LITTLE AUK. 
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River Soar, at Cossington, by the miller who then resided there.” This specimen I 
have seen. Elkington shewed me one in the skin, said to have been killed at 
Husbands Bosworth, 1883. 
In Rutland. — As in Leicestershire. — Mr. Horn reports that a specimen was 
shot in the Welland Valley in 1873, and is now in the possession of Mr. W. 
Northen, Thorpe-by- Water. 
LITTLE AUK. Mergulus alle (Linnaeus). 
“ Rotche.” 
A rare straggler from the coast, driven inland by severe weather. — According 
to Mr. Babington (Supplement ‘ Potter ’), “ A pair of these rare Arctic birds were 
taken alive at Nanpantan, Nov. 6th, 1837, in a turnip field, by J. Cartwright, 
Esq., of Loughborough, who endeavoured, without success, to keep them alive 
on fish and insects.” Writing of the Little Auk, Harley stated that it appeared 
in Leicestershire during the autumn of 1838, a pair, in a semi-exhausted state, 
being picked up amongst the hills of Charnwood Forest ; and further that, in 
the autumn of 1840, this species again occurred in the county and adjoining 
districts. The late Mr. Widdowson wrote me from Melton : — “ Several have 
been picked up at different times near here.” 
In Rutland. — As in Leicestershire. — Lord Gainsborough records one picked 
up at Casterton about 1840 ; another at Exton in 1853, picked up by a man 
named Newbold in his pigstye in Exton village. It passed into the possession 
of the Hon. Henry Noel, who was only enabled to keep it alive for three days. 
This specimen was mounted, but is not now in existence. One was reported 
by Lord Kesteven as occurring at Pickworth in 1884, so Lord Gainsborough 
informs me, and the Rev. R. Hurt, Rector of Carlby, writes : — “ Two were picked 
up after a storm, in 1885, in Essendine parish.” 
