BIRDS 



i8i. Wigeon. Mareca penelope {h\nn.) 



The wigeon arrives in numbers about the 

 end of September, and the main flocks con- 

 tinue to add to their numbers throughout the 

 winter. By the end of March most of them 

 have departed to the breeding grounds. The 

 wigeon in a wild state st.iyed and bred on one 

 of the Hammer Ponds at Coolhurst during 

 1853—4 (Borrer). Of late years pinioned 

 birds have bred at Leonardslee and South 

 Lodge near Horsham. 



182. Red-crested Pochard. Netta rufina 

 (Pallas). 



A rare winter visitor. There are two 

 specimens, an adult and an immature male, in 

 the late Mr. Borrer's collection, evidently 

 recently killed and stuffed from the flesh. 

 They are probably Sussex specimens killed 

 since Mr. Borrer wrote The Birds of Sussex, 

 for there is no reference to the species in the 

 pages of that work. 



183. Common Pochard. Fuligula ferina 

 (Linn.) 



The commonest of the diving ducks that 

 visit us. The nest of the pochard has once 

 been taken within the county, namely by 

 Borrer at the Lower Mill pond at Bolney. 



184. Ferruginous or White-Eyed Duck. 

 Fuligula nyroca (Giildenstadt). 



A rare straggler. It has occurred twice in 

 Sussex (Borrer). 



185. Tufted Duck. FuHgu/a crlstata {Leach). 

 A fairly common winter visitor. It has 



bred several times within the county and will 

 doubtless increase in numbers as a resident. 



186. Scaup-Duck. Fu/igu/<i mari/a (hinn.) 

 This sea-frequenting species visits the 



coasts in some numbers every winter, its affec- 

 tion for certain spots being due to the presence 

 of mussel banks. It is plentiful about East- 

 bourne in certain seasons. 



187. Goldeneye. Clangula glaucion (Linn.) 

 Small parties and single goldeneyes visit 



Sussex every winter. Most of these are im- 

 mature, adult males being rare. 



188. Long-tailed Duck. Harelda glacial'n 

 (Linn.) 



A scarce winter visitor. Nearly all the 

 long-tailed ducks that visit the British Islands 

 south of the Firth of Tay are immatures. 

 There seems to be a sharp line of limitation 

 fixed by the birds themselves at this estuary I 

 have named, and where I have seen hundreds 



of adults nearly every winter. Seven miles 

 south in St. Andrews Bay hardly an adult is 

 to be seen, whilst in the Forth only imma- 

 tures are noticed, and so on right down the 

 east and west coast of England. 



189. Eider Duck. Somaterla moUhsima 

 (Linn.) 



A regular winter visitor in small numbers. 



190. Common Scoter. CEdemia nigra {Linn.) 

 A regular winter visitor in large numbers 



to the Channel. I have noticed that single 

 birds can be observed in almost every month 

 in the year. This is somewhat curious, as 

 these birds are as often adult as otherwise. I 

 have noticed the same disposition to remain 

 through the summer in the case of the velvet- 

 scoter. 



191. Velvet-Scoter. (Edemia fusca (Linn.) 

 A somewhat scarce and local species ap- 

 pearing in small flocks in winter. A regular 

 visitor to Rye and St. Leonards, where in 

 some seasons it is almost as often seen as the 

 common scoter. 



192. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn. 

 A scarce winter visitor generally found on 



inland lakes. 



M( 



rga 



Mt 



rgus 



193. Red-breasted 

 rator, Linn. 



More common than the last species and 

 preferring tidal waters. 



194. Smew. Mergus albellus, Linn. 



A regular visitor, being common in severe 

 winters. Adult males are scarce, females and 

 young males being the most numerous. 



195. Hooded Merganser. Mergus eucullatus 

 (Linn.) 



Mr. J. E. Harting informs me that there 

 was a bird of this species in the collection of 

 Sir A. Biddulph, which was said to have been 

 killed at Burton Park. 



196. Wood-Pigeon. Columba palumbus,L\nn. 

 Immense flights of wood-pigeons visit us 



succeeding a heavy acorn or beech mast year. 

 These great flocks, which as it were settle 

 down on a particular district and 'eat it out,' 

 are always composed of migratory birds which 

 arrive in November. As a resident the species 

 is also abundant. 



197. Stock-Dove. Columba cenas, Linn. 

 Though less numerous than the wood- 

 pigeon the stock-dove is nevertheless abundant 

 as a resident, and evidently their number is 

 fast increasing. 



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