The Zoologist — June, 1871. 2645 



Ferrnginons Back on the East Coast of Ireland. — It is with great 

 pleasure I record a new bird, not only to the County Dublin, but also to 

 Ireland, the Nyroca or white-eyed pochard— nor is it a solitary example. 

 I shot it from a small flock, at a fabulously long range, off this coast, 

 utterly ignorant at what I was firing: it is a splendid male. I had not well 

 ceased thinking of my prize, when I got a note from the North of Ireland, 

 saying tliat a friend had a duck for me, rescued from Leadenhall Market in 

 this manner: he was in a poulterer's shop getting fowl; the floor was 

 strewed with game and wild-fowl packing for London; the beautiful ferru- 

 ginous head and breast of one bird at once struck him as peculiar, and he 

 bought it for a trifle, and has it for me. " No doubt the duck was packed 

 up before I came," he remarks, " but I got you the drake. Tell me if it is 

 worth keeping or stuffing for you." "Assuredly so," said I. It is vain 

 lamenting one did not see the whole consignment ; but I fancy if any 

 remain and go to Leadenhall they will not be overlooked, but if such be the 

 case it is rather hard to put them down as " continental." Both these birds 

 occurred in March, the northern example probably off the Antrim coast : 

 this is then- most westerly range.— il. Blake-Knox. 



late Occurrence of the Tnftcd Duck in Devonshire.— On the 29nd of 

 May, in the afternoon of a calm and sunny dav, I was watching three 

 mallards, which were resting on the sea off Torcross, when I observed near 

 them, but not associating with them, a fourth duck, which was occupied in 

 diymg incessantly. I carefully examined it through a good glass, and 

 made it out to be a tufted duck- either a female, or a male wearing the 

 female dress which so many drakes of various species assume at" this 

 season. It is remarkable that my son, Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., saw a 

 tufted duck in the same locahty on the 11th of Aprfl, 1865, audit would 

 seem just possible, from this coincidence, that these ducks may occasionally 

 nest m the adjacent reed-beds of Slaptou Ley, which form the breeding- 

 place of a few wild ducks and of a large number of coots.— J. H. Gurnev • 

 May )ii, 1871. ^' 



Divers at Elstree Reservoir.- On the 1st of March I noticed thirteen 

 divers swimming about on the above reservoir, but whether they were the 

 blackthroated (Colymbus arcticus) or the redthroated {C. septentrionalis) 

 I was unfortunately unable to determine. I had not my gun with me at 

 the time, so leaving instructions for a small punt to be put on the water, 

 I returned again the next day; the divers were still there, but with all my 

 caution I was unable to approach within about a hundred and fifty yards 

 of them. On my appearance they took two or three long dives, then, 

 finding me still approaching, rose, and after taking one or two- circles high 

 in the air, were lost to sight for nearly an hour. They then returned, but 

 did not settle, and, after another flight round the reservoir, steered straight 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. VI. 2 H 



