ON CONTINENTAL WATERS 235 



in this part of Europe, tells me that he does not 

 remember any winter when there was so little ice 

 that fowl could stop on the coasts of Groningen and 

 Friesland throughout the season. In an average 

 winter, he says, numbers of wild ducks seemed to 

 find sufficient food for their maintenance ; but if the 

 frost became too severe, they moved to places where 

 the winter was less rigorous. Teal are more quickly 

 affected by frost than any other of the duck species, 

 and a slight spell of cold frequently brought about 

 their prompt disappearance. 



In the Lauwers Zee and at Holwerd, and various 

 other resorts of fowl between the mainland of Holland 

 and the islands, there are some splendid feeding- 

 grounds In the autumn of 1895, however, the weed 

 failed on the Holwerd banks, and though brent and 

 widgeon were seen on passage as [usual, very few 

 stopped in the neighbourhood. No less attractive to 

 the vast numbers of fowl which visit the coast of 

 Schleswig-Holstein are the extensive banks lying off 

 the Island of Nordstrand. Hereabouts there is not 

 much mud, but in the Dollart, between Groningen 

 and East Friesland, a large amount of it exists. The 

 sea-grass (Zostera marina)^ however, does not grow 

 either on the sand or mud in the Dollart, and widgeon 

 are consequently rare visitors, though wild ducks and 



Q 



