OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1886 . 
167 
Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carlo ).—On the 5th of September, 1885, 
Mr. A. Holland Hibbert was fortunate in being able to observe a 
cormorant flying over the Lea Farm, about two miles from Watford. 
It first settled on a tree, and eventually flew off towards Gullet 
Wood. In March last another cormorant was shot near Park Street 
by Mr. Gee. It would appear that even the immense wing-power 
possessed by the cormorant is insufficient to protect it against the 
extreme violence of occasional gales. It is impossible to suppose 
that it visits Hertfordshire willingly, for the sake of enjoying its 
unsurpassed woodland scenery. 
Ttjfted Duck ( Fuligula cristata ).— I have again to record the 
visit of a pair of tufted ducks to the Lynch Lake, near Hoddesdon. 
Mr. Henry Manser tells me that they frequently took short flights, 
but soon returned again to the lake. I have before stated that Mr. 
Manser has succeeded in domesticating this species on his lake, and the 
tame birds appear to be visited periodically by their roving relatives. 
Stormy Petrel (Procellaria pelagica). —A stormy petrel was cap¬ 
tured alive near the Midland Bailway, not far from St. Albans, on 
the 11th of December. This is the fourth occasion on which I have 
reported the capture of this bird, the smallest of our sea-fowl, 
within the borders of Hertfordshire. 
Bean Goose ( Anser segetum). —A very large flight of wild geese 
was observed passing over Hitchin on the first day of the present 
year. Mr. James Tuke, who reported to me the occurrence, added 
the expressive words, “ delightful was the clang thereof.” 
The Flights of Birds. —I have already alluded to an enormous 
flight of geese, observed by Mr. J. H. Tuke, passing over Hitchin. 
I have received very interesting reports respecting similar flights of 
redwings and starlings. A policeman on duty at St. Albans on the 
night of the 28th of October heard, as distinctly as possible, the 
sound of a vast multitude of birds passing over the city. From the 
description given there can be but little doubt that they were red¬ 
wings, and I may add that occurrences of the kind are by no means 
uncommon. A few years ago my friend Mr. Clarence Fry directed 
my attention to a vast flight passing over the northern end of Wat¬ 
ford ; the dnsk of evening forbade the possibility of our obtaining 
even a glimpse of the birds, but the faint plaintive note of the red¬ 
wing was distinctly and continuously audible. Mr. Henry Lewis 
has sent to me a graphic description of the assembling of an enor¬ 
mous multitude of starlings on one of the earlier days of October, at 
a favourite roosting-place near Ho Man’s Land. He describes them 
as arriving in hundreds of thousands from all parts of the compass, 
and states that when standing on the opposite hill he could hear the 
noise of their voices like the roar of the ocean on a pebbly shore. 
Starlings have been unusually numerous during the past year ; they 
are, as every one knows, always resident in our county, but their 
numbers are enormously increased by migration from the north of 
Europe during the winter months. It is probable that no incon¬ 
siderable portion of the immense cloud of birds observed at Ho 
Man’s Land consisted of starlings just arrived from abroad. 
