ANA TIDM— DUCKS. 



Dale, in 1730, says (2. 404) : " These in wintertime are brought to [Harwich] 

 Market from the decoys." Mr. Bond met with " one specimen only " at Southend 

 during the last week in August, 1842 (23. 40). Mr. Clarke, about 1845, speaks 

 of it (24) as " not infrequent " then round Saffron Walden. According to King 

 (20) it was formerly "not uncommon " around Sudbury. Mr. Buxton says ("47' 

 97) that in Epping Forest it " may be seen occasionally in winter," and English 

 includes it (43. i. 24) in his Epping List. Round Harwich, Mr. Kerry calls it com- 

 mon, and it is said locally to breed there occasionally, but this is almost certainly 

 an error, though Mr. Hope informs me that he has seen birds of the year near 

 Harwich early in July, and that they jemained in the neighbourhood for two 

 months. Six young birds were also observed on the Essex coast on August 7th, 

 18S0 (42), while four young birds were taken some years ago in the Marsh 

 House Deco}', Tillingham, during the month of August. 



It is^a highly remarkable fact, too (as has already been observed — p. 71) that, 

 whereas at present the vast majority of the birds taken in our Deco3's near the 

 coast are caught during December, January and February, a century and a half 

 ago, by far the greatest numbers were taken during September and October, while 

 even the month of August was then more productive than the months mentioned 

 above now are. The inference seems to be that a very large number of the birds 

 formerly taken were home-bred, or, at least, that their chief breeding-grounds then 

 lay nearer to us than they now do. Now-a-da3's, the Wigeon is only known 

 t3 breed in Britain on the rarest occasions. 



[American Wigeon : Mareca americana. 



A very rare straggler to Britain from America, only six or seven 

 specimens having been obtained here. An Essex record by Mr. Samuel 

 Howell Carter of Marsh Lane, Tottenham (29. Feb. 13, 1864; and 23. 

 8962) is very vague and unsatisfactory, though accepted by Harting(88. 

 159). He merely writes, " I shot on the Essex coast last Saturday [? Jan., 

 1864] a beautiful female specimen of the American Wigeon." Thewhere- 

 abouts of the specimen is not now known, and the whole record is so 

 utterly unsubstantiated that no reliance must be placed on it. A young 

 male Common Widgeon in moult, shot at Maldon in Nov., 1862, was er- 

 roneously recorded in the Field as an American Wigeon by " C. A W." 

 (29. April 4 and II, 1863).] 



Pintail : Dafila acuta. 



A not-uncommon winter vi.sitor to the Essex coast. Occasionally 

 individuals occur inland. 



Li the Parsons Collection 

 is a fine old male shot on 

 Shoebuiy shore at flight in 

 Jan., 18 "2. King says (20) 

 female was shot near Sudbury 

 in the winter of 1837-38, It 

 is marked in the catalogue of 

 Walden Museum, issued in 

 1S45, as having occurred near 

 that town. Lindsey, writing 

 of Harwich in 1851, says (27. 

 App. 66), 



" This handsome Duck is 

 £ winter visitor to our shores, 

 .and one of those species 



I'lNT.ML DUCK, adult male in s/irin^ 



