OF N"OETinJ]MBi:ELAN-D AND DUEHAM. 159 



It appears, from two letters I received some time ago, that this 

 King Duck, or another, must have been in the neighboiu'hood of 

 the Parnes diiring the summer. The j&rst letter was fr-om the 

 Rev. Charles Thorp, on the 2nd of June, who says, "I was at 

 the Pern Islands yesterday. The boatmen told me that a bird 

 not known to them had been seen and named by a Leeds gentle- 

 man some weeks ago. They described the bird as an Eider 

 Drake, with red bill." 



The second letter was fr^om Mr. James Sutton, October 1st, 

 1873. He says that " a male and female King Eider were seen 

 at the Eems this summer." There can, I think, be little doubt 

 that the bird lately shot was one of the birds seen ; biit it is ex- 

 traordinary that this 'species should have remained on our coast 

 during the summer. I am not aware that it has ever been seen 

 before so far south as Iceland during the breeding season. 



One is mentioned in Harting's "Handbook" as having been 

 killed at Bedlington, I^orthumberland, on the authority of Mr. 

 Duff, "Zoologist," 1851, p. 3036; but from a letter, dated 

 April 16th, 1873, which I received from Mr. Duff, I find that 

 the bird so recorded was shot at Bridlington Quay, Yorkshire. 



157. OIDEMIA, Fleming. 



57. Scoter. 0. nigea, {Linnccus.) 



Anas nigra, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed., 1847, II., 329. 

 Oidemia ,, Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 317. 



A winter visitant. IS'ot uncommon. 



58. Velvet Duck. 0. etjsca, (LmncBus.) 



Anasfusca, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, II., 327. 

 Oidemia „ YaiTell, Hist. Brit. Bii-ds, Ed. 2, III., 312. 



A winter visitant ; but not so common as the preceding species. 



