ANAS CLYPEATA.—A. CIRCIA. Da9 
years before (§ 5612). The air was alive with Snipes, drumming in every 
direction. The place was pointed out to me—a patch of rushes, some 
twenty yards across, growing in a depression inthe heath and quite “ plashy.” 
I went to it and had hardly reached its border when up rose a hen Shoveler, 
which flew slowly round me towards the water. I could see her big bill, and 
almost every feather distinctly—and particularly the blue on the wing. The 
nest contained eleven eggs, one of which was chipped, and was not much 
raised above the wet surface, but there was a great mass of stuff round it, and, 
of course, a good deal of down in it. Lord Walsingham and Mr. Upcher, 
who was also with us, came to look at it, and then we went to a higher and 
drier part of the heath, some two hundred yards off. There we sat down, and 
while I was watching a pair of Yellow Wagtails we saw a pair of Shovyelers 
come from the water, and after making a turn or two round they alighted 
not very far from the nest. The duck soon disappeared, and the drake in a 
few minutes flew away. Then we went on towards the wood or carr, called 
Sturston, though it is not in that parish, and my companions entered the 
wood to see how certain moths were getting on, while I sat down outside to 
enjoy the-sight and sound of the Snipes, some of which came very close to me. 
We did not find any nest, but we flushed two young and very dark birds, 
which went plump into the bushes. When my friends returned I rejoined 
them and we walked across a breck or two to meet the carriage that had been 
brought for us. Then I found to my utter disgust that the Shoveler’s ege I 
had put in my pocket was utterly crushed, and I had nothing to do but throw 
it away, and wait while the keeper went back to the nest and got me 
another. Curiously enough he brought me the chipped one which I had 
observed in the nest and purposely did not take. I emptied it the next day 
at Cambridge, and put the bill and foot of the bird into spirit. Going on to 
Merton we passed West Mere, which till last summer had been dry for 
several years. On it, beside plenty of Coots, were-two old Dun birds with 
their broods—five and six, I thought, respectively. They seemed very happy, 
and after watching them for some time we drove on to the house. On the 
water at Stanford were ten Crested Grebes, all adult and together, but no 
young. The pike had probably taken them. | 
ANAS CIRCIA, Linneus. 
GARGANEY. 
§ 5621. One—“J. D. H.” From Mr. Hoy’s Collection, 
through Mr. James H. Tuke, 1846. 
[§ 5622. Zwo.—Hoveton St. John, Norfolk, (May ?), 1856. 
From Mr. 'T. J. Blofield, through Mr. 'l’. H. Burroughes. 
Mr. Burroughes wrote, 17 July, 1856, that Mr. Blofield gave him three 
eggs for me, adding :—“ There have been a good many nests this year at 
