208 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



nest himself. Mr. J. F. T. Wiseman, of Paglesham, informs me that he does not 

 know of its breeding on the marshes in that district. 



Along our coast, however, it seems to be increasing rapidly in numbers as a 

 breeding bird, though I am not aware that it has been before recorded as nesting 

 with us — at least of late years. Mr. Fitch records a nest hatched off on Northey 

 Island in 1887, and another, containing eleven eggs, which was mown over in a 

 field of red clover on the island in the following year (50. ii. 195). On June 

 1 2th, 1888, that gentleman and myself had the pleasure of seeing quite a number 

 of these birds, and several of their recently-used nests, on the Old Hall Marshes, 

 Tollesbury, where we were informed by Mr. G. May, the head-keeper, that they 

 first bred (so far as he is aware) in the year 1886, when a single pair (one of 

 which the keepers thought had probably been wounded, and thus prevented 

 migrating with its fellows), reared their young. However this may have been, in 

 1887, five or six pairs — no doubt the offspring of the original pair — bred on 

 the same marshes ; while in 1888, the number increased to seventeen or 

 eighteen pairs, at least. Mr. May kindly showed us several nests, built among 

 the reeds on the edges of the larger pools and fleets, from which broods had 

 been hatched out only a day or two before. Some of the females seen, too, 

 had evidently young broods among the reeds. 



Golden-eye: Clangida glaitcio7i. Locally, "White-faced Dun- 

 bird" (E.A.F.) and "Bastard Diver." 



A winter visitor, chiefly to the coast, but sometimes met with 

 inland. 



Pennant says (ii. 

 498) Mr. Cockfield, 

 of Stratford, in " Es- 

 sex favoured me with 

 an account of two birds 

 of this species, shot 

 neir the same time. 

 Both agreed in col- 

 ours, but one weighed 

 26 oz. the other only 

 19 oz." Mr. Clarke 

 mentions (24) four 

 killed at Shortgrove 

 m Jan., 1830, one at 

 \\ enden on Apr. 

 23rd, 1836, and a 

 female at Wenden 

 m Feb. of the fol- 

 lowing year. King 

 says (20), " Several 

 of these Ducks were 

 seen in our neighbourhood [Sudbury] last season [1S37]. I have a fine male in 

 my possession [now at Birmingham], shot with another at Cornard." Mr. Grubb 

 says (39), " I believe almost, or quite, the last bird I shot was a female on or.r 

 river." Mr. W. H. Hill, of Southminster, records (12. viii. 574) that it was 

 rare in his time (1835) round that place, where it was known as the "Bastard 



GOLDEN-EYE, lualc 



