OF IfOETHTJlIBEKLAKD AND DTJKHAM. 149 



seen of late years by tlie Tees. One was shot by Mr. J. Hikely, 

 in Cowpen Marsh, and afterwards stuffed." 



The specimen in the ]S"ewcastle Mnsenm "was shot in the se- 

 vere frost in the beginning of the year 1776, near London." — 

 Fox's Synopsis of the J^ewcastle Museum, p. 96 ; where it is 

 also stated that " one was taken alive in this neighbourhood, and 

 is still living. (P.S. "Was the property of a lady lately de- 

 ceased.) It is kept in a pond with some Ducks of the wild 

 breed, with whom it is very sociable, but never produce together, 

 though there is one it particularly associates with, and seems to 

 be partial to. It is very tame and familiar. This is, I think, 

 the most beautiful of the Anas genus." — Tunstall, MS. 



38. Cajtada GroosE. B. Canadensis, {Willughhy.) 



Anser Canadensis, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, II., 



258. 

 ,, ,, Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 181. 



A casual visitant. The Cravat, or Canadian Goose, has oc- 

 curred two or thi'ee times in the district ; but whether they are 

 escaped birds or not it is impossible to say, though there is no- 

 thing apparently to prevent a powerful aquatic bird like this 

 from crossing the Atlantic. 



In 1830, a specimen in the l^ewcastle Museum was shot, out 

 of a flock of six, at By well, on the Tyne. Another example, in 

 my collection, was killed at Prestwick Car, in June, 1836. It 

 is an adult bird, and the plumage is in excellent condition. 

 Nevertheless, it would appear that this was an escaped bird; 

 for, on careful examination, a piece of string was found tightly 

 encircling the leg above the true heel. 



In Mr. Selby's catalogue the following passage occurs: "In 

 June, 1816, a flock of ten or twelve of these birds for some time 

 haunted the fields around Bamborough. They were very wary 

 and wild, and the only specimen killed out of the number is now 

 in my possession. They had probably escaped from the grounds 

 of some gentleman. I have ascertained from those who have 

 been in the habit of keeping them in their ponds, that they are 

 very apt to fly and stray away." 



