A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



183. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn. 

 Locally, Saw-bill. 



An uncommon winter visitor. 



184. Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus ser- 



rator, Linn. 



A not uncommon winter visitor to our 

 coast. A pair frequented the shores of Nor- 

 they Island during the summer of 1888, but 

 apparently did not breed (Fitch). 



185. Smew. Mergus albellus, Linn. 

 A scarce winter visitor. 



1 86. Ring-Dove or Wood-Pigeon. Columba 

 palumbus, Linn. 



A very abundant resident, especially in 

 wooded districts. 



187. Stock-Dove. Columba aenas, Linn. 



A fairly common resident throughout the 

 county and apparently increasing in numbers. 



[Rock-Dove. Columba livia, Gmelin. 



Occurs in all probability from time to 

 time as a straggler ; but it is practically im- 

 possible to discriminate between genuinely 

 wild birds and those which have escaped 

 from domestication.] 



1 88. Turtle-Dove. Turtur communis, Selby. 

 A common summer visitor, apparently 



increasing in numbers. 



189. Passenger-Pigeon. Ectopistes migratorius 



(Linn.). 



A very rare straggler to Britain from 

 America. An adult male, apparently wild, 

 was killed on the very border of the county, 

 between Chrishall and Royston, in July 1844 

 (see Birds of Essex, pp. 215 and 281). It is 

 now in the museum at Saffron Walden. 



190. Pallas's Sand-Grouse. Syrrhaptes para- 



doxus (Pallas). 



A resident on the steppes of Asia, whence 

 it occasionally migrates westward across 

 Europe in a most erratic and unaccountable 

 manner. A few have reached Britain on 

 several occasions, while in 1863 and 1888 

 large numbers arrived. On both occasions 

 small flocks spread themselves over the county, 

 and not a few individuals were shot, es- 

 pecially in 1888. A few are reported to 

 have remained at Barkingside through the 

 summer of 1889 (Crouch : see Birds of Essex, 

 p. 217). 



[Red Grouse. Lagopus scoticus (Latham). 



It is difficult to regard two specimens shot 

 respectively at Little Tey, in the spring of 

 1864, and at Ulting, one autumn about 1885, 



otherwise than as individuals which had been 

 turned out.] 



191. Pheasant. Phasianus cokhicus, Linn. 

 An abundant resident wherever sufficiently 



preserved. 



192. Partridge. Perdix cinerea, Latham. 

 An abundant resident. 



193. Red-legged Partridge. Caccabh rufa 

 (Linn.). 



Locally, French Partridge or Red-leg. 

 As the foregoing, though originally intro- 

 duced. In some of the upland parts of the 

 county it appears to be as abundant as the 

 common partridge. The idea that its pre- 

 valence is inimical to the other species seems 

 to have no foundation in fact, at least in 

 Essex. 



194. Quail. Coturnix communis, Bonnaterre. 

 Formerly fairly common, but now scarce 



and becoming, apparently, more so. It still 

 breeds however occasionally in the county. 



195. Land-Rail. Crex pratensis, Bechstein. 

 An uncommon summer visitor, breeding 



occasionally in most parts of the county, but 

 far less often than formerly. It is however 

 best known as a passing migrant in spring 

 and autumn, and is killed not infrequently 

 by partridge-shooters in September. Occa- 

 sionally it occurs in winter. 



196. Spotted Crake. Porzana maruetta 

 (Leach). 



A rare and local summer visitor, though 

 probably commoner than is usually supposed. 

 It stays occasionally well into the winter. 

 Undoubtedly it breeds, or has bred, in Essex, 

 but I know of no authentic instance of its 

 eggs having been taken. Mr. Fitch has, 

 however, an egg taken from the body of a 

 female shot, many years ago, on Northey 

 Island. 



197. Little Crake. Porzana parva (Scopoli). 

 Rare. One was shot during October 



about the year 1885 at Paglesham (Birds of 

 Essex, p. 224). 



198. Baillon's Crake. Porzana bailloni 



(Vieillot). 



Rare. One was shot on October 3, 1874, 

 in a reedy ditch adjoining ' Dagenham Gulf,' 

 and another on December i, 1891, beside the 

 river Lee, near Waltham Abbey. 



199. Water-Rail. Rallus aquaticus, Linn. 



A resident, but scarce and seldom seen on 

 account of its skulking habits. During hard 



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