Birds. 973 



The Eider Duck. J. B. Tuttiet, Esq. has in a collection made by 

 his late father, two eider ducks, male and female, in immature plu- 

 mage. They were shot by a fisherman at Newtown, and brought to 

 Sir R. Simeon, Bart., by whom they were presented to the late Mr. 

 Tuttiet. 



The common Scoter. I obtained a specimen of this bird, shot off 

 Steephill, February 10, 1841. I have occasionally seen it on the wing 

 off Bonchurch ; but they have been unusually numerous this spring : 

 April 18, 23, 24 and 25, especially, several parties of from seven to 

 thirty birds passed to the eastward. 



The Pochard is obtained frequently about Yarmouth. 



The Scaup Duck has been met with occasionally in the same 

 locality. 



The Tufted Duck also is of frequent occurrence at Yarmouth. R. 

 Loe once shot this bird on the river just below Alverston. 



The Long-tailed Duck. I have in my collection a specimen of this 

 rare bird ; for which I am indebted to the kindness of Sir R. Simeon. 

 It was shot off Brightstone, March 10, 1844, and proved, on dissec- 

 tion, to be a male in immature plumage. I saw shortly afterwards 

 another specimen, which I judged to be a female, in the possession of 

 Mr. Butler, obtained by him during the winter of 1842-3. 



The Golden Eye appears off Yarmouth occasionally in very severe 

 weather. I saw a remarkably fine male in Mr. Butler's possession, 

 killed during the winter of 1843-4. This bird has, according to R. 

 Loe, been met with in Brading Harbour also. 



The Smew Mr. Butler states to have been met with occasionally. 



The Goosander. A fine adult male was shot upon a pond at Knigh- 

 ton, in the winter of 1841-2, by Mr. Wavell, in whose possession the 

 bird still remains. The lower part of the neck in front, and all the 

 under surface of the body, which Mr. Yarrell describes as of a " deli- 

 cate reddish buff," and which both Mr. Wavell and Loe, who preserv- 

 ed it, assure me was the original colour in this bird, have faded to a 

 pure white. 



The Great-crested Grebe is not uncommon. In March, 1841, Mr. 

 Hodges, one foggy day, found four of these birds on St. Catherine's 

 Down. Being unable to rise, they were captured; and Mr. Hodges, 

 after cropping a wing of each, turned them loose on a pond at the 

 Hermitage. In about six weeks they wandered from the ponds, and 

 were picked up dead, apparently starved to death. Mr. Hodges pre- 

 served the skin of one, which is now in my possession : it is that of 

 an adult bird, the crest and tippet being large and full. Mr. Butler 



