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tumn to spring, but keeps much at sea and is not easy to get 

 near. 



The drakes of the Wigeon, Pintail, Gadwall, Teal, like the 

 Mallard, all acquire the plumage resembling the ducks soon after 

 the ducks begin to sit, and all are totally incapable of flying 

 during part of the time they are moulting, as they cast all the 

 large wing feathers at once, primaries, secondaries, and tertials, 

 as do Swans and Geese, and the new feathers take about a month 

 to grow to their full length. 



POCHARDS and TUFTED DUCKS were common during winter in 

 open weather in flocks, but they were rarely shot, keeping and 

 feeding in the deep water and rarely coming to the edge, as they 

 obtain their food principally by diving, and Golden Eyes were 

 also common (but not in flocks) during winter. In frosty wea- 

 ther they generally took the river and were often shot, princi- 

 pally young birds : the mature birds used to come in April on 

 their spring migration and rest a few days. Herons were often 

 there, and I got a Little Bittern shot at the Pont side on the 

 31st May, 1866, within a short distance from where the Car was. 



COOTS and WATER HEXS were there in abundance, and the 

 Little Grebe often in winter, but I never heard of one in summer. 

 Gulls were also often there of various kinds, and one year I found 

 several nests of the Black-headed Gull, but it did not breed there 

 regularly, probably they were too much disturbed. 



On two occasions I saw Black Terns. June 12th, 1850, when 

 fishing, two came quite near us; and again 2nd September, 1852, 

 when fishing we saw several young birds, which came within a 

 few yards of us many times, seeming not in the least afraid. I 

 have known the following waders procured at the Car : Curlews 

 occasionally bred there, and were often there in spring and autumn. 

 The Black-tailed God wit has been got there, but I never observed 

 it myself ; Redshanks often bred there, but only came there to 

 breed within the last few years before it was drained ; Green- 

 shanks not uncommon during autumnal migration in August and 



H 



