BIRDS 



154. Pochard. Fuligula ferina (Linn.) 



Fairly common as a winter visitor and can 

 be seen in all the winter months on the lake 

 at Thoresby, and also at Newstead. 



155. Ferruginous Duck. Fuligula nyroca 



(Guldenstadt) 



One of these rare ducks was shot on the 

 Trent at Newark and was in Mr. Foottit's 

 collection ; a pair were seen on the lake at 

 Highfields near Nottingham, and another, a 

 female, was killed by Mr. Lowe. 



156. Tufted Duck. Fuligula cristata (Leach) 



Yarrell mentions that the first authenticated 

 nest was found in 1849, but long before this, 

 early in the ' twenties ' of the last century, 

 the bird was breeding in numbers on Rain- 

 worth Waters, and in 1872, when I first 

 came to live here, sixteen pairs were nesting ; 

 I can well remember my delight on seeing 

 them. It has nested every year since and 

 has given pleasure to many of our well known 

 naturalists ; large quantities occur all over the 

 northern parts of the county in the winter, 

 and many remain to breed. In May 1902 I 

 counted twenty-eight pairs on Thoresby Lake, 

 and quite as many at Newstead Abbey, and in 

 December of that year I saw at least 400 on 

 Welbeck Lake. It also nests at Park Hall, 

 Rufford, Osberton and on several other waters. 



157. Scaup Duck. Fuligula mania (Linn.) 



A rare winter visitor. It has been shot 

 once or twice on the Trent near Newark. I 

 shot a female on Mansfield reservoir on 

 i December 1883, and obtained another on 

 Rainworth Water in 1884. Mr. Hall has 

 one taken in the decoy at Park Hall. 



158. Golden-eye. Clangula glaucion (Linn.) 

 A fair quantity visit the large lakes in Sher- 

 wood Forest during the winter and leave us 

 in early spring, but I have seen one on the 

 pond at Rainworth as late as April, where I 

 have shot a number from time to time ; I 

 have seen others killed at Park Hall and the 

 Mansfield reservoir, most of which were 

 young birds and females, but I have a grand 

 male in full plumage shot at Mansfield. 



159. Long-tailed Duck. Harelda glacialis 



(Linn.) 



One of these sea-loving ducks, an immature 

 male, was killed at Newark in 1862, and was 

 taken to Mr. Foottit in the flesh ; another 

 was shot on the Trent at East Bridgeford on 

 i November 1881. 



1 60. Common Eider Duck. Somateria 



mollissima (Linn.) 



Only one specimen, a female, is known, 

 which was shot on Nottingham meadows when 

 flooded about 1879, and brought in the flesh 

 to Rose the bird-stuffer, who sold it to me. 



1 6 1 . Common Scoter. CEdemia nigra (Linn.) 

 This bird has occasionally been seen on 



the Trent at Newark, also near Nottingham. 

 One was shot in the winter of 1868 at Wil- 

 ford Ferry ; another by Sir A. Need at 

 Fountain Dale, and four were seen on the 

 reservoir at Lamb Close, Eastwood, on 22 

 August 1898, which was rather a curious time ; 

 one was obtained by Captain Hall at Park 

 Hall many years ago, and is preserved there ; 

 and another was on Rainworth Water in 

 November 1882. 



162. Velvet Scoter. CEdemia fusca (Linn.) 



A very rare visitor. One was shot at 

 Welbeck some few years back, which is in 

 the Duke of Portland's collection ; and 

 another was shot by Mr. W. Hollins at 

 Pleasley Vale on the lake which forms the 

 county boundary. 



163. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn. 



Occurs every winter on Thoresby Lake. 

 Mr. Sterland once counted forty-three there 

 at one time. It is also seen at Newstead 

 Abbey ; and one day when shooting at Rain- 

 worth we found over forty on the Rainworth 

 Water, three being shot. Mr. Hall has shot 

 several at Park Hall, and I have often seen 

 small parties on the Mansfield reservoir. It 

 generally arrives about the end of October 

 and has remained on one occasion as late as 

 May. 



164. Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus ser- 



rator, Linn. 



Much rarer than the last bird. It has been 

 shot on the Trent at Newark, and there is a 

 fine male in Mr. Percy's collection. A pair 

 were killed at Newstead in March 1844, and 

 one was shot near Retford many years ago by 

 my father ; another was shot at Annesley 

 Park in 1876; and I killed a female on 

 Rainworth Lake in January 1890. 



165. Smew. Mergus albellus. Linn. 



From time to time this pretty duck is seen 

 on our sheets of water. Mr. Sterland saw it 

 many times on Thoresby Lake, and it has 

 been obtained on the Trent several times. 

 A female was shot on Rainworth Water ; six 

 were seen together on the pond at Highfields 



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