A HISTORY OF 
Ouse at Tempsford, and seven males and two 
females, all adults, were actually obtained by 
him. A male was killed on 19 August 1879 by 
Mr. G. Hare at Campton, and Mr. W. Mills 
informs me he has one in his possession, which 
was killed on 14 October 1890 on the Ouse 
at Cardington. 
139. Velvet-Scoter. Cdemia fusca (Linn.) 
An adult male is in the possession of Mr. 
J. Cole, taxidermist, of Leagrave ; it is cased 
in company with a common scoter, the two 
having been killed together close to Luton 
Hoo Park in the winter of 1890-1. 
The common scoter is not mentioned by 
Davis, but strange to say Anas fusca is included 
as a winter visitor occasionally. 
140. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn. 
Of occasional occurrence. Some thirty or 
more years ago Mr. A. Covington saw an 
adult male that was shot at Cox’s Pits; he 
also mentions a female killed near Turvey in 
1862, and has in his possession another 
obtained in the winter of 1870 and the head of 
one killed on 20 January 1891 at Sharnbrook. 
Mr. J. S. Wright informs me that a female 
was shot at Campton Mills by Mr. G. Hare 
on 2 December 1879, and he has set up 
several other local specimens. On 24 October 
1881 one was shot at Langford. ‘There is a 
beautiful adult male among the valuable group 
of locally-killed ducks in Mr. P. Addington’s 
possession, which was killed by him, he believes, 
in February, about 1870, from Friars Pits, 
Tempsford ; it was accompanied by a female 
at the time. On another occasion he saw 
three others together at Great Barford. A 
female, which I have seen in the possession of 
Mr. C. L. Hall, and which he obtained at 
Newnham 28 November 1874, was recorded 
by him at the time in the Field. 
141. Red-breasted Merganser. 
rator, Linn. 
Mergus ser- 
Very occasionally met with and far less 
often recorded than the previous species. Only 
about six have passed through the hands of 
Mr. A. Covington, all being either in the im- 
mature plumage or adult females. There is 
one in the possession of Mr. P. Addington 
which he killed when in company with eight 
others during a hard winter, about 1875, at 
Wyboston Corner. A flight of eight ducks, 
which Mr. A. F. Crossman believed were 
mergansers, was observed by him at Southill 
Lake on 23 April 1894. 
142. Smew. Mergus albellus, Linn. 
Only at rare intervals has this bird wandered 
BEDFORDSHIRE 
so far inland as to reach our waters. Mr. A. 
Covington informs me that three adult males 
were shot at Pavenham about 1870; a year 
or so after he received an adult male from 
Milton anda female a few days later from 
Goldington. In the winter of 1874-5 a 
female was killed at Clapham, the head of 
which came into his possession, and he has 
heard of one or more other instances, but not 
personally verified the species. In every 
instance he adds that, as in the case of the 
goosander and the merganser, they have in- 
variably been killed during hard weather. 
Two, evidently immature females, that I have 
seen in the possession of Mr. P. Addington 
were shot about 1870, though not during the 
same winter; one he obtained near Temps- 
ford Bridge and the other between Great 
Barford and Tempsford; in both instances 
they were unaccompanied. Dr. C. Sprigge 
also sends me word of two killed by him at 
Great Barford about 1895. 
143. Ring-Dove or Wood-Pigeon. Columba 
palumbus, Linn. 
Locally, Wood-Pigeon. 
Not only is this bird a common resident but 
its numbers are considerably increased by im- 
migration during the winter months, and the 
damage caused to the grain and pea crops in 
the summer is added to by the destruction 
among the root crops in the winter. Mr. J. 
King gives the following account of an amaz- 
ing flight of ring-doves he observed in the 
winter of 1895. ‘It was from the 5th to the 
8th of December, that, not thousands, but hun- 
dreds of thousands, were passing over, going 
from north-east to south-west. “They were, as 
a rule, in rather scattered flocks, but occasionally 
followed rather quickly; then perhaps ten 
minutes or so would elapse before another 
flight came into view. They were passing 
each morning from daylight until ten or eleven 
o’clock. Some flocks must have contained 
many hundreds, sometimes small parties of not 
more than ten to twenty. The flight line 
seemed to be over Biggleswade, then passing 
immediately above Holme Mills—few flew 
as wide as Langford—generally well beyond 
the range of a gun. About a week after the 
above dates they came over for one day only, 
in almost as large numbers. ‘These vast flights 
puzzle me considerably as the winter has been 
such a mild one.’ 
144. Stock-Dove. Columba cenas, Linn. 
Locally, Little Pigeon. 
An abundant resident at Woburn, Ampt- 
hill, Luton Hoo and Bromham Parks, whilst 
in other parts of the county it is found nesting 
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