210 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
recently been shot on Handford Water (Kerry). On Oct. 7th, 1881, three were
" seen near Levington Creek on the Orwell, two of which were shot, and the
third obtained near Harwich on
the following day " (J, H. H.
Knights — 40. vi. 151). Mr.
Ambrose has preserved speci-
mens from Mersea, Harwich,
Tollesbury, &c. Mr. Hope, who
has an immature male killed
on the Main on Nov. 2nd, 1882,
and a young; female killed on
Handford Water on Nov. 6th,
1888, says that on our coasts it
is " common in heavy weather."
In the winter of 1887-88, Mr.
Fitch saw several, killed in the
Blackwater, and Mr. Spalding
noticed others on the poulter-
er's stalls at Colchester. Mr.
Pettitt preserved a young male, killed at Brightlingsea on Jan. 3rd, 1890.
Common Scoter : Oidemia nigra. Locally, " Black Duck."
A common winter visitor to the seas off the Essex Coast ; it has
occurred very rarely inland. It breeds in the north of Scotland.
Dale, in 1730, says (2. 40;) : " It was
sent to Braintree some years past from
Tendring Hundred." To Harwich, in
1851, Lindsey says (27. App. 65) it was a
winter visitor only, and " during that sea-
son is to be seen in great numbers on our
coast." It is now " common " there in
the winter (Kerry). In the Audley End
Collection is a specimen killed at Debden
on Apr. 3rd, 1849. Yarrell says (37. iv.
p. 473) : " At times the waters between
the Eastern counties and Holland are black
with them," and a friend saw large flocks
swimming in deep water off the Maplin Sands in Oct., 1888, Mr. Hope ob-
serves that it is " common on all our sands." He adds that " some birds stop all
the year round." Mr. Robert Page has a female, taken in his Marsh House
Decoy, at Tillingham.
Mr. Fitch writes: " Immense gatherings are to be seen all winter on the
Foulness or Maplin Sands. The Black Ducks always congregate between the
Crouch and the Thames, the cleaner weed-feeding Black Geese congregate
between the Crouch and the Blackwater, on the Dengie Flats and Ray Sand.
The Ducks often rival the Geese in numbers, and the former are frequently seen
in spring and summer. On the day of the Jubilee Yacht Race (June 14th, 1887),
when going down-Swin in the fog, we came on quite a large bunch of Black
Duck between the Horns and the Mouse Light. Large quantities of various
Ducks, chiefly Scoters, were seen near the Swin Middle L.Y., in December 1887 ;
also January, 1888. On the 12th, the vessel was surrounded with Black Ducks,
as far as could be seen with a telescope " (42. ix. 54).