266. RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
specimen which Mr. Wigg bought in Yarmouth market 
(Nat. His. of Yarm., p. 12, Intr. XII.). Uncharitable people 
insinuate that he consigned it to the spit, like the Red- 
breasted Goose which he bought there on another occasion. 
We cannot be expected to credit a bird which was eaten; 
and if a man calling himself a naturalist could not get the 
better of his unfortunate gastronomic tastes, he must pay 
‘the penalty of not being believed. 
There is a note in the series sent by Mr. Joseph Clarke 
to Mr. Stevenson, for the use of his work, upon this Duck, 
as follows :— 
“One shot at Yarmouth in 1833.* Harvey sold it to Mr. Hoy.” 
Now 1833 was the year before the “ Nat. Hist. of Yar- 
mouth” came out, and I think I may take it for granted 
that this was not Mr. Wigg’s bird; but if it were another 
one, how came it that the Messrs. Paget who, as is evident 
from their introduction, were familiar enough with Harvey 
the birdstuffer, pass it over in silence? and how also can we 
account for there being no mention of it by Mr. Hoy in his 
article on “Rare Birds killed in Suffolk and Norfolk in 
1832—3” (London Journal for 1834; see also Mag. of 
N. H., VIL, p. 52), save by the supposition that they dis- 
believed in it? 
There is also a drake in the Norwich Museum said to 
have been killed near Yarmouth (Zool. 1380). I find that 
it was presented in 1839 by my father, who does not believe 
in it. Neither do I, for it was remounted, and Mr. Knight, 
who took the stuffing out, told me that it had the appear- 
ance of having been set up from a skin. I am sorry I have 
not made out a better case for Norfolk, but such a rich 
county can afford to spare one species; I have no bias for 
or against it, and only wish to get the unvarnished truth. 
* Mr. Clarke informs Mr. Stevenson that he saw it in the flesh, and 
that it was a young male. 
