BIRDS OF THE HUMBER DISTRICT. 171 



"summer flocks are composed of nearly equal numbers 

 of males and females. In July I have sometimes 

 seen flocks of apparently old male Scoters off the 

 mouth of the Humber without any females amongst 

 them. These may be either barren birds or, what 

 is more probable, old males returning southward from 

 their breeding-haunts before the females and young. 



220. FULIGULA RUFINA (Pallas). Red-crested 



Whistling Duck. 



I am aware of no recent appearance of this very 

 rare Duck in this county. Mr. Yarrell* has recorded 

 the occurrence of a male shot near Boston in January 

 1826, while feeding in fresh water in company with 

 some Wigeons. 



This is not the first recorded British specimen; 

 a Norfolk example, as Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., in- 

 forms me, is mentioned in Hunt's f British Ornitho- 

 logy' (Norwich, 1815), and therefore takes priority of 

 Mr. YarrelFs Lincolnshire birdf. 



221. FULIGULA FERINA (Linnaeus). Common 



Pochard. 



Provincial. Poker Duck, Blue Poker. 

 By no means common on the Humber. In severe 

 winters I have met with specimens in our freshwater 



* Zool. Journ. vol. ii. p. 492. 



t From Breydon Harbour, Norfolk, July 1818; also two, same 

 harbour, winter 1820, Hunt, in Stacey's 'Norfolk/ vol. i. p. Ixiii. 

 (see also Harting, < Handbook of British Birds/ 1872, p. 159). 



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