A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE Ouse at Tempsford, and seven males and two females, all adults, were actually obtained by him. A male was killed on 1 9 August 1 8 7 9 by Mr. G. Hare at Campton, and Mr. W. Mills informs me he has one in his possession, which was killed on 14 October 1890 on the Ouse at Cardington. 139. Velvet-Scoter. Qidemia fusca (Linn.) An adult male is in the possession of Mr. J. Cole, taxidermist, of Leagrave ; it is cased in company with a common scoter, the two having been killed together close to Luton Hoo Park in the winter of 1 890-1. The common scoter is not mentioned by Davis, but strange to say Anasfusca is included as a winter visitor occasionally. 140. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn. Of occasional occurrence. Some thirty or more years ago Mr. A. Covington saw an adult male that was shot at Cox's Pits ; he also mentions a female killed near Turvey in 1862, and has in his possession another obtained in the winter of 1870 and the head of one killed on 20 January 189 1 at Sharnbrook. Mr. J. S. Wright informs me that a female was shot at Campton Mills by Mr. G. Hare on 2 December 1879, and he has set up several other local specimens. On 24 October 1881 one was shot at Langford. There is a beautiful adult male among the valuable group of locally-killed ducks in Mr. P. Addington's possession, which was killed by him, he believes, in February, about 1870, from Friars Pits, Tempsford ; it was accompanied by a female at the time. On another occasion he saw three others together at Great Barford. A female, which I have seen in the possession of Mr. C. L. Hall, and which he obtained at Newnham 28 November 1874, was recorded by him at the time in the Field. 141. Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus ser- rator, Linn. Very occasionally met with and far less often recorded than the previous species. Only about six have passed through the hands of Mr. A. Covington, all being either in the im- mature plumage or adult females. There is one in the possession of Mr. P. Addington which he killed when in company with eight others during a hard winter, about 1875, at Wyboston Corner. A flight of eight ducks, which Mr. A. F. Crossman believed were mergansers, was observed by him at Southill Lake on 23 April 1894. 142. Smew. Mergus albellus, Linn. Only at rare intervals has this bird wandered so far inland as to reach our waters. Mr. A. Covington informs me that three adult males were shot at Pavenham about 1870 ; a year or so after he received an adult male from Milton and a female a few days later from Goldington. In the winter of 1874-5 a female was killed at Clapham, the head of which came into his possession, and he has heard of one or more other instances, but not personally verified the species. In every instance he adds that, as in the case of the goosander and the merganser, they have in- variably been killed during hard weather. Two, evidently immature females, that I have seen in the possession of Mr. P. Addington were shot about 1870, though not during the same winter ; one he obtained near Temps- ford Bridge and the other between Great Barford and Tempsford ; in both instances they were unaccompanied. Dr. C. Sprigge also sends me word of two killed by him at Great Barford about 1895. 143. Ring-Dove or Wood-Pigeon. Columba palumbus, Linn. Locally, Wood-Pigeon. Not only is this bird a common resident but its numbers are considerably increased by im- migration during the winter months, and the damage caused to the grain and pea crops in the summer is added to by the destruction among the root crops in the winter. Mr. J. King gives the following account of an amaz- ing flight of ring-doves he observed in the winter of 1895. 'It was from the 5th to the 8th of December, that, not thousands, but hun- dreds of thousands, were passing over, going from north-east to south-west. They were, as a rule, in rather scattered flocks, but occasionally followed rather quickly ; then perhaps ten minutes or so would elapse before another flight came into view. They were passing each morning from daylight until ten or eleven o'clock. Some flocks must have contained many hundreds, sometimes small parties of not more than ten to twenty. The flight line seemed to be over Biggleswade, then passing immediately above Holme Mills — few flew as wide as Langford — generally well beyond the range of a gun. About a week after the above dates they came over for one day only, in almost as large numbers. These vast flights puzzle me considerably as the winter has been such a mild one.' 144. Stock-Dove. Columba cenas, Linn. Locally, Little Pigeon. An abundant resident at Woburn, Ampt- hill, Luton Hoo and Bromham Parks, whilst in other parts of the county it is found nesting 126
