4 RED-BREASTED MERGANSER.
slabs of 1M pressing one on another as they heaved up and down in the tide, silently for the most part, though
an occasional ominous craunch gave evidence of their weight and the force with which they were carried. The
shouts of the men who had been altraeted by the shot were plainly audible on the shore; it was, however,
utterly iiupus-ihle for them to render the slightest assistance. For a few minutes longer 1 was forced to drop
gently with the tide, in order to avoid contact with some tmwieldly blocks of ice and frozen snow which
were rolling round hi the current. I had learned by previous experience that extreme caution is necessary
under such circumstances. The recollection of a most exciting half.hour, when carried away by drift-ice while
making a vain attempt to recover a winged Swan on the ebb-tide in Bye harbour, had by no means faded
tram my memory. At last I noticed two large pieces, caught by a hack eddy, turn over and take the ground,
arresting the croivding blocks for a moment. This was a chance not lo be lost; and a few strokes of the
sculliug-oar enabled me to part company with the drifting masses and gain fleet water. The banks wero
suuu reached ; and what might have been a most unpleasant adventure luckily- avoided *. A couple of shots
brought the men to the spot; and after an hour's bard w • rk, balding, dragging, and lifting over obstacles,
the punt was safe hack at the faery-point.
The figure in the background is Liken from an immature specimen obtained near Sbnrcham the last week
in December lhS2. I find in my notes the following remarks concerning this bird:—"Legs and toes bright
orange; webs dusky ; nails dark horn-colour; upper mandible dusky horn-lint; nail black; yellow line along
lower part of upper mandible; saw-marks or fringe red flesh-tint; lower mandible cerise ; lower nail pale
yellow; iris olive-yellow."
• I romemljOT hearing an account, itiii-li tm J.-LTI :. ul.ir, Lave Ml AjW") my memory, concern")!? *a accident that many yean ago befell
the ferry-host n'.ir ttio tame "put. This some what UUILI.UU,;,-LIL.L.- inl: lja;.;n:i-. •[ lo g< t t.ii^l.t liy .Irilt-ict, and waj carried down the firth towarda
the bar. In thii cote, I hill IS. the boat erontuilly cane bwk on the Quod after a long anil perilvoi Tuyage.