Birds. 



8831 



visitants), we have, I think, a very fair proportion of wading birds for 

 one neighbourhood, and a greater variety, I am inclined to believe, 

 than many more favoured localities can boast of. 



J. Edmund Harting. 



Kingsbury, Middlesex, 

 September, 1803. 



Notice of a singular Duck shot near Beverley. — The following- account of the 

 capture of this specimen I received from the lips of Mr. P. Martin, who shot it 

 himself, and who is a man of the strictest integrity, and most respectable in his 

 station. He says, " I was told that a strange duck had been seen in a drain, on a 

 part of Cottingham Common, the property of Mr. Bayley, of Cottingham : on going 

 to the place with my gun, I saw the duck for a moment, swimming about by herself: 

 she immediately got up on seeing me, and flew away with great rapidity, and more 

 after the fashion of a snipe than any other bird I know. I fired and killed it. This 

 would be about the month of November, 1852. Finding the duck a very strange one, 

 I enquired next day at the Hull Zoological Gardens, to ascertain whether any duck 

 had made its escape, but no such bird was gone, nor could I ever learn of an escape 

 of this duck in the Riding. Its wings were both perfect." The following is a descrip- 

 tion of the duck as it stands, with closed wings: — Sex uncertain; appearance would 

 lead me to the conclusion that it had been a mature female. Length from tip of bill 

 to end of tail, 21 inches. Bill: colour gone; length 2£ inches, gradually curving 

 downwards from the base to the tip ; lower mandible curved to correspond with the 

 upper (which it does) in perfect proportion and symmetry ; width, over widest pari at 

 upper mandible 1| inch ; margins of upper mandible overhang those of the lower, 

 about one-eighth of an inch on either side, and are deeply pectinated ; tooth, half an 

 inch in length, and about three-eighths of an inch in breadth ; colour gone. Iris 

 (said to be a correct imitation of the original), dark reddish hazel. Head, crown, 

 nape, throat and neck, both above, below and on the sides, a uniform creamy buff- 

 colour, which is, if anything, a shade deeper on the crown and cheeks. Neck, 

 remarkably slender for the size of the bird. Breast, pale creamy buff, gradually fading 

 to a creamy white on the belly and sides. Back, same creamy white as on the 

 breast. Wings have the second quill-feather the longest. Greater wing-coverts grayish 

 brown, with a slightly rufous tinge, darker towards the outer edges, and which 

 together form a somewhat triangular-shaped bar across the wings when closed, 

 two inches in breadth in the widest part, which is above: each feather of these 

 greater wing-coverts is pointed at the end, the outer web dark coloured, the inner web 

 almost white, the shafts are white, and all of them are tipped with creamy white to the 

 extent of five-eighths of an inch below, to one inch and a half above : " above " and 

 "below," as used here, of course have reference to the present position of the bird, 

 which is standing. Lesser wing-coverts pale creamy white, same as on belly and 

 sides. Primaries pale creamy white on outer webs ; shafts white; inner webs slightly 

 tinged with gray towards the end, the rest creamy white. Secondaries creamy white. 

 Tertiaries darker reddish buff, and some of the shorter ones rather mealy. Tail rich 

 creamy buff above, paler below. Upper tail-coverts creamy buff. Uuder tail-coverts 

 pale creamy white. Legs and toes, colour faded, apparently have been dark brownish 



