BIRDS 19 June, 1884. The late Mr. Widdowson wrote : ' Plentiful some years ago. Several shot at Little Dalby.' I saw a mounted specimen (male) in 1888, in the possession of Mr. H. C. Woodcock, who in- formed me that it was shot on the Wreak at Syston, many years ago, by his keeper. A female in the flesh was presented to the museum by Mr. John Burgess, who shot it at Saddington Reservoir, on 31 Oct., 1887. Mr. G. H. Storer saw a small flock on 21 May, 1888, at Cropston Reservoir. In 1904 it appeared in numbers on Swithland Reservoir, where on I February Mr. O. Murray-Dixon estimated there were fifty pairs to be seen, and on 24 Dec., 1 906, Mr. G. Frisby reported that ' a large flock remained during the week.' Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907 : ' I am inclined to think that a few pairs remain to breed ; I saw a pair on Blatherwyck Lake (Northants) on 25 May, 1905.' 139. Scaup-Duck. Fuligula mania (Linn.). A winter visitant, rarer than the last-named. One was shot at Saddington Reservoir in 1874 by the late Dr. Macaulay (Mid. Nat. 1882, p. 79). I saw a mounted specimen (male) in 1888 in the collection of Mr. H. C. Woodcock, which was shot on the Wreak, at Rearsby, many years ago by his keeper. Dr. Macaulay had a iemale specimen, shot at Thornton Reservoir, 4 Dec., 1890, and further reported a male specimen shot at Saddington Reservoir by Mr. L. C. Ha ward on 24 Nov., 1891. Mr. A. Dalby, of Castle Donington, shot a female, 6 Jan., 1894, which he had preserved, and he saw a pair killed 26 Dec., 1894. Mr. O. Murray-Dixon shot one (a drake) on Swithland Reservoir on 6 Oct., 1903, and Mr. G. Frisby observed it there 10 Dec., 1906. 140. Goldeneye. Clangula glaucion (Linn.). An uncommon winter visitant. Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App.) wrote : ' Killed at Groby by the keeper of the Earl of Stamford and also in Loughborough Meadows.' Harley recorded that during the severe winter of 1845 it appeared in the county in fairly large numbers, several examples being obtained at Groby Pool. He was informed that it also occurred rather numerously in many other dis- tricts, and stated that it was found at Groby Pool, Bosworth, Saddington, and elsewhere during the winter months. I have seen a fine female specimen in the possession of T. W. Tebbs, of the Union Inn, Blaby, shot by him at the ' Big Brook,' Blaby, in the winter of 1880. John Ryder sent to the museum a beautiful adult male specimen, shot on the lake at Belvoir, 28 Oct., 1885. Mr. Thomas Woodcock reported having seen a goldeneye on the Wreak in the winter of 1889-90. The late Dr. Macaulay informed me that the Rev. A. Matthews had a specimen which he shot out of three on Gumley Hall Pond (N.D.). Mr. A. Dalby, of Castle Donington, reported a female, shot in Feb., 1895, which is pre- served and in his possession. Mr. G. Frisby saw one on Swithland Reservoir, 1 6 Oct., 1906. Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907 : 'One was shot at Ulverscroft Priory in January, 1868, and reported in the Zoo/, of that year (p. 121 2) by Mr. Theodore Walker.' [Harlequin Duck. Cosmonetta histrionica (Linn.). Of this very rare straggler to the British Isles, Harley wrote: '1845. The appearance of this rare bird in the county of Leicester I record with much satisfaction, and I am enabled to do so on the authority of Mr. Chaplin, 15 of Groby, who shot a pair of harlequin ducks on the pool during the in- clement season of the early months of the year which we have so recently experienced. These two rare visitors were associated with scoters, tufted ducks, teals, and widgeons, and it must be observed that the manifest difference in the plumage of the birds, so remarkably diverse from their companions, led to their capture as I have already intimated.' 1 have ere this heard several ducks styled ' Harlequin,' the last time the term being applied to the by-no-means-common long-tailed duck.] 141. Common Scoter. Oedemia nlgra (Linn.). Locally, Black Duck. A not uncommon winter visitant. Harley wrote : ' Chaplin has met with the species on Groby Pool.' The late Mr. Widdowson wrote : ' I shot one at Melton, now in the " Bickley collection." ' It has also occurred more than once at Bosworth Park, as I am informed by Henry Long, the keeper. Mr. J. Whitaker possesses two adult males, shot out of a flock at Thornton Reservoir, 18 Sept., 1879, by the late Dr. John Wright, of Markfield (Zoo/. 1879, p. 459). The late Dr. Macaulay stated (MM. Nat. 1882, p. 79) : ' Not unfrequently driven in by the easterly gales.' During August and September, 1881, three were obtained at Saddington, one of which (a male) he shot on 3 September out of a flock of twenty and presented to the museum. One in the museum, is said to have been shot near the Abbey Meadow, Lei- cester, on 9 Feb., 1882. Mr. G. Frisby saw two on Swithland Reservoir, 1 6 Oct., 1906. 142. Velvet Scoter. Oedemia fusca (Linn.). The only occurrence in the county, and a new one, is that recorded by the late Rev. A. Matthews, of Gumley, who informed me that on either 1 1 or 12 Nov., 1889, one was shot on Saddington Reservoir by Mr. John Burgess, and was in the hands of Turner, the rural postman, ' who had skinned it remarkably well.' The specimen is now in the museum. See also Zoo/. 1889, p. 455. 143. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn. A rare winter visitant. Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App. 70) noticed one shot near Langley Priory in the possession of Mr. R. Cheslyn, and the late Dr. Macaulay recorded (Mid. Nat. 1882, p. 79) that a female specimen was killed on the Smeeton Canal in 1862, by Mr. A. Hildebrand. Later he stated that it was in the possession of the Rev. A. Matthews, and was a young male : further that another specimen in the same collection was shot on Saddington Reservoir. The museum contains a fine male in adult plumage, shot near Blaby, 17 Dec. 1875. Mr. A. Dalby of Castle Donington shot a female 7 Jan. 1894, which was preserved and in his posses- sion. He also saw a pair 1 1 Jan., 1895. 15 Chaplin was the keeper at Groby then, and appears to have been a man of discernment ; still, to those who know how few keepers there are who properly discriminate between closely-allied forms, it is probable that he mistook the species, only three specimens said to have been killed in Britain being known (see Mr. Howard Saunders, F.L.S., F.Z.S., Proc. Zool. Soc. (1887) 319-20). '43
