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Birds. 8963 
Goosander near the Lizard.— The goosander at uncertain intervals makes its 
appearance on our coast. The few that have come under my notice have all been in 
the “dun diver” plumage, which, both in the female and immature states of plumage 
of the goosander and redbreasted merganser, is very nearly alike. I have had a strong 
impression that this plumage is assumed more generally than is supposed after the 
autumnal moult by old male birds; but I have just seen a very beautiful specimen of 
an adult male, in its full maroon-coloured plumage and head crest, which was shot 
near the Lizard, and forwarded for preservation to Mr. Vingoe.-—Edward Hearle Rodd ; 
Penzance, January 20, 1864. 
The Goosunder near Richmond, Yorkshire—I had brought to me, on the 9th of 
January, a very fine specimen of the goosander (Mergus merganser), which is con- 
sidered to be of very rare occurrence in this part of Yorkshire: the bird was a male in 
the very finest adult plumage, with beautiful crest, and deep buff-salmon colour under- 
neath: it was, in company with another, on the wing at the time, but the man was 
not so fortunate as to bring down the pair. With the exception of a young male, or 
an old female (I cannot .say which, for I did not set it up), some seven or eight years 
since, this is the only instance that I can remember of its being obtained here for at 
least twenty years. My specimen was shot on the River Swale, not more than two 
wiles from here. I bought it of the person who shot it. I also had sent me for 
preservation another full-plumaged male goosander, shot on the Swale, in this imme- 
diate neighbourhood, by the keeper of Mr. R. M. Jaques, of Easby Abbey: the bird 
under notice, when brought to land by the retriever, had a barbel, 12 inches long, 
protruding out of its mouth, not in the least mutilated. In July, 1862, I bought a 
fine osprey, which was shot over the same pool that the goosander was on.—W. J. 
Millegan ; Richmond, Yorkshire, February 10, 1864. ; 
Goosanders on the River Hull, near Beverley —On the 12th instant a female of the 
goosander (Mergus merganser) was shot and brought to me by Mr. W. Holmes, 
farmer, of Arram, near Beverley: it was shot on the River Hull, two or three miles 
above Beverley. On the 15th instant a splendid old male goosander was shot on the 
River Hull, close to the Hull Bridge, Beverley, by Jonathan Gray, of Hull Bridge. 
This is the only specimen I have ever seen of the male goosander in full plumage, 
shot near Beverley, although two or three immature specimens are generally shot 
each winter on our rivers—W. W. Boulton; Beverley, January 21, 1864. 
Scarcity of the Redthroated Diver and plenty of the Great Northern Diver in 
Dublin Bay.—The great northern diver (Colymbus glacialis) has been unusually 
plentiful this winter in Dublin Bay, and the redthroated diver (C. septentrionalis) very 
scarce; about, on an average, fifty to one. The redthroated diver, in other years, is a 
most abundant species.—H. Blake-Knox ; Dalkey, Co. Dublin, January 25, 1864. 
The Little Auk near Beverley.—Having observed several notices of this truly 
‘oceanic bird, captured some distance inland, and which have appeared to create con- 
siderable interest amongst the readers of the ‘ Field’ newspaper, I thought that the 
following capture might not prove uninteresting to some of your readers. During the 
autumn of 1861 two specimens of this bird were shot on the River Hull, above Beverley; 
‘one late in October, and the other on the 9th of November, of that year: they were 
both brought to me, and are now in my collection. I did not dissect them, and 
cannot therefore be certain of their sex. It was rather remarkable that the weather, 
both previous to and at the time of their capture, was unusually mild and calm. The 
‘distance from the sea, at the point where they were shot, would be at least from seven 
