Birds. 5677 



had the specimen of the wigeon observed what he considered to be 

 the tufted duck (Anas fuligula). 



In February, while riding towards Kamiesch, I put up a duck from 

 a small run of water ; it was of a bright bay colour on the back, with 

 black and white wings and tail. J also, on the 3rd of September, 

 observed a couple of ducks on the high dry land, such as I had never 

 seen before; they had some red and white about them. Lieut. Irby 

 includes several others, but it does not appear that specimens of any 

 were procured. 



Passing on we arrive at the divers, of which the eared grebe 

 (Podiceps auritus) was very common along the coast of the Crimea, 

 and 1 obtained several specimens at the Monastery of St. George, 

 where. I was forced to be my own retriever, by swimming after those 

 shot ; this was at the end of September, when I did not obtain a single 

 specimen in full plumage. On one occasion, at this time, I lay for a 

 long while on the beach, in the hope of a couple of large grebes or 

 divers, which were some distance out, corning in close enough for a 

 shot : while waiting thus I had a good opportunity of watching their 

 movements. In diving the whole body would be out of water at the 

 moment the head was going under : I observed that the eared grebe 

 also did this sometimes. These two birds were of a light slate-colour 

 and white, and may have been the great crested grebe : when one was 

 diving the other would put its head under water, the better, I suppose, 

 to distinguish his comrade : this w r as also done occasionally before 

 taking a dive. 



A friend of mine told me that he observed the little grebe (Podiceps 

 minor) in the harbour of Sebastopol : he also said that a good many 

 redthroated divers (Colymbus septentrionalis), in their winter plumage 

 with speckled breasts, had been shot about Balaclava Harbour, and 

 that they were called great northern divers, which latter bird he never 

 saw. 



One of the striking features of the Black Sea during winter is the 

 immense number of cormorants which are to be seen, where I found 

 that they were much more restless than I had ever considered them to 

 be, and 1 am sure that their habits must be most interesting, and often 

 did I wish that I could accompany a flight of them during their 

 wanderings. What is that long, animated, dark line ? Cormorants. 

 And again more in the form of an incomplete V. This scene was 

 continually passing before our eyes, as on a morning, during the cold 

 weather just before Christmas, we lay off the bold coast outside Bala- 

 clava, awaiting orders to enter the harbour : the quantities of these 



