46 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



several times without effect, his visits to these 

 ponds became gradually less frequent, but the 

 surrounding covers being unpreserved, and the 

 bird itself too wary to suffer a near approach, he 

 escaped the fate of many of his congeners, and 

 even re-appeared with a companion early in the 

 following September, to whom he seemed to have 

 imparted his salutary dread of man his mortal 

 enemy for during the short time they remained 

 there it was impossible to approach within gun- 

 shot of either of them. 



Adult specimens have occurred in Sussex dur- 

 ing the winter and spring months, those which 

 have been obtained in the summer and early part 

 of the autumn being generally immature birds, as 

 indicated by their speckled upper plumage. A 

 very fine old female was killed lately at Pond 

 Lye, near Cuckfield Place. I had an opportunity 

 of examining this bird immediately afterwards, 

 when it was sent to Brighton to be preserved: 

 the stomach contained a trout, which had partially 

 undergone the process of digestion. 



Specimens have also been shot on the Adur at 

 Shoreham, and at Beeding : it has also occurred 

 near Chichester ; and farther eastward, near 

 Brighton, Pevensey Levels and Rye harbour. 



The river Arun flows through an extensive tract 

 of level meadow-land reclaimed from the original 



