OF HARTING. 293 



brachyrhyncus), the Hooper (Cygnus musicus), and the 

 Shieldrake (Tadorna Vulpanser), only visit the ponds 

 in very severe weather. We have seen several speci- 

 mens of the two former species shot here, but never 

 more than two of the latter. 



The Wild Duck (Anas Boschas) is a permanent 

 resident, and its nest is often found in the hedgerows, 

 in the covers, and among the heath at some distance 

 from the water, but not so frequently as to account 

 for the great addition to the numbers of this species 

 which we notice in the winter season. Our local 

 observer, after a successful expedition some years 

 since in quest of the eggs of the wild duck, tells us 

 that they " were deposited on a very bulky collection 

 of nesting materials grass, moss, bits of fern, heath- 

 tops and leaves all in a state of humidity, and con- 

 cealed amongst the densest heather on a swampy 

 waste, not many yards from a large pond." After 

 some further remarks, he goes on to say, " I sub- 

 sequently met with two other nests in which the 

 building materials were reduced to a minimum ; they 

 were situated on high and dry banks, where the leaf- 

 less oak trees, at the foot of which they were placed, 

 had in no degree contributed to their security from 

 the keen eye of the marauding crow, a resident pair 

 of these scavengers having anticipated me in the 

 discovery of the eggs, and practically asserted their 

 claim to the lion's share of them." From a letter 

 addressed to the writer of the latter remarks by a 

 gentleman of the highest rank as an Ologist, we take 

 the liberty of quoting the following anecdote : "With 

 respect to your observation that the wild duck nests 

 ' high and dry,' I can confirm your remark by stating 

 that many years ago I flushed a wild duck from a 

 pollard willow, whilst fishing in the River Avon, and 

 on examination, found a nest in the crown of the tree 

 with ten eggs in it, which, when I had done fishing, I 

 carried home on horseback in my pocket handkerchief 



