BIRDS 



169. Barnacle-Goose. Bernicla leucopsis 



(Bechstein). 



This goose is certainly rare with us, and 

 seasons often pass without its being observed. 

 Mr. Gurney considers it the rarest of our 

 Norfolk geese. 



The Canada and Egyptian geese are often 

 met with at large, but are probably of domestic 

 origin. 



170. Brent Goose. Bernicla brenta (Pallas). 

 The brent is a hard-weather goose most 



frequent in the shores of the Wash, where in 

 long-continued frosts sometimes large quan- 

 tities assemble. 



171. Whooper Swan. Cygnus musicus, Bech- 



stein. 

 This is essentially a hard-weather swan ; a 

 few are generally met with every winter, but 

 in long-continued severe weather they some- 

 times visit us in considerable numbers. 



172. Bewick's Swan. Cygnus bewicki, Yar- 



rell. 

 Bewick's swan is much rarer than the 

 whooper, but occurs under much the same 

 circumstances. 



173. Mute Swan. Cygnus olor {Gmdin). 

 The mute swan so often occurs in an 



apparently wild state that it is not unlikely 

 some of them may be genuine migrants. 



174. Polish Swan. Cygnus immutabilis, Yar- 



rell. 

 The so-called Polish swan has frequently 

 occurred in apparently a perfectly wild state 

 in this county, and the late Mr. Gurney has 

 bred white cygnets from domesticated in- 

 dividuals. 



175. Sheld-Duck. Tadorna cornuta (S. G. 



Gmelin). 

 Although in the early years of the century 

 probably much more numerous with us, the 

 sheld-duck still breeds in several favoured 

 localities on the west and east coast of the 

 county. 



176. Ruddy Sheld-Duck. Tadorna casarca 



(Linn.). 

 This species has now been killed so fre- 

 quently on the Norfolk coast, apparently quite 

 in a state of nature, that it really seems to 

 have established its claims to a place in this 

 list. 



177. Wild Duck or Mallard. Anas boscas, 



Linn. 

 A common species, generally distributed, 

 and breeds with us. For an account of the 



decoys of Norfolk, see Trans. Norf. and Nor. 

 Nat. Soc, ii. 538. 



178. Gadwall. Jnas strepera, Liinn. 



From an occasional migrant, by the turning 

 down of some pinioned birds taken in Narford 

 Decoy about the year 1850, this species has 

 become perfectly naturalized and breeds freely 

 in several localities, and apparently is extend- 

 ing its range. 



179. Shoveler. Spatula clypeata (Linn.). 

 This bird is a regular winter migrant, and 



breeds with us in increasing numbers. 



180. Pintail. Dafila acuta (Linn.). 



This is not at all a common duck with us. 

 It generally visits us in winter, but has been 

 met with in May, June and July under 

 circumstances which indicated that it might 

 have bred here. (Booth, Rough Notes, pt. xiii.) 



181. Teal. Nettion crecca (Linn.). 



The teal is resident and still breeds with 

 us, receiving large accessions to its numbers in 

 the autumn, but like the preceding appears to 

 be on the decline as a breeding species. 



The ' bimaculated duck,' a hybrid between 

 this species and the wigeon, is believed to 

 have occurred in Norfolk in 1846 (cf. 

 Zoologist, p. 1698, and 1848, p. 2026 with 

 %)• 



182. Garganey. Querquedula circia (Linn.). 

 Until of late years the garganey nested 



regularly in certain localities of the broads 

 district, where it was a constant summer 

 visitor ; but for the last few years the num- 

 bers have been on the decrease, its place 

 seeming to be taken by the shoveler. 



183. Wigeon. Mareca penelope {Linn.), 

 The wigeon is a common winter visitor. 



There is a late spring migration northward, 

 and it has been seen in the summer months 

 under circumstances which indicate the pro- 

 bability of its having nested here on more 

 than one occasion. 



184. Red-crested Pochard. Netta rufina 



(Pallas). 

 This species was first recognized as British 

 from a specimen killed at Yarmouth in July, 

 1818 ; since that time eight others have been 

 obtained. 



185. Pochard, Fuligula ferina (Linn.). 

 The pochard is a common winter duck, 



and breeds in south-west Norfolk. 



