4630 Birds. 



this neighbourhood. I use the term " rare " of course relatively. Our position with 

 regard to the coast makes many birds common there great rarities here. Ipswich is 

 about twelve miles from Harwich, but the Orwell is tidal, and, in places, nearly a mile 

 in breadth, so that it may almost be termed an arm of the sea. From Ipswich we are 

 twelve miles, a tolerably sized canal connecting the two towns. It is this canal, I 

 have no doubt, which brings up the birds from the sea. 



Blackthroated Diver (Colymbus arcticus). In the beginning of February, when 

 the snow covered the ground upwards of a foot, one of the gamekeepers of E. Bennett, 

 Esq., of Buxhall Lodge, was coming into Stowmarket, when he saw a curious-looking 

 bird struggling in the snow of a field by the road-side. He jumped over the fence, 

 and gave chase : the bird could not rise, and was soon captured ; it, however, made a 

 most determined attack upon the aforesaid keeper's face, which so alarmed the man 

 that he killed the kird. It was sent by Mr. Bennett to a bird-stuffer in this town, and 

 upon examination I pronounced it to be a young specimen of the blackthroated diver. 

 I subjoin a description for the sceptical. Beak as long as head, horn-colour, pointed ; 

 upper mandible longest and slightly curved at extremity ; lower mandible reddish at 

 base ; both curved inwards. Plumage, upper surface : — head gray, mottled with darker 

 colour; nape and upper surface of neck grayish brown; interscapulars, wing-coverts, 

 back and tail-coverts grayish black, both sides of each feather being broadly margined 

 with ash-gray, lighter on the tail-coverts; tail short, rounded, brownish black; 

 wings — tertials and secondaries brownish black edged with ash-gray, primaries dark 

 brown and unicolorous. Under surface: — throat and chin dusky white; upper part of 

 neck for about two inches mottled with dusky; lower part of neck, breast and under 

 surface of the body white; flank brown, edges broadly bordered with gray; feathers, 

 under the wings, white ; around and on each side of vent and extremities of wing and 

 tail feathers dusky gray. Legs placed much beyond the centre of gravity ; outer side 

 dark green, inner light green ; tarsus much compressed, 3^ inches long ; toes four, 

 three in front united by a membrane rounded superiorly; posterior toe slight, and at- 

 tached by a membrane to the inner surface of tarsus. Dimensions:— from tip of beak 

 to end of tail, 27 inches ; from tip to tip of wings, 4l£ inches ; length of wing, 18£ 

 inches; from carpal joint to end of first primary, 11 inches; from tarsal joint to end 

 of first toe 4 inches, and inner toe 3 inches; beak from gape, 3£ inches. It will be 

 observed that in describing the beak I have said slightly curved at extremity. I am 

 inclined to think that it is a mere abnormal variety : it is very slight, but enough to 

 take off the pointed character of the beak. I believe this to be the first instance of 

 the blackthroated diver being captured in this neighbourhood. A bird so northern in 

 its habitat seldom visits even our eastern coast. I have given the description of this 

 bird at length, as none is contained in Yarrell's excellent work : that gentleman refers 

 his readers to the great northern diver, which he says is similar in plumage when 

 young. 



Common Scoter (Oidemia nigra). A specimen of this bird was taken last week in 

 the snow, alive, at Clopton Hall, by Mr. Parker, son of Major Parker, the present 

 high sheriff of the county. I have not seen this bird, but I am informed by the Rev. 

 Mr. Freeman, who has seen and examined it, that it is a veritable scoter. Clopton 

 Hall is five miles further from the sea, but one of the tributaries to our canal runs 

 through the parish. They are trying to keep the bird alive. 



Common Bittern. A specimen of this now rare bird was shot a few days ago at 



