82 EPPING FOREST
of these rare visitors on the Wanstead Basin. My
telescope showed the speckling on the back quite dis-
tinctly ; it was therefore probably a young bird.''—A.L.
Wild Duck. Breeds annually in several parts of the Forest.
There is generally a fair number that frequent Con-
naught Water, Wanstead Park, and other Forest Ponds,
and as it is against the rule of the Committee to shoot
them, they are delightfully tame.
Widgeon. May be seen occasionally in winter.
Teal. Several frequented the Wanstead Park waters in the
spring of 1883, and in the following spring I saw a single
bird on Connaught Water. We hope that it will take
to breeding there. In hard weather it frequents the
Roding.
Scaup. A flock of seven or eight remained on the Wanstead
basin for several days a few winters ago. They were
very shy.
Tufted Duck. Early in 1884 a male and three females fre-
quented the upper pond in Wanstead Park for two
months in company with the coots, and became almost
as tame as they are. The male bird left us towards
the end of February, but the females were still there
March 7. They are excellent divers.
Pochard. Has been observed at Wanstead. On two occasions
a single bird visited my pond and remained some weeks,
consorting with the tame ducks, and becoming himself
very tame. A single bird came to the Wanstead ponds
early in the season some years ago and remained more
than a month. At first he was very wild, but towards
the end of his stay became tamer. Later on probably
the same bird returned and kept company with the tufted
ducks, acquiring their tameness. He went away with
the male tufted duck towards the end of February.
Goosander. A flock of fifteen in immature plumage remained
on the Basin at Wanstead for five clays during the winter
of 1885. " It was an interesting sight to watch the
graceful fishing operations of these birds with a good
telescope. After swimming in a compact company for
a considerable time, they would all suddenly commence
diving, probably having come over a shoal of fish, for
many would be seen emerging with a fish in their bills,
and, if one was too large to be immediately swallowed,
a scramble would take place, and it would change beaks
several times before being finally disposed of."—A. L.
Wild Geese. Flocks seen flying overhead during the winter
months, especially brent, and gray of some species.