A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE 138. Scaup Duck. Fuligula marila (Linn.). Dr. Lamb records one shot on January 24, 1795, near Reading ('Ornith. Bercheria'). Mr. A. H. Cocks possesses a drake shot on the Thames between Henley and Marlow (Birds of Oxon, p. 203). A female was shot by Capt. Rhodes at Hennerton near Wargrave on November 13, 1888, and it is still in his possession. 139. Goldeneye. Clangula glaucion (Linn.). This is a somewhat rare winter visitor, naturally more frequently seen in severe wea- ther, and many specimens have been taken on the Thames. These, as might be expected, are generally young birds; the most recent that have come under my notice were an immature male killed at Hennerton on January 23, 1892, and another near Reading, February 22, 1901. 140. Long-tailed Duck. Harelda glacia/is (Linn.). The Revs. A. and H. Matthews mention one killed near Kennington in January, 1846 (ZaoL 1849, p. 2539). 141. Common Eider Duck. Somateria mol- lissima (Linn.). Dr. Lamb records an example ' shot at Sonning near Reading in a severe winter ' ('Ornith. Bercheria'), and adds, ' most delicious eating ' ! ! 142. Common Scoter. (Edemia nigra (Linn.). A rare winter visitor ; one, a mature male, was procured near Cookham in 1865, another was shot on Mr. Palmer's estate near Reading in July, 1867 (Birds of Berks and Bucks, p. 127), and a pair at Aldermaston in 1860 (Palmer). Dr. Lamb mentions a pair shot on the Thames near Reading in October, 1792 ('Ornith. Bercheria'). An adult male was shot at Weirs Mill between Iffley and Folly Bridge, December 12, 1890 (Fauna and Flora of Radley and the Neighbourhood, p. 12); on March 22, 1879, an adult male was killed at Clewer Point near Windsor (Zoologist, 1879, p. 220). 143. Velvet-Scoter. (Edemia fusca (Linn.). Dr. Lamb mentions two captured near Wargrave in January, 1795 ('Ornith. Ber- cheria '). Gould says, ' During the severe winter of 1866-7 a splendid old male was killed at Cookham (Birds of Great Britain, vol. v.). A fine male was killed near New- bury, January 2, 1871 (Zee/. 1871, p. 2527). In 1855 no less than six were killed in this district in one week (C. E. Stubbs). 144. Goosander. Mergus merganser, Linn. In winter the goosander is an occasional visitor to the Thames, and there are several records of its capture, usually irl immature plumage. Dr. Lamb says many were shot near Reading in the winter of 1791, and a solitary specimen at Thatcham, December, 1808; he adds, as food 'most unpleasantly fishy in taste' ('Ornith. Bercheria'). Two others are mentioned by C. E. Stubbs as killed in the district. One was shot at Sonning on January 19, 1896 (Topp in lit.). 145. Merganser. Mergus serrator, Linn. A winter visitor of less frequent occur- rence than the goosander. A pair were killed near Reading in 1795 ('Ornith. Ber- cheria '). Mr. G. Jackson shot a female on the river near Henley on January 23, 1848 (A. H. Cocks in lit. to O. V. Aplin), and I remember one shot by a boatman near Cul- ham Court in 1879. An adult female in the collection of Mr. Newton was obtained near Wallingford in early spring (in lit.}. Mr. Topp tells me that a male and two females were killed at Bulmershe in 1883. 146. Smew. Mergus albellus, Linn. This is another winter straggler which has been recorded a few times from our county. Dr. Bowdler Sharpe mentions a fine male killed near Reading in the 'sixties'; Mr. Rhodes has an immature male taken on the river below Hennerton, but he cannot remember the date. An adult and young male were shot at Sonning by Mr. J. L. Hill and identified by Mr. A. H. Cocks; four were seen in company at the time and one of the survivors was subsequently killed but lost; the fourth was seen again and shot at unsuc- cessfully (Zeal. April, 1891, p. 153). Dr. Lamb records a male shot near Newbury, January 31, 1814 ('Ornith. Bercheria'). On January n, 1901, a female was shot on the Loddon, and on the I7th a young male was killed near Reading (G. W. Bradshaw in lit.} ; it weighed 1 3 oz. Mr. Newton has an adult male in full plumage, obtained in March near Wallingford, and he tells me he observed another in similar plumage last March, 1901 (in lit.). Mr. Aplin tells me a female was killed at Kintbury in the winter of 1890-1. [The mandarin (/Ex galericulata} and har- lequin duck (Cosmonetta histrionica} are both recorded by Clark Kennedy (Birds of Berks and Bucks, pp. 206, 208) ; the former is an Eastern Palaearctic species, and had obviously escaped from confinement, while the latter was probably a long-tailed duck.] 158
