences of the Goosander in recent years 

 may be enumerated. A female at Islip, 14th November, 1881 

 (W. C. Darbey in lit.). An adult female at Standlake, 6th 

 December, 1883 (W. H. Warner in lit.). One on the Isis 

 near Oxford, December, 1884 (Darbey). An immature bird 

 found dead near Hook Norton, January, 1887. A young male 

 at Bicester on the 1 1 th of the same month. One, shot from 

 a party of three, on the Cherwell at Marston, 26th February, 



