Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam. 395 



most probably to one of the two common kinds : the first flocks being 

 generally seen passing high over-head and at much too great a distance to 

 distinguish the species. 



Bernicle Goose : Anser leucopsis, (Bech.) 

 On 24th November, 1882, having occasion to be at Goswick I had a very 

 fine view of five of these birds. They were sitting upon a wet grass field 

 and allowed me to approach so close to them that I could distinguish that 

 most of them were in adult plumage, with clear white bands on the 

 head and pure black and white on the lower parts of the body ; associ- 

 ated with the flock was a single grey goose, probably, from its size, of the 

 pink footed species. The five bernicles remained in the neighbourhood 

 until near the end of December, being constantly seen by the people on 

 the farm, who were all much struck by their tameness. 



About the 10th of September, when the birds first appeared, one of 

 their number was shot near to Goswick and came into the possession of Mr 

 Hogg, who presented ifc to Mr Chas. Watson of Dunse, and the latter 

 gentleman exhibited the specimen, as a skin, at the Holy Island meeting 

 of the Club last year. 



Shoveller : Anas clypeata, (Linn.) 

 Occasionally seen during winter and early spring, and a few remain over 

 the summer and breed with us, but they all seem to disappear early in the 

 autumn so soon as the young can fly. 



A pair were killed in a pond at Fenham about the second week in April, 

 1883, and another pair were seen near Boulmer on 8th of December, in 

 the previous year. 



Pintail : Anas acuta, (Linn.) 

 An old male in my collection was shot on the slakes at Fenham on 23rd 

 September last ; it is in the brown plumage of autumn. 



A specimen, also a male, which I had an opportunity of examining, was 

 killed near the same place on 6th December 1882. It appeared to be a 

 young bird and had not quite assumed the adult plumage. 



Locally the pintail goes almost invariably under the name of "gadwell," 

 and when we hear of a gadwell having been seen or killed, it is generally 

 quite safe to assume that the bird meant belongs to this species. 



Smew : Mergus albellus, Linn. 

 During the winter of 1880-81 a smew, in female or immature plumage, was 

 shot in river Till near Heathery Hall in the parish of Chatton. 



Great Crested Grebe : Podiceps cristatus, (Linn.) 

 A young male in first plumage was killed at Holy Island, on or about the 

 26th September, 1882, and is now in the collection of Mr Fredk. Eaine, of 

 Durham. 



This species sometimes remains with us till late in spring. I saw one on 

 the Tweed near Berwick Bridge, on 30th May, 1881, and two years pre- 

 viously, about the same time of year, a specimen in, I believe, full summer 

 plumage, was killed near the same place. 



Eed-necked Grebe : Podiceps ruhricollis, (Gmel.) 

 A grebe of this species was killed by one of the fishermen in the harbour 

 at Holy Island, on the 10th November, 1882 ; on the 28th of the following 



