ANATID^E. 131 



weather and when floods are prevalent. Mrs. De 

 Vitre's collection at Formosa contains a fine male of 

 this species which was procured in the immediate 

 neighbourhood, and Mr. Briggs once saw a flock of 

 five of these ducks swimming about some flooded 

 meadows near Cockmarsh. 



RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator). 

 A winter visitor, though not common. The Rev. H. 

 Harpur Crewe informs me that small parties of four 

 or five are observed upon the reservoir at Wilstone 

 almost every year. Occasionally individuals are shot 

 on the Thames. 



A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers are recorded 

 as having been killed near Reading, so long ago as 

 1785. A female of this species was shot at Wrays- 

 bury in the winter of 1854, and was stuffed by Mr. 

 Hasell of Windsor. I am indebted to Mr. R. B. Sharpe 

 for the notice of a female Red-breasted Merganser, 

 which was kilted during a frost a few years since in 

 the neighbourhood of Cookham, and is now in the 

 collection of Mrs. De Vitre*. 



GOOSANDER {Mergus Merganser). Local names, 

 Saw-billed Diver and Dun-Diver. An uncommon 

 winter visitant. Of late years the following parti- 

 culars of the occurrence of this species have come 

 under my notice. 



In 1847 a carpenter killed a fine male on the 

 Thames, near Monkey Island : this bird is now in 

 the collection of Mr. Harding. An adult male was 



K 2 



