48 NEW SPECIES OF BIRDS. 



much interest if anyone could give any evidence of the nesting 

 of the Great-crested Grebe on any of the lakes and 

 waters of the county. This fine species has of late considerably 

 extended its breeding range in England, and may be expected 

 to nest on the lakes of Dorset in the future, if it has not yet 

 done so in the past. The county appears to be rich in the 

 number of species of ducks which have been recorded as 

 nesting the Sheld-duck, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, 

 Wigeon, Garganey, and Tufted Duck, all having been noticed 

 as breeding within its limits, but only the first four mentioned 

 apparently, with any degree of regularity, and the last three, 

 namely, Wigeon, Garganey, and Tufted Duck, only on very 

 rare occasions. The writer knows of no record of the nesting 

 of the Tufted Duck in Dorset since Professor Alfred Newton's 

 notes for the year 1876 ; but taking into account the numbers 

 of this species seen on the lakes and waters of Dorset from 

 autumn to spring, and the numerous records of the nesting 

 of the Tufted Duck in Hampshire during the past twenty- 

 five years, it is more than probable that some have from time 

 to time stayed to nest in our own county. 



The following records made since the publication of Mr. 

 Mansel-Pleydell's book are additions to the county list of 

 birds, and are here collected in the hope that they will be 

 of some assistance to the future historian of our local birds. 

 In the writer's opinion one or two of the records seem open to 

 some considerable, doubt ; but authorities or references have 

 been given, and the records, even if not quite established, 

 should not be overlooked. 



The chief absentee from the county lists is now perhaps the 

 Mealey Redpoll, which should occasionally occur in hard 

 winters ; and also some of the rarer Pipits, Warbler, and Waders 

 have still to be recorded, though doubtless some of them have 

 occurred at the periods of migration and have escaped notice. 

 It is only of comparatively recent years that Continental 

 forms and races of our common birds, such as Song Thrush, 

 Robin, Goldfinch, Tits, and others, have been recognised, 

 and here there is a wide field open for any one who has the 



