OLIVER V. APLIN: A VISIT TO RAINWORTH LODGE. 1 99 



chose rather to proceed down the pond by a succession of dives, 

 and certainly went faster than he would have done by swimming. 

 To the gastronomic excellence of these inland-fed Tufted Ducks 

 I can personally testify ; they have none of the strong fishy flavour 

 usually pertaining to diving ducks. For a long time the Shovellers 

 managed to elude observation at the actual time of nesting, and no 

 eggs were taken in the county until last year (1886), when a clutch 

 of nine was discovered by Mrs. Whitaker, some of which have been 

 added to an interesting collection of eggs taken entirely upon the 

 shooting. The colour of the nest down of this species had, however, 

 been described in the latest work on British Birds, from a nest from 

 which young had been hatched out the year before. Many species 

 of ducks have been killed on this water besides those mentioned, 

 Wigeon (which come in large companies), Golden Eyes, Pochards, 

 Scaups, and Scoters ; and of rare birds observed or procured there 

 may be mentioned the Osprey, Bittern, Grey Phalarope, and 

 Spoon-bill. A Widgeon lingered here during the summer of 1883 ; on 

 August 5th, when walking round with Mr. Whitaker and Mr. E. 

 Bidwel], the bird rose from some rushes, and flying up the water, 

 pitched again, when we had a good opportunity of examining it ; it 

 was a male, of course in the ferruginous dress of summer, and 

 showed no signs of being an injured bird, as it rose with perfect 

 ease. 



We now returned to the house to utilise an hour or two's rest in 

 examining the collections, beginning with the birds in the hall. The 

 hall is one in a thousand ; a flight of steps leads through a little glass 

 porch, always gay and sweet with flowers, into a square room-like 

 hall, and you see at once that you are in the home of a naturalist. 

 The floor strewn with skins of various beasts, and the walls lined 

 from floor to ceiling with cases of birds, interspersed with drawings 

 of noted specimens, photographs of Great Auks, autograph letters of 

 departed bird-men, and everything that can delight the hearts of the 

 survivors. From the windows you see the pond, with the island not 

 a dozen yards off, and look out from among the stuffed specimens on 

 to the Coots and ducks disporting themselves in life and freedom. 

 A goodly fire-place there is on one side, and pleasant it is to draw 

 up by night the large black-oak chairs of the settle order each side 

 the hearth, and while enjoying a final smoke, to chat leisurely upon 

 ornithological subjects, surrounded by British-killed Sand Grouse, 

 Squacco Herons, Harlequin Ducks and Sabine's Gulls, pied Wood* 

 cocks, cream-coloured Shags, and white Sparrow Hawks, and many 

 another rara avis and lusiis iiahtrce^ whose mounted skins look down 

 through their glassy eyes from all sides. But to return to these same 



July 1887. 



