244 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiii. 



SHELD-DUCK RINGED IN HAMPSHIRE RECOVERED 

 IN GERMANY. 



Incidental circumstances add to the interest of the following 

 record of a Sh eld-Duck [Tadorna tadorna), Case 906, ring 

 " Aberdeen University 25886." This bird was marked as a 

 duckling by Dr. Philip Gosse on July i6th, 1912, the locality 

 being Blackwater, Beaulieu, Hampshire. On August i8th, 

 1917, it was shot at Ost Eversand, at the raouth of the Weser, 

 Germany. The information passed through several hands 

 in the hope of finding an indirect means of communication, but 

 it has in fact only recently reached me through Mr. Mortensen, 

 the Danish bird-marker. This bird was one of a brood marked 

 by Dr. Gosse and is the third member to be recorded. The 

 other two recoveries have already been published {Scot. Nat., 

 1915, p. 339), Case 447 having been reported from Saltash 

 in February 1913, and Case 448 from Schleswig-Holstein in 

 August 1913. A. Landsborough Thomson. 



AMERICAN WIGEON IN STIRLINGSHIRE. 



While I was watching a flock of Wigeon on Bardowie Loch, 

 on December 14th, 1919, I saw what was unmistakably an 

 adult male American Wigeon {Anas americana). Later in 

 the day Mr. J. Bartholomew and I saw it at closer range, when 

 the dull white forehead and crown, the green patch extending 

 behind the eye and the black spots on the other parts of the 

 head showed clearly in comparison with the other male Wigeon 

 amongst which it appeared to be quite happy. I think there 

 is little doubt that this was a genuine wild bird, as it was 

 quite as wary as the other Wigeon, of which there were about 

 ninety. J. A. Anderson. 



PERIODS OF DIVES MADE BY LONG-TAILED 

 DUCKS. 

 The following notes on the diving of the Long-tailed Duck 

 {Clangiila hyemalis) were made at Bamburgh, on the 

 Northumberland coast. I saw nothing of these ducks during 

 the severe weather of November 1919, but during December 

 they were numerous just off-shore, especially on calm days 

 (which are extremely rare) with a heavy swell on the rocks, 

 for this probably stirs up their food. 



On one occasion, December i6th, I timed a drake during 

 six dives, as follows : 37, 37, 37, 30, 37, 37 seconds. As 

 will be seen, his periods of submersion were extremely regular. 

 On December i8th I watched for some time a pair diving 

 energetically. The drake kept under longer than the duck. 



