NOTES ON NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BIRDS. 165 



The pair of Bewick's S wans, (Cygnus minor, ) in thi3 collection were shot 

 on the Nene, within a mile of Lilford, by my friend and noar neighbour, 

 Mr. George Hunt, of Wadenhoe House, January 28th, 1879, out of a flock 

 of sixteen, of which he had secured another pair, now in his own collec- 

 tion, on the 25th of the said month. I have many notices of the appear- 

 ance of so-called Wild Swans in our neighbourhood, but the majority of 

 those so-called which have come under my notice have been roving 

 specimens of the Common or Mute Swan, (Cygnus olor.) Both Bewick's 

 Swan and the Whooper, or Common Wild Swan, may easily be recog- 

 nised from the Mute Swan with a good glass by the brilliant lemon 

 yellow of the upper portion of the bill in adult birds, and if on the wing 

 in a flock, or sometimes even singly, by their incessant trumpeting 

 cry. 



The White Fronted Goose, (Anser albifrons,) of which species I 

 exhibited a fine adult male at Northampton, was shot by Mr. G. Hunt, 

 above mentioned, on the Nene, not far from Aldwincle, January 6th, 

 1880. For full particulars vide " Zoologist " for February, 1880, p. 66. I 

 retain this specimen in my own collection. 



Two immature male Goosanders, (Mergus castor,) shot by my brother, 

 the Hon. L. Powys, out of a flock of some eight or ten, on the Nene, at a 

 short distance below Lilford, in January, 1876. . We generally find a few 

 of this species on the river in severe weather, but adult males are some- 

 what rare with us, and, though I have seen several on the Nene in 

 that state of plumage, we have not hitherto been able to secure one of 

 them. 



The female Scoter, ( Oidemia nigra, ) was shot near Woodford Mill, 

 above Thrapston, about August 18th, 1879, and sent to me in an almost 

 putrid state, which accounts for the bad condition of the specimen. This 

 of course is only a straggler, and not a common one to our inland district. 

 Full particulars of this specimen will be found in " Zoologist " for 

 September, 1879. 



The Green Cormorant or Shag, (Halieus graculus,) immature, was 

 caught on the towers of Arthingworth Church, on August 31st, 1879, 

 brought to Lilford alive on September 2nd, and lived for several months 

 in my aviary. The Shag, of course, is another accidental visitor to our 

 county, but the above is only one of several occurrences of the species 

 therein, and is fully recorded in the " Zoologist" for October, 1879. 



Exactly the same remarks as the above apply to the specimen of 

 Manx Shearwater, (Puffinus anglorum,) exhibited at Northampton by me, 

 which was shot on the Nene by Mr. G. Hunt, September 4th, 1879, and 

 which I retain in my own collection. This species has occurred several 

 times to my knowledge in Northamptonshire. Mr. J. Heusman informs 

 me that the specimen of this bird now in the Northampton Museum was 

 caught feeding amongst domestic fowls in that town in September, 1S66. 

 For particulars concerning the present specimen vide "Zoologist" for 

 October, 1879. 



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