In the Neighbour7iood of Salisbury. 



105 



year round ; and may frequently be seen by hundreds at a time. 

 Meyer says " The numbers that visit our European shores are so 

 great, particularly during* a continuous north- west wind, that they 

 appear in clouds, and literally to a great extent cover the surface o£ 

 the water." The jet black plumage of the male at once distin- 

 guishes him from all other Ducks. I have a good pair in my 

 collection killed at Teignmouth. 



Oidemia Fusca. "The Velvet Scoter." This species can be at 

 once distinguished from the last by the white band across the wing. 

 It is also a thicker set bird than the last-named. It is annually to 

 be met with in Christchurch and Poole Harbours. Hart has a nice 

 pair in his museum, killed there in 1880. 



Oidemia Perspicillata. " Surf Scoter." Extremely rare. In 

 fact only to be found amongst us in the Orkney and Shetland 

 Islands. It is at once to be distinguished from the two last species 

 by the white markings about the forehead, and back of head. I hear 

 of no local specimen at all. But Hart has a fine male bird, which 

 was killed by Mr. T. M. Pike, in the Orkneys, on February 7th, 1876. 



Mergus Merganser. " The Goosander, and Dun Diver." "When 

 fresh killed this is one of the very handsomest of the Analidce; the 

 whole breast and under parts being of a peculiarly rich creamy 

 salmon colour ; but this very soon fades into a dullish white in 

 preserved specimens. I was out in the meadows here a few years 

 ago with some friends shooting, when I saw a splendid pair of this 

 species in adult plumage fly across me at the distance of about 

 eighty yards, and though four barrels were poured into them with a 

 hearty good will, we could not stop them, and I never saw them 

 again. They appeared to be of an enormous length when flying in 

 the air, quite half as long again as an ordinary Duck. On another 

 occasion, about 1870, I chased three Dun Divers all round the 

 meadows for the best part of a winter's day, but could not succeed 

 in getting a shot at them. The keeper, however, went out that 

 evening at flight-time, and seeing three Ducks come over his head, 

 let fly, and knocked over one of them, and on his retriever bringing 

 the bird he found it was one of the Dun Divers. Mr. Baker, of 

 Mere, has a nice pair of these birds, which were killed at Ringwood 



