The Zoologist— March, 1871. 2513 



worthy old gentlemen may have run down the bustards with grey- 

 hounds. At the same time, however, I am far from stating that 

 such was the c.se."-H. E. Dresser; The Firs, South Nonvood, 

 iebriiary 10, 1871. ' 



On the recent Occurrence of the Redbreasted Goose (Anser 



ruficollis, Pallas) in Essex. 



By James Edmund Harting, Esq., F.L.S., &c. 



Since 1845 no example of this rare goose has been procured in 

 Great Bnta.n. In that year, according to a statement of Mr 

 Hogg, m h.s ' Catalogue of the Birds of South-Easlern Durham ' 

 one was shot in Cowpen Marsh, Durham; two having been 

 previously observed on the Tees, near Durham. Macgillivray 

 who published the fourth volume of his « History of British Birds' 

 in 1852, stated in that volume that some years previously a red- 

 necked goose had been observed in the vicinity of Loch Strathbev 

 but It was not captured. Indeed, the occurrence of this species in 

 England is so infrequent that, from the date of its first recorded 

 visit m 1766 down to the present time, eleven instances only have 

 been made known. They are as follows :— 



One, near London, winter 1766.-Montagu {fide Latham), 

 Orn. Diet. " 



One, near Wycliffe, Yorkshire, about same time.-Bewick 

 Hist. Brit. Birds, ii. p. 280. ' 



One, Halvergate, Norfolk, 1805.— Shepherd and Whitear Cat 

 Norf and Suff. Birds, p. 55. ' 



One, or more, Cambridgeshire, winter, I813.-Stephens, Shaw's 

 Zoology, xii. p. 53, pi. 43. 



One, near Berwick-ou-Tweed, I818.-Fleming, Hist. Brit An 

 p. 128. 



One, Kenton Warren, Devonshire, 1828.-Moore, Cat. Birds 

 Devon. 



One, Ireland, previous to March, 1833.— Thompson, Birds Ire- 

 land, iii. p. 64. 



One, Teign Marshes, Devon, Feb. 1, J 837.— Moore 1 c 

 Two seen on the Tees, Durham, "of late" (1845).-Ho^£. Cit 

 Birds, S.-E. Durham, p. 31. ^^' 



