A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



145. Wigeon. Mareca penelope {L'xnn.). 

 A common autumn and winter visitor. 



146. Pochard. Fu/igu/a ferina (Linn.), 



Frequently met with throughout the winter. 

 Said to breed here occasionally, but I have no 

 certain proof, though it breeds sometimes in 

 North Yorkshire and Northumberland. 



147. Ferruginous Duck. Fu/igu/a nyroca, 



(Gttldenstadt.). 

 Has been shot twice at the mouth of the 

 Tees. 



148. Tufted Duck. Fu/igu/a cristata (Leach). 

 A not very common winter visitor, though 



breeding in Northumberland. A pair shot at 

 Elton, near Stockton, by Mr. Sutton. 



149. Scaup-Duck. Fu/igu/a mari/a (Linn.). 

 Abundant in winter on the coast. 



150. Goldeneye. C/angu/a g/aucion (Linn.). 



A common winter visitor on the coast, 

 generally females or young. 



151. Long-tailfed Duck. Hare/da g/acia/is, 



(Linn.). 



Occurs frequently on the coast in winter. 

 Many were shot at Teesmouth in 1887. 



152. Eider Duck. Somateria mc//iss!ma (Linn.). 



Though largely increased, owing to protec- 

 tion in its breeding places in Northumberland, 

 it is only a winter straggler to the Durham 

 coast. 



153. Common Scoter. (Et/emia nigra [Linn.). 

 Common in winter on the coast. 



154. Velvet-Scoter. (Edemia fuua [Linn.). 



An irregular winter visitor, often in com- 

 pany with the common scoter. On the Tees 

 one was taken 18 October, I 881, and another 

 19 November, 1889. These were early visi- 

 tors. 



155. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn. 



A not uncommon winter visitor, often found 

 some distance up our rivers, and on inlaiui 

 tarns. One was taken lately on tlie Wear in 

 the city of Durham. 



1 56. Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus ser- 



rator, Linn. 



Scarcely so common as the last species, nor 

 docs it habitually go so far inland, but found 

 every winter. 



157. Smew. Mergus a/be//us, Linn. 



An irregular and rare visitor. In the winter 

 of 1869-70 two males in full plumage were 



taken in the city of Durham, and one at Bishop 

 Auckland in January 1838. All those that I 

 have known of have been taken inland. 



158. Ring-Dove or Wood-Pigeon. Co/umba 



pa/umhuSi Linn. 

 A permanent resident, rapidly increasing. 

 In autumn its numbers are recruited by large 

 flocks from the north. 



159. Stock-Dove. Co/umba anas, Linn. 



Formerly utterly unknown in the north. 

 Its first recorded appearance was at Elton in 

 1862 or 1863. In 1867 and perhaps a year 

 or two earlier it bred there. It was first 

 noticed in Castle Eden Dene on 26 October, 

 1869. The specimen is now in Durham 

 Museum. In 1871 it bred in Castle Eden 

 Dene, as well as at Elton, and close to Dur- 

 ham. Since then it has spread over the whole 

 county as a spring and summer migrant. It 

 nests regularly in the ' Banks ' in the city of 

 Durham. I should mention that the Wear 

 forms a peninsula, and on both sides is the 

 city. The banks of the river are steep and 

 well wooded, with many old gardens sloping 

 to the water's edge. The stock-dove nests 

 in the old trees and in drains. There were 

 seven nests in 1902. A pair have regularly 

 laid their egss in a drain in the centre of the 

 Prebends' Bridge, entering by a gurgoyle 

 quite out of the reach of boys. Another 

 took possession of a drain by the side of the 

 cathedral, entering by a similar gurgoyle in 

 the face of the clifF, and made their nest 

 immediately under a grating in the middle of 

 the gravel walk in the monks' garden. The 

 eggs were swept away by a thunder shower. 



160. Rock-Dove. Co/umha /ivia,].¥.Gme\in. 



Breeds in decreasing numbers in Marsden 

 Rocks, and occasionally in the Blackball 

 Rocks near Castle Eden. 



161. Turtle-Dove. Turtur communis, Selby. 



Formerly unknown save as an occasional 

 straggler. Now a few are found every spring, 

 and I have reason to believe liavc bred at 

 Castle Eden, and near Sedgcfield and Wol- 

 singham, 



162. Pallas's Sand-Grouse. Syrrliaptes para- 



doxus (Pallas). 



This sand-grouse, first observed in Britain 

 in 1859, did not occur in Durham till tlic 

 great irruption of 1863. From the month 

 of May to July many were seen and taken 

 on the coast, on the sandhills of Scaton, and 

 Cowpcn marshes. I saw a flock of nearly 

 twenty for several days, but I regret to say 



isr, 



