4 
llEU-BREASTED MERGANSER. 
slabs of ice pressing one on another as they heaved up and down in the tide, silently for the most part, though 
an occasional ominous craunch gave evidence of their weight and the force with which they were earried. The 
shouts of the men who had been attracted by the shot were plainly audible on the shore; it was, hoAvever, 
utterly impossible for them to render the slightest assistanee. Eor a few minutes longer I was forced to drop 
gently with the tide, in order to avoid contact with some unwieldly blocks of ice and frozen snow which 
Avere rolling round in the current. I had learned by previous experience that extreme caution is necessary 
under such circumstances. Idie reeollection of a most exciting half-hour, Avhen carried aAvay by drift-ice while 
making a vain attempt to recover a Avinged SAvan on the ebb-tide in Rye harbour, had by no means faded 
from my memory. At last I noticed tAvo large pieces, caught by a back eddy, turn over and take the ground, 
arresting the crowding blocks for a moment. This Avas a chance not to be lost ; and a fcAV strokes of the 
sculling-oar enabled me to part eompany Avith the drifting masses and gain fleet Avater. The banks were 
soon reached ; and Avhat might have been a most unpleasant adA^enture luckily a\mided *. A couple of shots 
brought the men to the spot ; and after an hour’s hard Avork, hauling, dragging, and lifting over obstacles, 
the punt Avas safe back at the ferry -point. 
The figure in the background is taken from an immature specimen obtained near Shoreham the last week 
in December 1882. I find in my notes the following remarks coneerning this bird : — “ Legs and toes bright 
orange; webs dusky; nails dark horn-colour; upper mandible dusky horn-tint ; nail black; yellow line along 
loAA'er part of upper mandible ; saAV-marks or fringe red flesh-tint ; loAA'er mandible cerise ; lower nail pale 
yelloAv; iris olive-yelloAV.” 
* I remember hearing an account, though the particulars have now slipped my memory, concerning an accident that many years ago befell 
the ferry-boat near the same spot. This somewhat unmanageable craft happened to get caught by drift-ice, and was carried down the firth towards 
the bar. In this case, I believe, the boat eventually came back on the flood after a long and perilous voyage. 
