BIRDS 



142. Long-tailed Duck. Harelda glacialis 



(Linn.). 



A young bird of this species was procured 

 at one of the Tring reservoirs on October 

 28th, 1892. 



143. Common Scoter. QLdemia mgra (Linn.). 

 In February, 1881, a pair of these ducks 



was seen on a pond at Bushey Heath, where 

 they stayed for some days, the male eventually 

 disappearing two or three days before its 

 female. The next record is of one shot at 

 Tring in October, 1884 ; this was a female. 

 In November, 1898, an example was obtained 

 near Rickmansworth. 



144. Velvet Scoter. (Edemia fusca (Linn.). 

 Captain Clarke-Kennedy stated (Birds of 



Berks and Bucks'), on the authority of the Rev. 

 H. H. Crewe, that this bird had been observed 

 on the reservoirs on two occasions, but gave 

 no further particulars. 



145. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn. 

 Two goosanders were killed at Tring in 



February, 1885, and the keeper there saw 

 two more on November 25th, 1895, and also 

 two in January, 1896. One is also said to 

 have been obtained near St. Albans in the 

 winter of 1890-91. 



146. Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus ser- 



rator, Linn. 



In the collection of birds belonging to the 

 Hon. A. Holland-Hibbert at Munden there 

 are a male and female of this species in splendid 

 plumage, which were obtained there between 

 1840 and 1850. 



147. Smew. Mergus albel/us, Linn. 



In the same collection there is a female 

 smew, which was shot in the neighbourhood 

 on December 28th, 1846. At Tring a flight 

 of nine was seen in February, 1885, while a 

 female was obtained at Welwyn on January 

 loth, 1 89 1, and an immature bird was caught 

 alive near Watford in October, 1 893. 



148. Ring-Dove or Wood-Pigeon. Columba 



palumbus, Linn. 



This is a common resident throughout the 

 county, whose numbers are greatly increased 

 during the winter. At times it appears in 

 immense quantities, the winter of 1894-95 

 being especially remarkable for this. 



149. Stock-Dove. Columba eenas, Linn. 

 The stock-dove is to be found throughout 



Hertfordshire, wherever suitable places are at 

 hand for it to nest in ; it prefers old trees for 

 its nesting-site, but at Westmill near Bunting- 

 ford many of these birds at one time used 



holes at an elevation of 30 or 40 feet in a 

 large gravel pit. 



150. Turtle-Dove. Turtur communis, Selby. 

 This is a common summer migrant, usually 



arriving about the end of April or beginning 

 of May and leaving again in September or 

 early in October. 



151. Pallas's Sand-Grouse. Syrrbaptes para- 



doxus (Pallas). 



During the great immigration of 1863 two 

 male sand-grouse were recorded as having 

 been shot in Hertfordshire, at Dugdale Hill, 

 South Mimms, in June. Curiously enough 

 this particular place, though surrounded on 

 three sides by Hertfordshire, is not actually in 

 the county, and therefore we cannot rightfully 

 claim these particular birds. However, about 

 the same time nine females were obtained in 

 the neighbourhood of Royston, and no doubt 

 some of these came from the Hertfordshire 

 side. During the next great invasion the 

 county was more fortunate, as on May 2Oth, 

 1888, two sand-grouse, which came into the 

 possession of Mr. F. M. Campbell, were shot 

 on Jepp's Farm near Hoddesdon, out of a 

 flock of forty. A week later Mr. A. W. 

 Dickenson saw seven of these birds flying near 

 Batch Wood, St. Albans ; while on June 4th 

 Mr. Chapman of Bennington obtained a fine 

 specimen at that place ; he first thought the 

 bird was a golden plover on account of its 

 flight, but when he heard its note, which he 

 described as ' cruci, cruckj he recognized that 

 it was a strange bird. 



152. Pheasant. Phasianus colchicus, Linn. 

 This bird is strictly preserved in most parts 



of the county, and large numbers are reared 

 annually. Albino and pied varieties are not 

 uncommon. 



153. Partridge. Perdix cinerea, Latham. 

 This is also a bird which is largely pre- 

 served, but of course some parts of the county 

 afford better partridge shooting than others. 

 There have been several cases reported of this 

 species nesting on the top of hay and straw 

 ricks. Several curious colour varieties have 

 been obtained in Hertfordshire, amongst which 

 may be mentioned a pair of birds which had 

 white wings and tails. 



154. Red-legged Partridge. Caccabis rufa 



(Linn.). 



The French or red-legged partridge is fairly 

 plentiful in many parts of the county. A 

 curious nesting-place, chosen by a bird of this 

 species near Royston, was a deserted wood- 

 pigeon's nest, about six feet from the ground, 



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