60 Bolam: The Natural History of Hornsea Mere. 
nest of 4, practically fresh, was taken on Green Island. By e 
Ist July most of the birds had cast their quills and were in- 
capable of flight, though when I left on the 2oth, half-a-dozen 
or more were still flying about. 
WxoopPER.—Wild Swans occasionally visit the Mere during 
winter. Mr. Taylor writes me that a flock of eighteen, all 
immature birds, arrived there on 5th November of the present 
year, but they only remained for two days. 
SHELDRAKE.—An occasional visitor. A pair was at the 
Wassand end of the Mere, with other ducks, early on the morning 
of 24th April. On 5th July a flock of 14 came flying up the 
Mere while I was out in the boat, about 5 a.m. They were 
rather high in the air and did not alight, but turned back towards 
Hornsea. On roth July eight left the top end of the Mere, 
with other ducks, when I took the boat out about 7 a.m. 
MALLARD.—Always present in considerable numbers, and 
a fair number breed—probably as many as the foxes will allow, 
several ducks being taken off their nests about the woods, etc. 
I saw the first young ones on the 6th May, one brood was quite 
small, another about the size of Teals, near the Boat House. 
On 7th May a brood ofa few days’ old was seen on Lady Island. 
By the 21st June there were many broods about in all parts of 
the Mere. Most of the drakes were then in full eclipse dress, 
some still changing. By the end of June quills were being 
quickly shed, all drakes except one or two being now in eclipse, 
and many of them incapacitated from flight. 
GADWALL.—MTr. St. Quintin saw a pair here in April last year. 
I thought I saw a drake on 12th May this year, but was too far 
off to be sure of it. On 6th July a female rose from Heslop’s 
reeds. On roth May a suspicious duck was seen but not well 
identified. Except on these occasions no Gadwell were noticed 
here this season, and certainly none bred here. 
SHOVELER.—This duck was disappointing this year, and 
I suspect is frightened off by the foxes, its nests, often far 
from the water, being very liable to suffer. No broods or 
nests were seen, and I do not think we had any at the 
Mere itself; but they must breed somewhere at no great 
distance, as adults were almost constantly present. In other 
years there have usually been one or two nests here, seldom 
more, but they have been gradually decreasing of late. None 
has been shot during the last year or two, those seen being 
spared in the hope that they might increase again. Formerly 
a fair number used to be shot every autumn. I saw the first 
Shovelers on 26th April—a pair—but a month previously 
Taylor had seen several pairs about. Two drakes were together 
on the morning of 28th April, a pair on 7th May, and again 
on the 15th. Later on the latter day, when out with Mr. 
St. Quintin and Mr. Meade Waldo, we saw two drakes several 
Naturalist, 
