208 THE BIRDS OF BERKS AND BUCKS. 



of Stockton, in that county, told him that ' Duck 

 and Mallard are taken from August to June. Teal 

 and Widgeon from October to March ; Becks, Smee, 

 Golden-eyes, Arps, Cricks, and Pintails or Sea-phea- 

 sants, in March and April. Poker Ducks are 

 seldom taken.'* I have occasionally observed a few 

 mature males and many young females of this species 

 on the poulterers' stalls in the London markets. These 

 probably were received from Holland. Mr. Sharpe 

 informed me of a fine male of this species, which 

 was shot a few years ago on Mr. Palmer's estate, 

 near Reading. 



MANDARIN DUCK (Aix galliago}. This rare 

 duck has never occurred in a wild state, so far as I 

 am aware, in this countiy, but I am here enabled 

 to include it as a rare and occasional straggler. 



Mr. Sharpe tells me that a very fine adult male 

 Mandarin Duck, in splendid plumage, was shot by 

 Mr. Briggs near Cookham, in the month of May, 

 1866. It might have been, and doubtless was, 

 an escaped specimen, but it was exceedingly wild, 

 and gave Briggs a chase which lasted nearly 

 a whole day before he managed to shoot it. 

 It is now preserved in Mrs. De Vitre's collection at 

 Formosa. 



* Bewick's ' British Birds. 5 



