THE MOSS BIRDS. 



37 



GADWALL. 



( Chaulclasmits 

 slrepcnis.) 



Mr. C. S. Gregson (Proc. Hist. Soc. Lane., etc., 1866) 

 has one adult and one young bird, both shot near 

 Altcar in April, 1865. Exceedingly rare everywhere. 



GARGANKY. "One killed on Martin Mere several years ago." (F. 

 .)^ Mitchell. "Birds of Lancashire.") 



TUFTED DUCK. An occasional winter visitor. We have killed several 

 (Fiiliguia cristata.) during the past three seasons. 



AMERICAN 

 WIDGEON. 



An exceedingly rare bird. We have a specimen in 

 one of our cases which was killed several years ago 



near Hightown. 



WILD SWAN. About forty wild swans were seen on Throtacre Moss 

 (Genus cygims.} during the severe weather of December, 1890, which 

 was designated by the papers as " the Great frost." 

 These birds were the genuine wild swan, having no 

 knob on the upper mandible. The first train over 

 the Moss embankment sent them clanging off to 

 the south, not before James Button of Mosside 

 Farm had made an ineffectual attempt to get a 

 shot at them. Mr. John Bushby, a former resident, 

 once killed I believe a swan on the shore. A deal 

 of mystery surrounds the death of this bird, for the 

 shooter himself declares it greatly resembled a tame 

 bird ! 



WILD GEFSE. Grey geese. Say the word "rats" to an Irish 



(Genus anser. ) terrier and he is instantly ready for action ; say 



the word " geese " to a mossman and he will at 



