THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



recently been shot on Handford Water (Keny). On Oct. 7th, 1881, three were 

 "seen near Levington Creek on the Orwell, two of which were shot, and the 



third obtained near Harwich on 

 the following day " (J. H. H. 

 Knights — 40. vi. 151). Mr. 

 Ambrose has preserved speci- 

 mens from Mersea, Harwich, 

 Tollesbury, &c. Mr. Hope, who 

 has an immature male killed 

 on the Main on Nov. 2nd, 1882, 

 and a young female killed on 

 Handford Water on Nov. 6th, 

 i838, says that on our coasts it 

 is "common in heavy weather." 

 In the winter of 1887-88, Mr. 

 Fitch saw several, killed in the 

 Blackwater, and Mr. Spalding 

 noticed others on the poulter- 

 er's stalls at Colchester. Mr. 

 Pettitt preserved a young male, killed at Brightlingsea on Jan. 3rd, 1890. 



Common Scoter : CEdemia nigra, ^.ocally, " Black Duck." 

 A common winter visitor to the seas off the Essex Coast ; it haS 

 occurred very rarely inland. It breeds in the north of Scotland. 



Dale, in 1730, says (2. 405) : " It was 

 sent to Braintree some years past from 

 Tendring Hundred." To Harwich, in 

 1851, Lindsey says (27. App. 65) it was a 

 winter visitor only, and " during that sea- 

 son is to be seen in great numbers on our 

 coast." It is now " common " there in 

 the winter (Kerry). In the Audley End 

 Collection is a specimen killed at Debden 

 on Apr. 3rd, 1849. Yarrell says (37. iv. 

 p. 473) : " At times the waters between 

 the Eastern counties and Holland are black 

 with them," and a friend saw large flocks 

 swimming in deep water off the Maplin Sands in Oct., 1888. Mr. Hope ob- 

 serves that it is " common on all our sands." He adds that " some birds stop all 

 the year round." Mr. Robert Page has a female, taken in his Marsh House 

 Decoy, at Tillingham. 



Mr. Fitch writes : " Immense gatherings are to be seen all winter on the 

 Foulness or Maplin Sands. The Black Ducks alwaj's congregate between the 

 Crouch and the Thames, the cleaner weed-feeding Black Geese congregate 

 between the Crouch and the Blackwater, on the Dengie Flats and Ray Sand. 

 The Ducks often rival the Geese in numbers, and the former are frequently seen 

 in spring and summer. On the day of the Jubilee Yacht Race (June 14th, 1887), 

 when going down-Swin in the fog, we came on quite a large bunch of Black 

 Duck between the Horns and the Mouse Light. Large quantities of various 

 Ducks, chiefly Scoters, were seen near the Swin Middle L.V., in December 1887 ; 

 also January, 1888. On the 12th, the vessel was surrounded with Black Ducks, 

 as far as could be seen with a telescope " (42. ix. 54). 



COMMON SCOTER, l/l2. 



