LONG-TAILED DUCK. 473 



It is somewhat remarkable that the earliest British in- 

 formation concerning this northern ocean-loving duck should 

 be from the fresh waters of the Tees near Barnard Castle, 

 as related by that famous old-time ornithologist Francis 

 Willughby, whose oft-quoted correspondent, Ralph Johnson 

 of Brignall, sent him the description of what is termed 

 the " S wallow- tail' d Sheldrake." After the days of Willughby 

 it was referred to by George Allan (1791) as " only visiting our 

 coast in the severest winters, but never in numbers " (Fox's 

 " Synopsis of the Tunstall Museum," p. 99). 



The status of the Longtail, as denned by modern York- 

 shiremen, is that of a rather rare winter visitant, the immature 

 bird being more common than the adult, and as such it is 

 known on the greater portion of the coast. It arrives in small 

 parties during the October gales, and is considered rare in 

 the Humber and Spurn district ; at Flamborough Mr. M. 

 Bailey tells me he has only shot one ; at Filey it is uncommon, 

 but is met with occasionally, and the same remark applies 

 to Scarborough and Whitby. In the Redcar and Teesmouth 

 neighbourhood it is a regular winter visitant in varying num- 

 bers, making its appearance at the same time as the Scoters, 

 with which species it often consorts, haunting the vicinity 

 of the rocks, and feeding on the small marine life of the scars. 

 In some years it is uncommon, and in other seasons it is of 

 frequent occurrence, as, for example, in the winter of 

 1887-88, when it was very abundant, and at least forty 

 were procured, to my knowledge, between October and 

 February (Zool. 1888, p. 137 ; and Nat. 1889, p. 84). 



The adult male is rare, the mature female still more so ; 

 Mr. W. J. Clarke of Scarborough had one of the latter sent 

 to preserve in November 1897, it being only the second 

 example he had known ; but of the former I have observed, 

 and secured, some very good specimens, and in February 

 1892 I watched, through the lifeboat telescope, two perfectly 

 adult drakes disporting on the water about a mile off shore. 



Though essentially a marine duck, the Longtail has been 

 occasionally obtained on inland waters, the first notice being 

 by Willughby ; whilst Allis referred to its occurrence at 



