392 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



ON THE EECENT OCCUERENCE IN THE BRITISH 

 ISLANDS OP THE RUDDY SHELDRAKE. 



By F. Menteith Ogilvie, M.A., F.Z.S. 



Perhaps the most remarkable ornithological event of the 

 present year has been the appearance of Buddy Sheldrakes, 

 Tadorna casarca, on various parts of the British coast, in com- 

 paratively speaking large numbers. Between the 20th of June 

 and the middle of September not less than sixteen specimens 

 were obtained. Of these, Ireland claims eight, Scotland two, 

 and England six. The actual number of Ruddy Sheldrakes that 

 visited the country it is difficult even to guess at, owing to the same 

 flock being recorded from several different localities ; but it must 

 have been considerable, and quite unprecedented in the annals of 

 British Ornithology. 



The position which the Ruddy Sheldrake holds in the British 

 list has been frequently challenged by naturalists, and there can 

 be but small doubt that a certain proportion of the specimens 

 previously recorded were unpinioned birds that had escaped from 

 private waters — an observation which particularly applies to those 

 taken in the depth of a hard winter, at which season there is little 

 possibility of a wild Ruddy Sheldrake appearing on our coast, 

 and every probability of a frozen-out tame bird being forced to 

 shift its quarters. But the Sheldrakes recently recorded stand 

 on a very different footing, and the points in favour of their being 

 genuine wild birds are so strong that even the most sceptical will, 

 I hope, be convinced by the evidence. 



In the following pages I have endeavoured to bring together 

 all the published occurrences, most of which have already been 

 communicated to * The Field' or 'The Zoologist'; but I have 

 now been enabled, by the kindness of several correspondents, to 

 add dates and other particulars that were previously wanting. 

 After some hesitation I decided to divide the list into two parts : 

 (1) The Irish Sheldrakes, to which are added those from the 

 Solway district; (2) The Scotch and English (E. coast) Sheldrakes. 

 This division may be, and probably is, an entirely artificial one, 

 but seems more convenient for reference than taking the records 





