The Scottish Naturalist S: Ai' / The Scottish Naturalist With which is incorporated The Annals of Scottish Natural History EDITED BY V. C. WYNNE-EDWARDS Regius Professor of Natural History Aberdeen University AND JAMES W. CAMPBELL Volume 63 ABERDEEN 1951 Printed in Great Britain at The University Press, Aberdeen SPRING 1951 Price The Scottish Naturalist With which is incorporated The Annals of Scottish Natural History EDITED BY V. G. WYNNE-EDWARDS Regius Professor of Natural History, University of Aberdeen AND JAMES W. CAMPBELL All Articles and Communications intended for publication and all Books, etc., for notice, should be sent to The Editor, Natural History Department, Marischal College, Aberdeen. Subscriptions and Advertisements should be addressed to the Editor. Annual Subscription : ^^i is. ; single parts, 7s. CONTENTS PAGE Editorial ......... i History and Distribution of the Capercaillie in Scotland : Part HI — Ian D. Pennie ...... 4 Birds on Mingulay in the Summer of 1949 — D. E. Sergeant and R. F. Whidborne . . . . . .18 The Clo Mor Bird Cliffs — lanH. Pennie .... 26 A New and Unusual Locality for Anarta cordigera (Thunberg) (Lepidoptera) — Kenneth Tod • • • • * 33 The Moorland Birds of Unst — Kenneth Williamson . . 37 The Distribution of Ants in North-west Scotland — C. A. Collingwood ........ 45 Botanical Note ........ 49 Some notes on the Vegetation and Flora of Knoydart — Donald Pigott ........ 50 Isle of May Bird Observatory Report — A. G. S. Bryson . . 56 Zoological Notes ........ 64 Book Reviews ........ 69 Current Literature ....... 70 Obituary . . . . . . . ■ D Notice .......... 72 The Scottish Naturalist Volume 63, No. i Spring 1951 EDITORIAL During the last three years it has not been found possible to balance the budget of The Scottish Naturalist ; after consultation with the publishers, therefore, it has been decided to seek means of placing the financial responsibility on a different footing. The magazine owes a great debt to the personal interest and good will of the directors of Oliver & Boyd’s over a period of almost forty years, and the parting has been agreed upon with sincere regret on both sides. The immediately responsible factor is the small circulation, at best five or six hundred copies. This in turn is a conse- quence, possibly an inevitable consequence, of the high scientific standard which it has consistently been the policy of the magazine to seek since its foundation in 1871 ; and, coupled with this, there is the geographical limitation implicit in the natural history of Scotland. In fact an increasing number of subscribers live south of the border, and the maga- zine finds its way into libraries in many parts of the world; but it is essentially dependent upon the limited body of serious naturalists resident in Scotland, and financial troubles are no new thing. It is clear that The Scottish Naturalist meets a demand strongly felt by contributors, as an outlet for their work. At the present time the contents of a whole volume, or three issues in advance, are accumulated in the editors’ hands ; and this congestion is likely to grow, in spite of the number of papers and notes which are deemed unsuitable for publication, and returned. The demand from the reader or “ consumer ” is, however, I not quite sufficient ; if we had six hundred subscribers of i JUL 2 4 19S1 2 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vo/, 6> a year, ends could be made to meet even in the face of the soaring prices of paper and printing. Any attempt to increase the sales, however, by sacrifice of scientific standards, or, in other words, by making the magazine more “popular would instantly undo the demand on the contributors’ side ; the next step would be to pay fees to authors and turn the thing into a business, instead of attending to the advancement of science. The enduring character of TAe Scottish Naturalist^ which makes volume i as interesting and valuable to-day as it was in 1871-72, would be irretrievably lost. Perhaps then the production costs could be reduced ? We are often asked why we do not fill up all the empty spaces of blank paper, and thereby get more printed words into each issue ; or use smaller type. The answer is that the largest item of cost is setting the type ; the more type is set, the greater the expense ; against which any minor saving in paper is almost negligible. It is in fact true, that, if the magazine is to consist of 64 pages, it is cheaper to leave some spaces blank than to fill every inch with print. Could we not trim our expensive-looking edges ? Yes, but it would be an addi- tional operation and again entail additional cost. The best way to make a material reduction in expenses would be to reduce the number of pages and the size of each issue ; but, if that were done, we are afraid that the sub- scribers might be finally convinced that they were not getting enough for their money. In fact every sensible economy is being exercised in the present number. Is it possible, without loss of scientific prestige, to secure contributions of wider or more general interest and appeal ? Here the answer is that there must always be differences be- tween one article and another ; some make straightforward reading, others are valuable as works of reference ; some are about ever-popular birds, others contain lists of obscure creatures whose very existence is known only to specialists. Already on one occasion in the past The Scottish Naturalist did decide to restrict itself to zoological studies, and this was its policy for a period of more than 25 years ; but in the end, even so, publication temporarily ceased. The best advice we can obtain at present is not to restrict the field, either to zoology alone, or still less to ornithology alone. i95i EDITORIAL 3 To alter the scope would inevitably be to narrow it, and it would be those very branches of natural history, which are not adequately catered for elsewhere, which would suffer most. Attention may be drawn again to the fact that the space given to contributions in ornithology, entomology, botany, etc. is roughly proportional to the number of readers interested in these subjects ; contributions come very largely from the sub- scribers, and tend automatically therefore to provide a random sample of the subscribers’ interests. Contributions must be allowed to come spontaneously from those whose researches are ripe for publication ; and, though it may sometimes be possible to suggest improvements, the editor can do little to influence the character of what is contributed. Later issues of the present volume will include, among others, papers on The breeding distribution, population and history of the birds of Ailsa Craig ”, by J. A. Gibson ; The aquatic Coleoptera of the county of Elgin ”, by R. Richter ; I two papers on The Spiders” and “The Harvestmen of Aberdeenshire ”, by B. Forman. A concerted effort to increase the circulation by 25 per cent. I could succeed in eliminating the deficit. Subscribers are I asked to stand by The Scottish Naturalist, and do whatever they I can to make the financial liability as light as possible ; it has been guaranteed for this year up to an agreed limit by the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, and above that by two j anonymous subscribers. 4 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 THE HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE CAPERCAILLIE IN SCOTLAND Ian D. Pennie Tongue Part 3 {Continued from Volume ^2, page 178) Fife and Kinross The early history is detailed by Harvie-Brown (1879), the most notable events being successful introductions at Tulliallan in 1864 and at Lathirsk, near Falkland in 1874. Bruce (1895) records nesting near Lindores Loch in 1878, and at Lathirsk in 1879 1880. He also records males seen at Tentsmuir in 1890, 1892, 1893 and 1894, and one in Mountmelville den, St. Andrews. Rintoul and Baxter (1921, 1924, 1925) record females seen at Teasses, south Fife in 1920, 1923 and 1924 and one at Gils ton in 1924. In Kinross, the only locality in which the capercaillie was resident in 1879 was at Cleish Castle, near the borders of Perth and Kinross. A few non-breeding birds were also seen regularly near Milnathort, where they are said to have been present up to 1916 at least. More recently the only records for the county are of a female shot in the middle of Kinross town in 1923, another in 1924 near Loch Leven, and a third at Loch Leven in 1926. All of these appeared after gales. Present Distribution Tulliallan Estate : capercaillies were plentiful up to the 1914-18 war, when 1500 acres of forest were felled. Thirty- three were shot in season 19 13- 14. In the past fourteen years they have been strictly preserved and only two have been shot in that time. From 1935 to 1940 there were about twelve nests a year, but most of the young birds disappeared 1951 CAPERCAILLIE IN SCOTLAND 5 at about six weeks old for some unaccountable reason. No nests have been found since 1940 and the present stock con- sists of about three cocks and eight or nine hens. An attempt was made in 1939 to hatch eggs received from Inverness- shire, but all the young birds died. In Devilla forest, Culross, caper were numerous before 1925, when 500 acres of pine were felled, and since then there have been very few, but they are still breeding in small numbers. Nests were found on Norman’s Law and on Mount Hill, near Cupar in 1936, but these woods have since been felled. There have probably been other occasional pairs breeding in this area. In the north-east corner one only, a hen, has been recorded on Tentsmuir since 1922, and there have been one or two occasional visitors from Angus. Mr. William Berry has actu- ally seen a cock caper fly across the Tay at a great height and settle on the south side of the firth. All other parts of the county have produced nil returns. Stirling The early history is summarised from Harvie-Brown (1879). I The earliest record of a capercaillie in Stirlingshire is of a I female shot on Stenhousemuir in 1856, and in 1863 a nest j was found at Dunmore, opposite Tulliallan, but the eggs were I not hatched out. In 1868, breeding was recorded at Torwood, I and in 1870 two hens and a cock were seen at Sauchie. In [ 1871 a hen was seen at Boquhan, and, four years later, a hen I with a brood. In west Stirling one was shot at Rowardennan in 1874 and a pair bred at Buchanan, Loch Lomond in 1878. Further to this, an interesting letter has been received, in the course of the present investigation, from an old gentleman who, it ap- pears, was shooting in Stirlingshire at the time Harvie-Brown was writing up the results of the first Capercaillie Enquiry ! He writes as follows : “ About seventy years ago (I shall soon be 87 with luck) I used to shoot in the parish of Killearn in Stirlingshire, where there were a limited number of caper, which my host said had strayed from the woods of the Duke of Montrose, where they had been turned out on the south- 6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 east shore of Loch Lomond about six miles away a few years before — probably between 1870 and 1875, ^)ut these dates are conjectural. They were leading a perfectly wild life and were not much welcomed on account of the damage they did to fir plantations.” This introduction does not appear to have been recorded elsewhere, but about this time the introduction of capercaillies on a small scale was a popular experiment on many estates throughout the country. In 1877 a pair nested at Dougalston, Milngavie, which was then ‘‘ the farthest south-westerly point at which we can record the arrival of birds bred from the original Tay mouth stock,” and indeed, as a regularly breeding species, this still remains the utmost limit of spread in this direction in spite of optimistic statements by sporting writers (Parker 1929, Vesey- Fitzgerald 1946). In 1928 they were breeding regularly in Craigmaddie wood, near Torrance (Bartholomew 1929). The first capercaillie was seen on Callendar estate, Falkirk, in 1878, another at West Quarter in the same area in 1879, and in that year there were three nests in Castlecary high wood (Harvie-Brown 1880). Present Distribution Generally has decreased considerably in recent years, and, as a breeding species, is in rather a precarious position through- out the county. North and east Stirling : on Touch estate there was a fair stock of birds up to 1939 in 300 acres of woodland, but about two-thirds of this was felled and in the winter of 1945-46 one cock and one hen were seen, and since then, none at all. This is one place where caper have disappeared altogether although part of their original habitat remains, but the pro- prietor is certain that foxes are at least partly to blame. Gaper have likewise disappeared from Boquhan and Airthrey, and are reduced to one or two at Gargunnock and Leckie, but in these cases due to felling. At Sauchieburn they were moderately plentiful up to 1942 in 200 acres of woodland, part of which is old Scots pine which the birds frequented. Between 1942 and 1946 none was seen at all although their habitat remained undisturbed, J95I CAPERCAILLIE IN SCOTLAND 7 but in 1946 they returned and are again resident in small numbers and increasing slowly, but are now frequenting mainly the younger woods, returning only to roost in the old wood. Many old woods were felled in the surrounding district during the war years and may have supplied the stock which re-colonised Sauchieburn woods in 1946. The keeper on this estate is convinced that foxes are very hard on capercaillies, as they nest and frequently roost on the ground and are consequently easy victims, and furthermore he believes that foxes are particularly fond of capercaillies’ eggs. It is significant that foxes were on the increase in this area during the period that the capercaillies disappeared. On the neighbouring property of Torwood the capercaillies dis- appeared about the same time, following the cutting of all the old fir woods, but one pair nested in 1946 (robbed) and a few re-appeared in 1948 in some young plantations. From the Callendar woods, Falkirk, the caper disappeared about I ten years ago after extensive felling, but it is thought that I there may still be one or two in the Gastlecary woods. West Stirling : in the Loch Lomond area caper were plentiful up to 1939 but have decreased markedly since then due to tree-felling and to over shooting in some places. The ! Forestry Commission woods are too young to accommodate those driven out of the older woods, but in any case such refugees would not be welcomed. They are now practically extinct on the Montrose estates, Drymen, though a few breeding birds remain on the Loch Lomond islands and at Gartlea ; there are none now at Ballikinrain. In the south-west, at Eastertoun, Milngavie, they are still breeding regularly but are scarce and decreasing, and at High Craigton they were present until the woods were cut during the war. Dunbarton ‘ A capercaillie hen was shot at Ross Priory in 1867 and ; another in 1877 (Harvie-Brown 1879). In 1872 Mr. James Lumsden of Arden exhibited a hybrid blackcock-caper male to the Natural History Society of Glasgow, and in 1877 he exhibited a female of the same cross. In November 1890 a j cross capercaillie-pheasant, the first of its kind in Scotland, 8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 \ was shot at Arden, Alexandria (Lumsden 1891), and Lumsden and Brown (1895) state that the capercaillie “ has within the past ten years become plentiful in all suitable woods around tj the loch.” 1 Present Distribution Still breeding in several places around Loch Lomond, but not numerous and decreasing. At Balloch, Alexandria, a few non-breeding hens are always present and an occasional cock visitor from the islands. They 1 are breeding regularly at Arden, but are not and never have been numerous, though they were more plentiful at one time, ! but there is now only about 50 acres of woodland. At Ross Priory they have decreased as most of the older trees have been felled. Formerly there was a controlled stock, built up to about fifty or sixty with between five and ten nests a year, but now there is only about one nest annually. There are also breeding capercaillies at Luss and on the Loch Lomond islands. In the Luss district there are now between thirty and forty caper, but there were never more than fifty or sixty. On the islands they have decreased more, ,| partly owing to disturbance by campers during the breeding ' season, and also due to the killing of a great many hens during j the annual fallow deer shoots held for the villagers by the^' late Sir Iain Colquhoun. Capercaillies also inhabited the old woods on Roseneathi; estaie, but these were all felled during the war years and the birds have gone. Occasional birds have also been recorded on the Clyde : at Auchtentorlie Glen, a single one in the early thirties ; atti Edinbarnet, Duntocher ; and, in the winter of 1946-47, a party of about twenty was seen on several occasions feeding on il a group of scattered Scots pines at Douglas Muir, Bearsden. Argyll Reports on and references to the capercaillie in Argyllshire are numerous, but there is no evidence that the species has ever been plentiful or widespread in the county. The earliest reference is to an unsuccessful reintroduction by eggs to the CAPERCAILLIE IN SCOTLAND 9> i i i 1951 i i Blackmount prior to 1867, although in 1867 or 1868 a single bird was seen in that district, and in 1870 two males were I observed in Ardgour, Loch Leven and at Camus na gaul, j opposite Fort William (Harvie-Brown 1879). 1 In 1875, however, caper arrived of their own accord at I Ardkinglas where they became established, as many as twelve i being seen in one day in 1878. In 1876 or 1877 a party of I two or three cocks and one hen reached Inverary, but the hen I was killed on a deer fence in April 1877, and no further hens i were seen. About the same time the head keeper at Inverary ; placed eggs in the nests of greyhens, but saw nothing more of them (Harvie-Brown 1879). Hybrid blackcock-capers were * shot at Ardkinglas in October 1878 and November 1879 (Harvie-Brown and Buckley 1892), but from 1890 onwards there was never more than one pair of capercaillies in the woods, and the last of these birds was found dead by the head forester about 1908 ; since then no caper have been recorded j in the locality. Another observer states that there were a few [ about until the woods were cut during the 1914-18 war. I From Ardkinglas the birds spread south into GowaL I Three were shot on the Ormidale estate, Loch Riddon, on j 28th October 1895 (Anon. 1896) and in September 1897 a I male hybrid caper-pheasant was shot at Stronchullin, Blair- more, where it had been observed during the preceding eighteen months (Clarke 1898). From 1910 to 1912 hens ; were seen in Glen Finart, but no cocks, and a hybrid blackcock- I caper was shot there on 23rd November 1912, and another Jthe previous season (Kirk 1913). Subsequently the caper- caillie became established as a breeding species in Gowal, but never in great numbers, and felling of the older woods between 1920 and 1930 has restricted the available habitat and so almost exterminated them in this area. None has been recorded from Ardentinny since 1931, but a few have been seen in different parts of Cowal since then (Loch Goil, Cam Glas, Loch Eck, 1938). j On the west of Loch Fyne there is a record of a single bird ifrom Obb, opposite Poltalloch in 1883 (Harvie-Brown and iBuckley 1892), and of a female shot near Tarbert on 28th November 1896 (Macinnes and Colville 1944), but nothing further apart from a statement by Ritchie (1920) that the i I 2 o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63.1 capercaillie had “ penetrated almost to the line of the Grinan Canal in 1910.” In 1934 four were shot at Grarae by Sir George Campbell of Succoth, and Taylor (1948) gives them as “ occasional ” in Asknish forest. Many negative returns have been received from this section of the county, including a statement that in a game-book covering all the high ground along the eastern shore of Loch Awe from 1858 onwards there are no records of capercaillies shot. There is, however, a report from Kilberry, West Loch Tarbert, that several were seen in winter and spring in a young plantation up to three or four years ago, but that they are probably all shot now ; and another correspondent writes [ that there are various well-supported reports of caper in the same district in 1948. „ In the remainder of the county, one hen was seen at || Dalmally in 1897 or 1898, and a pair bred in 1903 in an old spruce and larch wood (Kay 1904). Whether they continued to breed in this area is not known, but a recent report states that there are now none in Dalmally. Similarly, at Inver- oran an isolated colony existed, about which little information! is available. Several caper were seen there by one cor- respondent in 1947, and another writes that “ the capercaillie is very rare since the Forestry cut down a number of the trees about here.” Between Barcaldine and Loch Etive at least one capercaillie was seen in June 1941, and there are said to be some in a plantation near Barcaldine, but details are lacking. In west Argyll there is no authentic record of a capercaillie until the spring of 1948 when a party, said to have beenijl about fifty in number, suddenly appeared and remained for ’ a few days. They were first seen at Salachan, Ardgour. at Druimbeg, Acharacle, and later at Duisky, on Lochielside, i Strontian, and Resipoll. Only in one place, Druimbeg, were ' they seen in any numbers, and there are no reports of any having been seen since this sudden invasion. Darling (1947) gives West Argyll as “ known to be inhabited in the breeding season,” but there is no evidence to substantiate this. No capercaillies have been known in any of the isles of Argyllshire, and an attempted introduction to Islay in the 1920’s was a failure. 1951 CAPERCAILLIE IN SCOTLAND I Present Distribution The capercaillie is now almost extinct as a breeding species in Argyllshire. Probably none are now breeding in Cowal, and although a few may nest in Barcaldine and Kilberry areas, lack of information and large number of negative returns from the neighbouring districts suggests that numbers must be very small. Elsewhere in the county, sporadic and non-breeding. Bute Capercaillies were introduced to the island of Arran in 1843, when six hens and one cock were brought from Tay- mouth to Brodick Castle, and a further eight hens and two cocks in 1846. These increased to about forty in 1855 and nearly seventy in 1865. They were confined to the neighbourhood of Brodick, only stragglers having been found in other parts of the island (Harvie-Brown 1879). The birds were ^till numerous in 1903, but about 1908 they completely died out from disease and none has been seen since. A capercaillie hen came to the island of Bute in 1914 and remained for about three years, mating with a blackcock and rearing a brood of hybrids each year, of which several were shot. In subsequent years occasional hens were seen on the north end of the island, but they always left in the spring. An attempt was made in 1922 to introduce the species by eggs, but none hatched out (McWilliam 1918, 1923, 1927). Two were seen at Mount Stuart in 1947. Lanark, Peebles and Selkirk Somewhere about i860 or 1870 six pairs of capercaillies I were introduced to Douglas, Lanarkshire, but they did not I become established and the majority were killed on wire I fences and the first telegraph wires (H. D. Home in litt.). In 1868 a cock was shot at Auchengray, Airdrie (Gray and Anderson 1868), a wandered bird from one of the introductions. Capercaillies thereafter appeared at Dolphinton and Netherurd on the borders of Lanark and Peebles. Marshall (1904) quotes the following from a letter received in June 1904 : “I first noticed a cock bird about twenty-five years ago, but the hen may have been there too, for a year or two 12 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 later, I came upon a nest, and since then they have nested in Nether urd woods. When I left eight years ago there were two cocks and one hen to my knowledge, and the latter was sitting on eggs when I left.” The first appearance would therefore have been about 1879, but the date is sufficiently vague to make it possible that it was one of the Douglas birds. The next that is heard is of a cock appearing at Dolphinton about 1889. A hen or hens came two years later and for several years they nested on the south hill, on the borders of the two counties (Harvie-Brown 1898). In 1892 two cross blackcock-caper were shot on Netherurd and another in 1896 (Carmichael 1897). They do not appear to have sur- vived long after this as Harvie-Brown (1898) states that they had all been shot out two years later, and they had altogether disappeared by 1904. An attempt was then made by Mr. H. B. Marshall to introduce caper to Rachan, Broughton. Eggs were set under domestic fowls and greyhens in 1902, 1903 and 1904, but without success (Marshall 1904). Hens have been sfeen on two occasions in Cawdor woods, Lanarkshire (Bartholomew 1929). This is in the part of Lanarkshire adjacent to Stirling, whence the birds probably came. A successful introduction was made at Dawyck, Peebles in 1930 by the late Mr. F. R. S. Balfour, of which the following is his own account (1940) : “ My next venture was at last a successful one. After vain attempts in 1929 and 1930 to raise capercaillies from eggs and day-old chicks, I was able to get a pair of live birds from Deeside in August 1930, three hens and one cock from Finland in November of that year, and two cocks and one hen, also from Finland, in October 1931. They have bred in our woods every year since 1932. During the last four years some 300 acres of mature Scots pine and larch have been felled, but there are still sufficient old and young coniferous woods to keep a fair stock of these splendid birds on the ground.” From 1932 to 1938 the birds increased on the estate but, following the felling referred to, they decreased after 1939 as the remaining plantations of young conifers did not seem to attract them. In the spring of 1948 two cocks and one hen were seen in the woods, but in August only a cock, and there 1951 CAPERCAILLIE IN SCOTLAND 13 i had been no nests that year, so it appears that they are again I verging on extinction. In a note on the capercaillie, Fenton (1948) refers to the : felling of conifer woods tending to concentrate the birds in ! smaller areas, noted in parts of the Tweed and Dee valleys. I Dr. Fenton has given further details in a letter : “In the Tweed valley the capercaillie has appeared since the woods were cut down in the early days of the war and the few remaining I woods are in process of cutting down now. The woods where ' I have most seen capercaillie are those immediately west of Peebles overlooking Neidpath Castle. . . . Both the cock and the hen have been noted.” These are evidently the Dawyck ' birds, but it is not known whether they have bred. The only record from Selkirk is of a cock seen displaying on the branch of a tree a few miles out of Selkirk in early spring, 1936, probably a stray bird from Dawyck. i The Lothians i A hen was seen at Dalmeny in 1871 and a cock in Kettle- 1 stone plantations, opposite Tulliallan, in 1872 (Harvie-Brown i 1879). 1^77 ^ hen was shot at Dalmeny (Rosebery 1877) || and another seen a short time after. Hens were shot at ! Tartraven, near Linlithgow, in 1896 (Leckie 1897) and at Salton Hall in 1909 (Bonar 1910). The only recent record I is of one shot on the Hopetoun estate, Dalmeny in 1946. There are six records for Midlothian between 1876 and 11906 (Bonar 1907), and there are none for East Lothian, Berwick or Roxburgh. Renfrew Robertson and Mackeith (1915, 1916) give a list of records |:for the county, the first being at Paisley in 1872 and again in 1891, and at Ardgowan in 1896, then from 1907 onwards frequent odd birds at Lin wood, and at Kilmacolm in 1916. [All these were hens. The first cock was a young one at Inverkip in August 1916, after which three or four hens and a cock were also seen in the same place. Campbell (1906) also records a hen at Linwood in 1905, and Rintoul and Baxter [(1918, 1921) record a hen at Inverkip in 1917 and a cock in i 1920. 14 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 Ayr A small-scale introduction was made in 1841 or 1842 at Glenapp by hatching eggs obtained from Tay mouth, and some of the birds are known to have survived until 1848 ; (Harvie-Brown 1879). A hen was shot at Tarbolton moss in 1905 (Gladstone 1906). The only recent record is of three which are claimed to have been seen at Glenafton, New Cumnock, on 28th August 1939 by Mr. William Crearie, forester there, who is well acquainted with blackgame and is . certain that he was not mistaken. Dumfries An introduction was attempted at Sanquhar in 1865 by hatching, under greyhens, eggs obtained from Arran. Several 1 birds were reared and remained in the plantations until 1869 ) at least, but finally all disappeared. A cock is believed to > have been seen near Closeburn in 1882 or 1883, and a cock( and two hens were seen on Appin, Tynron, in November r 1905 (Gladstone 1910). Kirkcudbright A cock was shot at Auchencairn in December 1869, , probably a wanderer from Sanquhar (Gladstone 1910), and 3 a report has been received of a hen in very poor condition] shot during a storm near Dalbeattie in 1896. Wigtown A cock was shot at Newton Stewart in 1869 at the same time as one was obtained in Kirkcudbrightshire (Gladstone 1910) and in 1872 or 1873 two were shot, one on Barnbarroch andl one on Penninghame (Maxwell 1907). Summary 1. An enquiry was undertaken in 1948 and 1949 to deter- mine the present status and habitat of the capercaillie Tetraoi urogallus in Scotland. I 2. The capercaillie, which became extinct in Scotland in| the latter half of the eighteenth century, was re-introduced in' 1951 CAPERCAILLIE IN SCOTLAND 15 j 1837 and spread throughout the wooded areas of the country 1 until roughly the second decade of the twentieth century, I since when there has been very little advance into new terri- tory, and in many areas a decrease in numbers or actual j extermination. 3. The primary cause of decrease has been the restriction I of habitat consequent on the felling of vast areas of coniferous |i woodland during the two wars. There are several other Ij contributory causes. I 4. There is some evidence to suggest that the capercaillie 1 is now inhabiting younger woods than is the normal habitat preference of the species, but there is not any significant |i change towards deciduous woods as a breeding habitat. I 5. The food of the capercaillie at different seasons is I listed. Visiting of stubble fields is now a widespread and II regular habit in Scotland. 6. The spread of the species from the original centre of I re-introduction is described in detail, and particulars are given Ij of subsequent introductions along with an account of the I present status and distribution in every county from which Ij the capercaillie has been recorded. I REFERENCES I Angus, W. C., 1886. The capercaillie. Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glas., New i| Ser., I : 380. ij Anon, 1896. Citation from The Field, 9 Nov. 1895, p. 786. Capercaillie '] in Argyleshire. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1896 : 66. |i Balfour, F. R. S., 1940. Releasing game birds at Dawyck in Scotland, |! Avic. Mag., 1940 : 195-198. Bartholomew, J., 1929. Capercaillie in West Stirling. Scot. Nat., I 1929 : 61. I Bergman, S., 1940. En karsuing melan rackelhane och tjaderhona. |i Fauna och Flora, Uppsala, 1940, 2 : 57-62. ' Bonar, H. N., 1907. Capercaillie in Midlothian. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist.^ 1907 : 51-52. Ij 1910. Capercaillie in East Lothian. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1910 : 120. Bruce, G., 1895. The Land Birds in and around St. Andrews. Dundee, j Buckley, T. E., 1891. Hybrids between caper and pheasant. Scot. ? Nat., 1891 : 94. I 1900. Hybrid capercaillie and blackcock. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1900 : 246-247. Campbell, J. M., 1906. Capercaillies in Ayrshire. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1906 : 186. THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST i6 Vol. 63 Carmichael, G. H. G., 1897. Hybrid blackcock and capercaillie in Peeblesshire. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1897 : 44-45. Clarke, W. E., 1898. On hybrids between the capercaillie and the pheasant. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1898 : 17-21 and 117-118 (ed. note). Davidson, J., 1907. Capercaillies in Moray. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1907 : 52. Darling, F. F., 1947. Natural History in the Highlands and Islands. London. Fenton, E. W., 1948. Miscellaneous zoological notes. Scot. Nat., 1948 : 223-225. Gladstone, H. S., 1906. Capercaillie in Ayrshire. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1906 : 1 16. 1910. Birds of Dumfriesshire. London. 1921. The last of the indigenous Scottish capercaillies. Scot. Nat., 1921 : 169-177. 1922. Record Bags and Shooting Records. London. Gray, R. and T. Anderson, 1868. On the birds of Ayrshire and Wig- townshire. Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glas., i : 299. Harvie-Brown, J. A., 1879. The Capercaillie in Scotland. Edinburgh. 1880. The Capercaillie in Scotland. Scot. Nat., 1880 : 289-294. 1896. Deveron Birds. Trans. Banffshire Field Club, 1896. 1898. Capercaillie in S.E. Lanarkshire. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1898 : 1 18. 1906. A Fauna of the Toy Basin and Strathmore. Edinburgh. 1911. Extension of the capercaillie in Moray. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1911 : 184. and T. E. Buckley, 1892. Vertebrate Fauna of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides. Edinburgh. and T. E. Buckley, 1895. A Fauna of the Moray Basin. Edinburgh. Ingram, C., 1915. A few notes on Tetrao urogallus and its allies. Ibis, Ser. 10, 3 : 128-133. Kay, F. C. Lister, 1904. Capercaillie in Argyll. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1904 : 189. Kirk, C., 1913. Capercaillie-blackcock in Argyll. Scot. Nat., 1913 : 68-69. Leckie, N., 1897. Capercaillie in Linlithgowshire. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1897 : 44- Lloyd, L., 1867. The Came Birds and Wildfowl of Sweden and Norway. London. Lumsden, j., 1891. [Description of hybrid capercaillie-pheasant.] Scot. Nat., 1891 : 38-39. 1898. Hybrids between capercaillie and pheasants. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1898 : 117. and A. Brown, 1895. A Guide to the Natural History of Loch Lomond and Neighbourhood. Glasgow. Macgillivray, W., 1855. The Natural History of Deeside and Braemar. London. McInnes, L. and D. Colville, 1943. Wild Birds of South Kintyre. Un- published. 1951 CAPERCAILLIE IN SCOTLAND 17 MacKeith, T. T., 1916. The capercaillie in Renfrewshire. Scot. Nat.y 1916 : 270. Mackenzie, W. D., 1900. Capercailzie in Strathnairn. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1900 : 51. McWilliam, J. M., 1918. Notes on some of the birds of Bute. Scot. Nat., 1918 : 25-29. 1923. Notes on some of the birds of Buteshire and Ayrshire. Scot. Nat., 1923 : 47-53. 1927. The Birds of the Island of Bute. London. Mahood, A. E., 1919. Banff and District. Banff. Marshall, H. B., 1903. Capercaillie in Peeblesshire. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1904 : 244. Maxwell, H., 1907. Capercaillie in the south of Scotland. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1907 : 116. Menzies, W. Steuart, 1907. Capercaillie and willow grouse in Moray. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1907 : 116-117. Millais, J. G., 1894. Game Birds and Shooting Sketches. London. 1909. The Natural History of British Game Birds. London. Morris, F. O., 1868. A History of British Birds. London. Parker, E., 1929. Shooting by Moor, Field and Shore. London. R . . ., A., 1912. Citation from The Field, 13th April 1912, p. 744. [Capercaillie in Beauly area.] Scot. Nat., 1912 : 143. Reid, D. N., 1930. Spread of capercaillie in Ross-shire. Scot. Nat., 1930 : 26. Rintoul, L. j. and E. V. Baxter, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925. Reports on Scottish Ornithology, in Scot. Nat. Ritchie, J., 1920. The Influence of Man on Animal Life in Scotland. Cambridge. 1929. Northward extension of capercaillie to Sutherland. Scot. Nat., 1929 : 176. 1931* Birds and Beasts as Farm Pests. Edinburgh. Robertson, J. and T. T. Mackeith, 1915. The birds of Renfrewshire. Scot. Nat., 1915 : 269-270. Rosebery, Lord, 1877. Capercaillie shot at Dalmeny. Scotsman, 3rd Nov. 1877. Ross, D. M., 1897. Capercailzie in the mid-Deveron district. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1897 : 254. SiM, G., 1896. Hybrid between capercaillie and pheasant. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1896 : 123. 1903. The Vertebrate Fauna of Dee. Aberdeen. Simpson, A. N., 1900. Contribution to the ornithology of Kincardine- shire. Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1900 : 200. Taylor, W. L., 1948. The capercaillie in Scotland. Journ. Animal Ecol, 17 : 155-157- Thomson, R., 1900. The Natural History of a Highland Parish. Nairn. U[sher], N., 1949. Caper-blackcock hybrid. 8th Jan. 1949. Vesey-Fitzgerald, B., 1946. British Game. London. Witherby, H. F., F. C. R. Jourdain, C. B. Ticehurst, B. W. Tucker, 1938-41. The Handbook of British Birds. (Five vols.) London. 3 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 : BIRDS ON MINGULAY IN THE SUMMER OF 1949 Our notes were made during a stay on the island of Mingulay, Outer Hebrides, from 23rd-30th June 1949. Mr. James Fisher has kindly made available field notes from a cruise along the west side of the island on 23rd May, when a count was made of the breeding fulmars. Since we did not see the 1 western cliffs from the sea, Mr. Fisher’s notes are in part | complementary to ours. Mr. H. N. Southern also has kindly furnished notes from a two-day visit, made during July 1950. We are very grateful to Mr. Fisher in addition for the loan of | several excellent photographs of Mingulay and Berneray, , taken by Mr. Eric Hosking from the air on 30th July 1947, and 1| from which representative views have been selected. 1 The primary purpose of our visit was a study of the dis- tribution and inter-relationships of the various species of auks s! on the breeding cliffs, but in addition a general survey was r made of the breeding birds and it is unlikely that any resident ti species were missed on such a small island. Mingulay, the southernmost island but one of the Outer r Hebridean chain, is about three miles long by one mile wide, , with an area of about 700 acres. A vivid description of the ’ topography is given by Harvie-Brown (1888, Ixxvii-lxxx), and I for an up-to-date account it is only necessary to say that the village, deserted for 40 years, is now totally ruinous with the ' exception of the schoolhouse and the chapel, which have ; been used by later owners of the island and are in good repair. The site of the main village, a wilderness of nettles, has been tunnelled by rabbits and sand has encroached over the; lower part from the shell-sand beach below. The beach | itself seems to have altered in extent since Harvie-Brown’s | time, since an etching in his book shows a prolongation of the sand to the south where now is deep water up to the rocks. David E. Sergeant Cambridge and Richard F. Whidborne London [Received 20th July 1950) 1951 BIRDS ON MINGULAY 19 On the upper part of the beach are several large clumps of marram grass Ammophila arenaria^ which must provide the tallest cover on the island. Raven Corvus corax. Six birds, often seen together, prob- ably represented an adult pair with their brood of the year. i Photo Eric J. Hosking, 30.7.47 I Fig. I. — Barra Head from the S.S.W. showing the Lighthouse. Geirum More, I Geirum Beg, and Mingulay behind. jThey ranged all over the island, and the site of the nest could jnot be located. ji Hoodie Crow Corvus cornix. A nest on the west side of jthe island, built on the side of a cliff in a gully, contained five jalmost fledged young on 24th June. A pair of adult birds IjWere seen at the north end but never close to the nest. Starling Sturnus vulgaris. A resident flock of about 100 3 ii 20 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 birds, of which 30-40 were always to be seen about the old * village, and some had nested in the stone walls of the old crofts. Numbers seen roosting in the roofs of sea-caves on the east side. | It seems that this large number, maintained on such a small | island, is related to the density of sheep (of which there are about 700 throughout the year), as has been suggested for the St. Kilda starlings (Nicholson and Fisher, 1940). Twite Carduelis Jlavirostris. Small family parties seen ; chiefly about cliff tops, on the hillsides, and in the valley where birds sang on top of the old chapel. Skylark Alauda arvensis. About six singing males, mainly on the higher ground, but no preference for any particular ^ type of grassland could be found. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis. Common on the hillsides and moors to the edge of the cliffs. j Rock Pipit Anthus spinoletta. Common on all coasts from the top of the cliff downwards, especially on exposed parts of the west cliffs, and extending on Dun Mingulay to the grass- land summit. Song Thrush Turdus ericetorum. Mr. Southern noted a i few in July 1950. We did not find any thrushes. Large numbers are said to winter, especially in the main valley. Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe. On all rocky ground on the hillsides and along the stone walls of the valley, up to ca. 850 feet. Noted on the summit of the exposed Dhn Mingulay. Wren Troglodytes troglodytes. One pair in the ruined | village, which had probably nested in an old croft-wall, had i newly fledged young on 26th June. All other birds were to | be found in gullies of the cliffs, especially on the west side ; ^ any deep indentation in the line of cliffs was sure to hold a singing male, whose song could be heard above the clamour of the sea-fowl. One was seen to include in its territory two a adjacent gullies, crossing a narrow neck of land between to • sing in both. An estimated total of 30-40 pairs. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetus. A single bird visiting the island occasionally, July 1950 (H. N. Southern). Buzzard Buteo buteo. One pair seen hunting all over the 1951 BIRDS ON MINGULAY 21 island, but especially in the north-east. No nest was located. Seen feeding once on rabbit-carrion, and rabbits no doubt comprised the staple food throughout the year. Eider Somateria mollissima. Apparently not a breeding species. A single duck was present in the bay from 25th- 28th June. The Handbook marks Barra as the southernmost limit of Photo Eric J. Hosking, 30.7.47 -Cliffs east of Guarsay More, west coast of Mingulay. nesting in the Outer Isles, and possibly these small islands in the south have shores too exposed. Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis. Great numbers, nesting all round the coast, and estimated at 400 pairs at least. Nests were in almost every cavern and gully, isolated or in colonies of up to 20, and some were in ledges and under boulders high 22 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 up the great western cliffs. Most young were at the point of ■ fledging at the end of June, and flocks of adults and young totalling 250 were seen off the eastern peninsula (Rosinish) 1 of Pabbay island, 3 miles to the north-east of Mingulay Bay, [ on 30th June. On Mingulay parties of adults up to 50 or more in number rested on well-whitewashed rock slopes above the low northern and south-eastern cliffs. Gannet Sula bassana. Commonly seen flying through the sound between Mingulay and Pabbay, and fishing in the bay to the east. All were adults. Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus. Search for this species : and for the Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus by night proved unsuccessful. Alec Maclean of Cast] ebay, who is shepherd on Mingulay, Berneray and Pabbay, had not met with either species, but stated that an ornithologist had found two nests of storm petrels on the south-east side of Pabbay in 1939. This ’’ site was seen from the sea to be a slope of broken scree, of ^ which there is none on Mingulay. It seems impossible that shearwaters could now exist on Lianamull, a site where they 1 were recorded by Harvie-Brown (1888) in the middle of the nineteenth century, since the top of the stack is covered with i predatory gulls. Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis. Well distributed along the f west side of the island, where Mr. Fisher counted a total of" 2991 pairs plus 12 on the Geirums and 10 on the Outer Haskeir ^ (north of Mingulay and west of Pabbay). Berneray had is 1273 pairs. In the north-east of Mingulay there were prob- 1 ably about 200 pairs more. Nesting usually on the upper- most ledges and crevices of high, sheer cliffs where they were \ frequently in pure colonies, or sometimes interspersed with if razorbills. i Rock Dove Columba livia. Pairs here and there in caves ; and gullies, on all coasts. Seen roosting deep in a cave north ; of Village Bay. Oyster-catcher Haematopus ostralegus. Two pairs on the ; beach of Mingulay Bay and about 20 other pairs in two chief * areas : centrally on the west coast, and along the south coast ! opposite Berneray. These were the only areas of low-lying coast, where the rock sloped up gradually from the sea to the li BIRDS ON MINGULAY 23 1951 grassland, and it is noteworthy that the species never pene- trated far up the hillsides, just as on St. Kilda. One nest with an incomplete clutch was found at the top of the spray-washed rock on this western area, on 24th June. A common food, judging from the scattered shells, was the limpet Patella spp. Curlew Mumenius arquata. Three seen and heard about the valley in the early mornings, but very wild, considered not to be breeding. Herring Gull Lams argentatus. Nesting in large numbers on all the islets and stacks, e.g. Solon More and Beg, Arnamull and Lianamull, Geirum More and Beg ; Outer Heisker (Fisher). Smaller numbers accessible on Dim Mingulay and the slope of the main island opposite Lianamull. Lesser Black-backed Gull Lams fuscus. With the herring gulls, and not quite so common, on islets always separate from the mainland. Great Black-backed Gull Lams marinus. Scattered pairs on the stacks. A flock of 50-100 adults was always present on the shore of the bay, preening and drinking at the mouth of the stream. Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla. Nesting on all precipitous cliffs, usually in a band at the lowest levels, from the uppermost reach of the waves to about 100 feet, i.e. below the majority of the guillemots. Largest colony noted by Fisher was on the south-west face of Lianamull, but Berneray had a much larger colony estimated at Order 4-5 (between 50,000 and 100,000 birds). Common Guillemot Uria aalge. The greatest numbers were on the stacks and “ almost-stacks ”, and in the deep gullies of the high western cliffs. Both Fisher and the writers noted that the density, e.g. on Lianamull, was not especially great, and many ledges could have held three times the present population (see fig. 3). Harvie-Brown {loc. cit.) wrote that in the i88o’s “the Stack of Lianamull was the most densely-packed guillemot colony that he had ever seen ”, and Mr. Seton Gordon informs us that when he saw the stack in 1919 the guillemots were packed in tight rows. Thus there seems to have been a recent marked decline in numbers, which has probably been a general feature of North British 24 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 guillemot colonies, according to Mr. H. N. Southern’s verbal ' communication to us. This may be the result of large-scale destruction of birds by heavy oil during the war years. Our count of 367 birds gave a figure of g-8 per cent, of: bridled birds. However Mr. Southern has more recently (July 1950) visited Mingulay to estimate the proportion, and has found 441 bridled birds among a total of 3508, giving a percentage of 12*57. R* ^* Freeman in 1939 counted 4004 birds and found 12*05 per cent, of bridles ; thus there has been no significant change in proportion during this time. Photo D. E. Sergeant, 2y.6,4g > Fig. 3. — Guillemots on Lianamull, showing the low density. Razorbill Alca torda. A general impression that the numbers of this species were considerably greater than those of the common guillemot, nesting sites being more widespread for the less colonial razorbills on the small and irregular ledges I typical of these gneissose cliffs. Both razorbills and puffins were seen flying to and from a feeding ground some miles] to the north-east in the Sea of the Hebrides, carrying sand- i eels and occasional larger fish (herrings?), and it was later ^ found that the Mallaig herring boats were at the time fishing 1 between Castlebay and Canna. One week later it was noticed ’ 1951 BIRDS ON MINGULAY 25 while crossing the Minch south of the Shiants, that strings of auks from these islands were coming in with food from the south, and it seems likely that the fishing-grounds formed at the time a rich feeding-ground for these auks. Guillemots seemed to be feeding over a wider area of sea. ! Puffin Fratercula arctica. Scattered colonies on the cliff slopes, the largest being on Dun Mingulay and on the un- named peninsula to its north, opposite Arnamull. Local concentrations of burrows also on the cliff-slope opposite Lianamull, and a few on the east coast to the north and to the south of the bay. However the numbers were not impressive, l as may be judged from the local, patchy occurrence of the I species. I It was noticed on Dun Mingulay that a few pairs of puffins I were sitting low down on the sheer cliff amongst guillemots I and razorbills, and appeared to be nesting in crevices here, \ quite separate from the main mass of the puffins on the upper I slopes. I A study is being made by one of us (D.E.S.) of habitat- belection among the Atlantic auks, and reports of non-typical breeding-sites from British colonies would be welcome. Most burrows averaged three feet long, and were dug in I peaty soil about i foot deep, so that they turned and anasto- mosed when the ground was rocky. A dense warren had the usual luxuriant vegetation chiefly made up of scurvy-grass Cochlearia officinalis and Rumex acetosa. Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle. None identified for certain on Mingulay, but on both outward and return journeys several birds were seen fishing between Mingulay and Pabbay, j suggesting that a few nest about the more broken cliff-slopes J of the latter island. REFERENCES I Harvie-Brown, J. a. and P. E. Buckley, 1888. A Vertebrate Fauna of the I Outer Hebrides. Edinburgh. |Nicholson, E.M. and j. Fisher, 1940. A bird census af St. Kilda, 1939. I Brit. Birds, 34: 29-35. I Southern, H. N. and E. C. R. Reeve, 1941. Quantitative studies in ^ the geographical variation of birds : the Common Guillemot. Proc. Z-S. Lond., Ser. A, 1 1 1 : 255-276. 4 26 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63: THE CEO MOR BIRD CLIFFS I. D. Pennie ' I Tongue {Received 20th September 1950) This well-known but unfrequented sea-bird colony occupies roughly three miles of cliff midway between Gape Wrath and the Kyle of Durness, in north-west Sutherland. The Clo Mor proper extends from Stack Clo Kearvaig to the Cleit Dhubh, opposite the Garbh Eilean, although the bird colonies start on the Clo Kearvaig, which is the name given to the cliff between Kearvaig Bay and Stack Clo Kearvaig. These cliffs are of Torridonian sandstone, mostly over 500 feet in height, rising to about 900 feet just west of the Cleit Dhubh, beyond which the sea cliffs are only 100 feet or less in height, the line of the Clo Mor being continued for a mile eastward as an inland cliff about half a mile from the sea, below Cnoc g Cam and Leim. , Much of the face of the Clo Kearvaig consists of fallen rock j and steep slopes honeycombed with pufhn burrows, down i which in several places it is possible to climb with care. The ;j Clo Mor, however, is mainly sheer cliff, terraced with narrow ^ grassy ledges, towering over the numerous masses of fallen i rock, and at first sight it appears to be utterly unscalable ; ;j but the cliff face is intersected by several steep narrow geos filled with scree and broken rock, allowing a descent to sea ij level in one or two places. Climbing these geos is a laborious .j and somewhat hazardous business and not to be undertaken | lightly. [ West of Kearvaig Bay there are no great congregations of birds, apart from small colonies of fulmars at Cape Wrath and midway between the Cape and Sandwood, several colonies of shags, an odd pair or two of black guillemots and a few herring and lesser black-backed gulls. The cliffs west of Kearvaig Bay are of Lewisian gneiss which does not show the formation of terraces and rockfalls which provide the most suitable nest sites on the Clo Mor ; even where the Torri- ■] donian sandstone again appears there are a few rockfalls mi THE CLO MOR BIRD CLIFFS 27 ^hich could apparently accommodate some razorbills, but not the same formation of ledges. From the Cleit Dhubh to the Geodha Sligeach, where a low rocky shore commences, there are only one or two small groups of auks and fulmars in suitable places. Offshore there ,j ;! Fig. 4. — Looking north from the Clo Kearvaig, showing the Stack^Clo’Kearvaig and on the right the beginning of the Clo^Mor. are two stacks, Stack Clo Kearvaig and Stac a’Chlo (which jare well terraced and occupied by the same species as the 11 Clo Mor), and four islands, the Garbh Eilean and the Glas || Leacan group, consisting of small islands to the east. From jthe cliff top, North Rona, Sule Stack and Sule Skerry may |: all be seen when visibility permits. ! The landward area consists of a desolate stretch of wind- 28 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 6^ swept moorland, of flows, peat hags and dubhlochans, devoid of trees exeept for a few stunted rowans along the Kearvaig River. The Clo Mor was visited on 19th June 1882 by J. A. I Harvie-Brown, and he gives a short deseription of his visit in “ The North-West Coasts of Sutherland and their Bird Life ; {Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edinb., 8 : 485-497) ; but he spent only one day on the Cape-side and deals very briefly with the birds of the Clo Mor. He mentions the puffin colony which ‘ ‘ extends nearly 3 miles, the area being more or less densely populated in its rubble slopes and cairns, crevices of the rocks and turf summits, throughout its whole height, which averages 450 feet ’’ ; and also the guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes. The present writer’s observations were made between 22nd I June and 5th July 1950. Seven species of sea birds breed on the Clo Kearvaig and i the Clo Mor : shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis ; fulmar Fulmarus j' glacialis ; herring gull Lams argentatus ; kittiwake Rissa ^ tridactyla ; razorbill Alca torda ; guillemot Uria aalge ; and puffin Fratercula arctica. The black guillemot Uria grylle may also breed in small numbers. Shag. Breeds in fair numbers ; there are also several I small colonies between the Cleit Dhubh and Geodha Sligeach, , many between Kearvaig and the Cape, and several large colonies between the Cape and Sandwood. Nests are low on the cliffs, generally not more than 80-100 feet above high f water mark, and often less. Nest sites are either in caverns among fallen rock, larger than those occupied by razorbills, or small open ledges occasionally shared with guillemots : and kittiwakes. Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo do not breed | on the Clo Mor but probably do so on Eilean Garbh and the Glas Leacan. Fulmar. Plentiful ; 2916 occupied sites were counted, of which only about 100 are between the Cleit Dhubh and I Geodha Sligeach. All are confined to the cliff face and there are no inland sites even on the inland cliff east of the Clo [ Mor. Nest sites are chiefly on the higher parts of the cliff, small earthy ledges in the turf and the higher narrow rocky ' ledges. All are above the level of the guillemots and there is J95I THE CLO MOR BIRD CLIFFS 29 little, if any, overlap with the kittiwakes. There is an overlap in altitude with the razorbills, but no actual competition for ! sites, for although some razorbills nest high — up to 500 feet 1 or more — they prefer a more closed hole than the open nest I of the fulmar. The few herring gulls’ nests are on broader, i more grassy ledges. There certainly seems to be no truth in I the assertion that the fulmars are driving out the other birds ) as there is apparently no competition between them and other j species. Remains of two fulmars were found on the cliff j top, probably eaten by peregrines, and some of the numerous (shell fragments left by the hoodie crows may have been of ; fulmars’ eggs. Herring Gull. There are very few nests on the Clo Mor, ! but there are several nearby colonies on Eilean Garbh, the ii Glas Leacan, on an inaccessible Stack at Geodha Glas, and ;’ion a rounded promontory east of Geodha Sligeach. This ■distribution in inaccessible sites may be due to the fact that ;many of the broad grassy ledges on the Clo Mor are readily I accessible to foxes. Similarly great black-backed gulls Lams l^marinus are plentiful but nest only on the Garbh Eilean and 'the Glas Leacan, and there are one or two pairs of lesser {black-backed gulls Lams fuscus among the herring gulls at {Geodha Glas. Common gulls Lams cams were seen at IKearvaig and Keisgaig, but no nests were found anywhere in jthe area. 1! Kittiwake. Plentiful all along the Clo Mor, but not east of the Cleit Dhubh, and nowhere else on the coast. They {congregate in large numbers to bathe at the mouth of the IjKearvaig River. The kittiwakes nest low on the cliffs, not i above 100 feet except on the west side of the Cleit Dhubh {where there are a few slightly higher than the majority. Occasional nests are within reach of the outstretched hand in parts of the cliff not readily accessible, below the higher parts {of the Clo Mor. This species uses the smallest ledges of all, {probably cementing the nest with mud to the rock, and is |usually apart from other species, but a few share ledges with {guillemots and shags. Many eggs are eaten by the hoodie {crows and ravens. I Puffin. The colony is probably the largest on the mainland I I 30 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol.63 ; of the British Isles, and extends from Kearvaig Bay over all suitable places, from base to summit of the cliffs as far as the Cleit Dhubh, after which there are only one or two small groups. On the back, or landward side of the Cleit Dhubh at least two isolated pairs nest inland several hundred yards from the sea at a height of about 500 feet, but there are none on the main inland cliff below Gnoc Cam an Leim. There are no puffins nesting elsewhere in the area on the mainland. Many nests are in burrows on the steep slopes of red clayey soil, practically all of greater depth than a man’s arm. The vegetation on these slopes is entirely a profuse growth of scurvy grass Cochlearia officinalis. They also nest in burrows in the turf on top of the cliffs and in crevices among rockfalls and under rocks. The crevices are always deeper and narrower than those used by razorbills ; but in very inaccessible places, such as among the fallen rocks below the higher parts of the Clo Mor, the nests tend to be more open and exposed. Simi- larly Duffey and Sergeant record that on Bear Island (“Field Notes on the Birds of Bear Island ”, Ibis, 92 : 554-563), puffins are not found in accessible holes at the top of cliffs. Puffins form a great part of the diet of peregrine falcons, great black-backed gulls and foxes, and many eggs are taken by hoodie crows and ravens. i Razorbill. There is an immense colony, limited to the same area as the puffins. Most nests are below 300 feet, but there are nests everywhere in suitable sites from high water mark to nearly 800 feet. Nest sites are chiefly in crevices among fallen rock, not so deep or narrow as those occupied by puffins, but they also use small open ledges on the cliffs, preferably, but not invariably, with a “roof” over. Small !, caverns are also used similar to but smaller than those oc- cupied by shags. Occasional nests are in puffin burrows, but the egg is laid only a few inches from the mouth of the burrow. Nest sites which are not readily accessible tend to be more exposed than others. No predators were recorded g except for the taking of eggs by hoodie crows and ravens. Guillemot. Found nesting on all suitable places, limited , to the same area as the puffins and razorbills, but always ^ nearer the sea, up to about 100 feet at the highest. Nest 1951 THE CLO MOR BIRD CLIFFS 31 sites are mainly on broad open ledges near the sea, but not on ledges sloping towards the cliff edge. Below the Clo Mor guillemots nest among the fallen rocks alongside the razor- bills in small caverns, in packs of about a dozen huddled to- gether under the rocks, and a few eggs are laid on almost open ground between the fragments of rock. In some in- stances the eggs of guillemots and of razorbills lie side by side Fig. 5. — Guillemot and chick, among broken rock overgrown with scurvy-grass. in the same hole. Small ledges such as those used by kitti- wakes were also occupied by guillemots on the Clo Mor, and sometimes these are shared by kitti wakes and shags. No predators were recorded except for the taking of eggs by hoodie crows and ravens. Out of 108 adults caught at random for marking, 17 or 15*7 per cent, were of the ringed variety. Black guillemots were seen at various places on both sides of the Cape but no nests were found. 32 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 Other species nesting on the Clo Mor are : raven Corvus corax, at least one pair, probably more ; hooded crow Corvus cornix, several pairs ; rock pipit Anthus spinoletta ; wren Troglodytes troglodytes, which is plentiful on the cliff face ; kestrel Falco tinnunculus, one pair ; oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, one or two pairs on the rocky shore below the cliffs. Small flocks of twites Carduelis Jiavirostris regularly frequented the upper parts of the cliffs ; buzzards Buteo buteo were seen but probably nest inland ; a heron Ardea cinerea was seen on the Clo Kearvaig on 22nd June and once later ; several female eiders Somateria mollissima were seen on both sides of the Gape between Sandwood and Geodha Sligeach, and with newly hatched young at Geodha na Seamraig. Predators on the cliff nesting species are foxes Vulpes vulpes, peregrine falcons Falco peregrinus, ravens, hoodie crows and greater black-backed gulls. A fox den was found near Leac Buidhe, east of the Cleit Dhubh, littered with wings and bones of puffins. The shepherd at Kearvaig says that foxes in the area confine their attentions to sea birds and very seldom kill lambs. Two pairs of peregrines share the Clo Mor although both eyries are situated beyond its limits. One is between Kearvaig and the Gape and the other between the Cleit Dhubh and Geodha Sligeach ; the march between the two is almost exactly half way between Stack Clo Kearvaig and the Cleit Dhubh. Ravens and hoodie crows prey largely on the eggs of kittiwakes and auks and presumably later on the young birds. Greater black-backed gulls take many adult puffins and young of other species. The colonies are little interfered with by man, except for a few eggs which are taken by the shepherds early in the season. One shrew Sorex sp. was seen at the base of the Clo Mor among the razorbills’ nests but was not caught. No stoats Mustela erminea or weasels Mustela nivalis were seen and it is unlikely that there are any in the area ; almost certainly there are no martens Martes martes, ■ i- n UNUSUAL LOCALITY FOR ANARTA CORDIGERA 33- 'I :i ' 1951 i A NEW AND UNUSUAL LOCALITY FOR ANARTA CORDIGERA (THUNBERG) (LEPIDOPTERA) Kenneth Tod I University College, Dundee [Received loth November 1950) Some observations on the habitat and the food plant of Anarta cordigera (The Small Dark Yellow Underwing) are recorded here because what seems to be an unusual locality was dis- covered in 1944 on an outlying spur of the Sidlaw Hills, in .southern Angus (v.-c. 90). Range and Altitude. Little information is available as to the range of this species in the British Isles other than that it is confined to the Highlands of Scotland. Meyrick (1927),.. so far as can be ascertained, is the only writer at all specific on the point. He gives it as Forfar to Caledonian Canal,, i local”. By Forfar he presumably means Forfarshire, now known as the County of Angus. Regarding altitude little is known. Cockayne (in South’s; Moths of the British Isles, Vol. 2, 1923) notes that at Rannoch,, Scotland, he met with it from 17th May in numbers, but always in isolated spots where bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi was plentiful, the moths being seen feeding on the flowers or settled on the ground. He further remarks that the species occurs at the comparatively low elevation of 800-900 feet. I personally confirm having seen the species feeding on the flowers of bearberry on nth May : this was at a height oF 2000 feet, in north Angus. I have also seen it under similar : circumstances in the middle of May, at a height of 1 200 feet at Rannoch, which is a well-known locality, and in the western I Cairngorms at a height of 1000 to 1300 feet. Food Plant. Meyrick [loc. cit.) gives it as “Vaccinium”’ but it is given as Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry) by Buckler (i^95)> Scorer (1913), Newman and Leeds (1913), and South. (1931)? ^nd as Vaccinium uliginosum (bog blaeberry) by the 5 34 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 same authors and by Kirby (1898). An alternative food plant is Arbutus unedo, cited by Buckler, Scorer, Newman and Leeds, j and South, and Salix caprea is also cited by Buckler. As these | are substitute foodstuffs for captive specimens, they can have no bearing on the ecology of the species. I can now add Vaccinium myrtillus (common blaeberry) to this list (see below). Life History. Authorities are agreed that the moth has a 12-month cycle, the ova being laid in May or June and hatching in a short period during either of these months. Pupation takes place about July and emergence in May or ii June of the following year. Characteristics of the Angus locality. The outstanding features; ; of the habitat in the Sidlaw Hills are : — i : [a) The altitude at which the insect is found is from‘1 650-800 feet. {b) Over the whole area where the species occurs, with a J fair density of concentration, there is no growth of? either A. uva-ursi or V. uliginosum. Nor, so far as my investigations can determine, do these two plants occur anywhere in the district. If they do occur, which 1 seems unlikely, they are in such small quantities as to J be unable to sustain even a small population. [c) Emergence is as early as 29th April and has never been observed later than the first week in May. It is not proposed to give here the exact geographical i| position of the locality but full data regarding this, together with specimens, are deposited in the Natural History Depart- ment, University College, Dundee. It is essential, however, ^ to give a brief description of the area and the plant complex. The locality is on an outlying spur, 800 feet at its highest point, falling to 650 feet, and in extent about to | of a mile square. It is bounded on the north and south by arable land, on the east by a pine wood beyond which is heath and rough grass running into marginal and arable land. To the west the moor runs for i-| miles to an extensive plantation of Douglas fir, beyond which is arable land. Much of the area was formerly pine woods, long since cut down, and the plant complex UNUSUAL LOCALITY FOR AN ART A CORDIGERA 35 ! ,i ii I ; 1951 I consists of heather, rough grass, and Vaccinium myrtillus which grows in profusion over the whole locality. The moth is found not only on the high ground but in as large numbers on the N.E. and E. slopes down to an altitude ! of 650 feet, where it is sheltered by the pine wood on the , east side. In 1944, during the latter part of April, when A. cordigera j was first seen here, the weather had been mild and sunny with a complete absence of night and early morning frosts, i Patches of V. myrtillus were in bloom when the locality was I' visited on 29th April. It was while watching some green hair-streaks {Callophrys rubi) that two A. cordigera were observed flying in to feed on the flowers. Being a mild and sunny day i they were very active on the wing. Further investigations i over the area revealed that wherever any V. myrtillus was in bloom the moth was feeding on the flowers in fair numbers. The locality was visited several times between 29th April . and 7th May and a small series of the species taken. Many I insects were seen but, being shy and very fast on the wing, I the only method of capture was to stand by a patch of bloom and net individuals as they came to feed. No success was met I in obtaining ova from the only female captured, consequently I there has been no chance to experiment with V. myrtillus as the food plant. In 1945, at the end of April, the locality was again visited and it was found that the whole area, and much beyond, had been fenced in for grazing sheep. A great deal of the V. myrtillus had been cropped short, in addition to which hard frosts on two succeeding nights had wrought havoc with the bloom on the few patches left untouched by the sheep. A few A, cordigera were seen on the 7th and i ith May, but not in the same numbers as in the previous year. This may have been due partly to the frost intervening at the time of emer- gence, and partly to so much of the V. myrtillus having been cropped by the sheep. The absence of bloom much increases the difficulty of observation. The locality has been visited twice in subsequent years, including this year, 1950. While it is still being grazed by sheep they have apparently tired somewhat of V. myrtillus as a diet and the growth has to a certain extent revived. The THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 36 moth has been observed on each visit at the end of April or beginning of May, but never in quite the large numbers first I seen in 1944. One must, however, take into consideration i| not only the absence of bloom during the latter visits but also ij the weather, which was hardly sunny or warm enough for the insect to display itself actively. There seems little doubt, , nevertheless, that the insect is firmly established in this locality. ,j These observations allow the suggestion of several infer- . •ences : S' (1) This Angus locality is the southernmost known limit ofn the range of the moth in the British Isles and is the lowest altitude (650 to 800 feet) at which the species has so far been observed. (2) The food plant here is Vaccinium myrtillus, with which 1 the moth has not been associated hitherto by any i authority. (3) The colony is a completely isolated one, the nearest known locality being 25 miles or more to the north, in the mountains on the northern side of Strathmore. REFERENCES Meyrick, E., 1927. A Revised Handbook of the British Lepidoptera. Buckler, W., 1895. The Larvae of the British Butterflies and Moths, Vol. 6. Scorer, A. G., 1913. The Entomologist's Log Book. Newman, L. W. and Leeds, H. A., 1913. Text Book of British Butterflies and Moths. South, R., 1931. The Moths of the British Isles, Vol. 2. Kirby, W. F., 1898. European Butterflies and Moths. 1951 THE MOORLAND BIRDS OF UNST 37 THE MOORLAND BIRDS OF UNST, SHETLAND Kenneth Williamson [Fair Isle [Recewed 2^th November 1950) i Of all the Shetland Islands, Unst and its lesser neighbour I Fetlar are known to have the richest assortment of breeding birds. Unst, which I visited with P. W. Sandeman between gth-igth June 1950, is roughly 1 1 miles long and 5 miles wide, ; its long axis running north and south. It was interesting to ! compare certain aspects of its bird-life with that of the Faeroe Islands 150 miles to the north-west, where I was stationed for 4 years during the war. That Unst has a richer avifauna is due to two main factors : it has a wider variety of habitats ; I and the expanse of sea between Shetland and Faeroe is a ; major geographical barrier limiting the northward extension ! of a number of southern elements, among which are the sky- i lark Alauda arvensis, corncrake Crex crex, twite Carduelisjlavirostris and corn-bunting Emheriza calandra. The first three are of I scarce and irregular occurrence as nesting-birds in Faeroe, j whilst the last is known only as a vagrant. I believe there is a third factor, an ecological one — namely, * the heavy grazing of much of the Unst moorland by Shetland ponies.* Wherever we went I was struck by the noticeable association of the lapwing Vanellus vanellus with the Shetland pony, on all types of ground. It was the dominant bird of the wet pastures fringing the almost impassable bogs, over- grown with kingcups and bogbean, at Haroldswick ; it shared with the curlew the damp Juncus-gro'wn fields there and elsewhere ; it thrived on the low peat-digging places, and extended along the shallow moorland valleys into the dry, stony hills. It is probable that the droppings of the ponies are conducive to a greater abundance of insect life than is * The Ministry of Agriculture return for June 1950 shows that 834 horses, of all classes, were grazing in Unst, as compared with 847 in June 1942, 790 in 1932 and well over 1,200 in each of the years 1914 and 1922. I am grateful to the Department’s statistical branch for these figures. 38 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 usual in such haunts, and that this has enabled the lapwing to build up its numbers and extend its nesting-grounds to embrace so wide a variety of habitats. It was a rare summer visitor to Unst prior to 1854, after which a rather large colony ' was founded on the south side of Baltasound (Saxby, 1874) ; this was followed by the establishment of several new colonies in the i86o’s, and by the end of the century it was a fairly common bird (Evans and Buckley, 1899). It appears only now to be extending its range to Faeroe, where it is restricted to small groups breeding near the lakes on Vagar and Sandoy. Consequently, whereas the oyster-catcher Haematopus ostra- legus is the characteristic inland-nesting wader of the Faeroe Islands, its place in Unst is taken by the lapwing, and even on the comparatively dry ground of the pony-grazed Hill of Colvadale and Sobul this bird fills the oyster-catcher niche. Although the oyster-catcher has increased during the last 50 years as an inland nester (usually penetrating the river- valleys) in the north of Scotland, the moorland habitat so typical of Faeroe birds is a comparatively little-used biotope even in Shetland, except in restricted areas on Unst and Fetlar. In only one locality did we find oyster-catchers as dominant as I have found them in Faeroe, when we crossed <1 a moor on the east side of Loch of Stourhoull, reaching away past Loch of Brecksie to the slope of Sobul. Here both lap- wing and oyster-catcher were breeding plentifully, together „ with ringed plovers and fewer golden plovers, and the stony ^ heath, with its rocky outcrops and numerous small pools, had a very Faeroese character. There is probably little serious competition for food be- tween these two species, for although the oyster-catcher does feed inland to a considerable extent in summer there was » abundant evidence that the birds bring innumerable limpets ® {Patella) from the littoral. The area south of this moor, between Belmont and Uyeasound, is similar terrain and has perhaps a similar avifauna : in 1890 Evans and Buckley found more lapwings here than they met with elsewhere, as well as a colony of common gulls and some black-headed gulls. Eiders Somateria mollissima and starlings Sturms vulgaris were also nesting on these moors. The great attraction of this most northerly outpost of 1 \ X95 1 the moorland BIRDS OF UNST 39 their country from the British bird-watchers’ standpoint is the presence of the red-throated diver Colymbus stellatus on the lochs and lochans, the abundance of skuas, and the fact that Unst shares with Fetlar the distinction of being the only regular breeding haunt of the whimbrel. The great skuas Stercorarius skua of Hermaness are well known — we were told that the watcher estimates their strength at 300 pairs. We were not ; able to visit Hermaness, but explored the country on the eastern side of Burrafirth, the hill Saxa Vord and its environs. Great skuas were plentiful to the north (a colony of 7 breeding pairs) and east of the hill, and less plentiful on the south side — in all, perhaps 40 pairs. One nest contained a single newly- hatched chick on gth June, a rather early date, and the female parent was by far the lightest bonxie I have seen, being a pale fawn colour with a rufous tinge on rump and tail. On a considerable reach of lower, rather wet moorland much despoiled by peat diggings, beside the Burn of Skaw, arctic skuas Stercorarius parasiticus were also well represented. There seemed to be a surprisingly high number of pale-phase birds in one small group we examined, 4 mixed and 4 entirely dark matings. Two nests, of mixed matings, were found : one had the normal clutch of two olive-brown eggs with darker blotches, and the other two eggs of the rare, almost immaculate pale bluish-green type. There must have been over 20 pairs on this moor, and 6 widely scattered pairs (all dark matings) were seen later on Housi Field. Numbers nest on Hermaness, and a few scattered pairs were apparently breeding on Virda Field and Hill of Golvadale, where lure-display was seen. It was the whimbrel Numenius phaeopus^ however, that we particularly wished to see, to learn how its Unst habitat com- pared with that in the Faeroe Islands, and what its associates were. In Faeroe its associates are the even more ubiquitous oyster-catcher, the golden plover, and to a lesser extent the snipe. There it is widely distributed on the upland slopes, nesting in the rough moor-grass and short heather, and also in the wetter areas where peat is cut and the cotton-grass whitens the ground. The upland nesters, by far the majority, descend with their families to lower levels in the late summer, perhaps in search of denser cover for the growing chicks (Williamson, 1946). J. D. Rae Vernon, who visited Unst 40 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 later on in June, found the families on the move and prob- ably a similar migration to lower levels takes place there. Now and then a pair of curlews Numenius arquata flew over- head protesting with the whimbrel, but there is actually very little overlap between the two, and where the curlew is dominant the other species is altogether absent. The curlew’s preference is for the lower slopes with a greater depth of peat, and particularly the wet flelds with long grass and Juncus, as at Belmont and Haroldswick. Curlew but not whimbrel, had young at this time. Both species have nested freely in north Shetland since the beginning of the nineteenth century at any rate, although the numbers and distribution of the whimbrel have fluctuated from time to time (Evans and Buckley, 1899)- We were not too late in the season to hear the wonderful bubbling trills of the whimbrel’s song ; in contrast to Faeroe, however, it was not this species but the dunlin Calidris alpina, whose music gave the wild places of Unst a special character and charm. Its song seemed to be murmuring around us all the time, always close at hand, yet having a ventriloquial quality which gave it a strange elusiveness, so that one often had difficulty in locating the birds. To me the abundance of the dunlin, on dry hill and swampy peat-workings alike, was one of the most satisfactory rewards of our brief stay, for during my 4 years in Faeroe I had found it an extremely scarce bird. A pair near the Burn of Voesgarth had 4 newly- hatched young on the evening of gth June : the adults were absolutely fearless, and ran round our feet with a soft chirrup- ing note. As we released the youngsters after ringing them, the female called them to her and brooded them within 10 feet of us. The male was not quite so tame, but ran to the last youngster and brooded it a few yards away : we saw no distraction display. Four days later we found the chicks again, in the same place, and on i ith June found a 4-egg nest in a grass tussock on marshy land at Belmont. In close-cropped fields with numerous rocky outcrops^' small pools and wet areas with beds of Juncus close to Harolds- wick we found ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula, lapwing and snipe in association. Three pairs at least had young in a similar stony pasture above a small loch in the Snaborough 1 I 1951 THE MOORLAND BIRDS OF UNST 41 area. I caught a young bird at the first site, and immediately it cried out, both adults ‘‘ exploded ” into the most vigorous and astonishing lure-display only a few yards from me, their plumage ruffled, their wings thrashing, their tails widely fanned, and the performance accompanied by a continuous whirring note. We saw no snipe Capella gallinago away from the marshy lowlands, and although we may have overlooked them on the drier hill ground they were certainly nothing like so plentiful in this biotope as is the case in Faeroe. The numbers and distri- bution of golden plover Charadrius apricarius, on the other hand, are very similar in the two regions. Two common sandpipers Actitis hjpoleucos, which may have been breeding, were put up at opposite ends of Loch of Watlee on 1 2th June : a pair of teal Anas crecca was reported to have had 7 ducklings here at the beginning of the month, and we found deserted nests in two other places. The drake of a pair in the bog at Harolds- ; wick was showing signs of eclipse plumage. I We did not find any lesser blackbacks Lams fuscus nesting on hill ground, as they do commonly in Faeroe, but Evans i and Buckley describe this as a Shetland habitat. Common gulls Lams canus formed fairly large upland colonies at two ! places, one on Virda Field, and another in a network of rocky stream-beds on heather moorland north of Loch of Brecksie. A number of pairs preferred the marshy lowland tracts, as at I Haroldswick ; and at Norwich, Sandeman found a colony of black-headed gulls Lams ridibundus, which he estimated at i over a hundred pairs. A smaller group had obviously nested, unsuccessfully, on low grassy islands in a lochan near Sna- borough. Small scattered groups of this gull have nested in Faeroe since 1869, and the common gull since 1890, and Salomonsen (1948) is doubtless right in attributing this colon- isation to the gradual amelioration of the climate in the North Atlantic area. The fact that the black-headed gull does not appear to have been known to Saxby as a nesting-bird in Unst, : whilst it was still very rare in Shetland when Evans and Buckley made their survey, supports this view. We looked for inland tern colonies (there are many, some quite large, on Faeroe hillsides) but only a few pairs, probably Sterna macrura^ were jseen late one evening on stony ground on Virda Field. : 6 42 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63- \ A noticeable feature of the Unst bird-distribution was the general avoidance by all species except the skylark and a few meadow pipits Anthus pratensis, of the extensive areas of grass- i moor, on a deep foundation of turf, on Valla Field, and similar j terrain on the way up to bothers Fields and Ward of Norwich |i from Haroldswick. There were no ponies in these areas, but they were heavily sheep-grazed. Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe were comparatively scaree, and in the last-mentioned region were found only at the various peat- workings, where probably , there are more suitable nesting-sites. Away from the moorlands, bird-life thronged the marshes in the neighbourhood of Belmont, Loch of Snaborough and Haroldswick and a dominant species was the redshank Tringa totanus. Two pairs definitely had young in the impenetrable ^ bog east of Haroldswick, and at a kingcup-grown morass near Snaborough Water one pair had chieks and another was in- dulging in courtship flights. In the rushy fields (again strewn ^ with kingcups) between Black Loch and Loch of Cliff certainly . two and perhaps more pairs were breeding, and we were in- I formed of a small colony of some half-dozen pairs south-east of Baltasound. The redshank is certainly increasing in Unst, and as it has also colonised at least three places close to loehs on Sandoy, Faeroe, within the last ten years or so, its increase and spread in the two regions may also be due to climatic change. Considering their abundance on Fair Isle and in south i mainland, the twite Carduelis Jlavirostris and the house-sparrow Passer domesticus were relatively scarce. Sparrows were nesting in boxes against the wall of the Baltasound post office. A pair of twites was building a nest in a creeper against the wall of j| ‘‘ Springfield ” house — a typical sparrow niche in this setting, but of course fundamentally little different from many nest- sites of the twite on coastal cliffs. E. J. Cottier told me he had found twites nesting in this same creeper three years before, so the habit is apparently a regular one. At Halligarth, one evening, we watehed three pairs coming in from the shore to * seek roosting-places in the rose-bushes. Several blackbirds Turdus merula^ including juveniles, were s in Dr. Edmonston Saxby’s garden and among the trees at : Halligarth, but the only old nests we found were in the wall THE MOORLAND BIRDS OF UNST 43 I 1951 ! surrounding the little plantation, and not in the trees or i bushes themselves. Young had just flown from a nest in an ! outhouse only a few yards from the plantation. Other pairs at various places, some remote, were nesting, or had done so, in deserted buildings. At the top of Saxa Vord (934 feet), we ringed four half-fledged young in a nest placed in an alcove inside one of the deserted Radar Stations. An old nest, containing an infertile egg, was found in a similar alcove , in an adjoining room. The blackbird is increasing throughout ' Shetland and it is interesting to note that in 1949 breeding was established at two localities in Faeroe (Niels F. Petersen, pers. comm.) : this notable increase and northwards extension is again correlated with the increasing mildness of the Atlantic climate. Throughout Shetland, fulmars Fulmarus glacialis have be- come increasingly venturesome in recent years in exploring the inland region, but nowhere is this rather astonishing ex- tension of habitat more marked than in Unst. It was a common sight to see fulmars sitting conspicuously on top of the crumbling walls of deserted crofts, well away from the coast, and we were told (but were unable to confirm) that at least two pairs had eggs in such places. One pair had an egg in the mouth of a rabbit-burrow, in the shelter of a drystone dyke, in a rocky field near Haroldswick, and here birds were observed planing far inland along the course of the stone walls. When we visited Black Loch, a small one in the middle of the island, the only birds swimming on it were two fulmars ! Dr. Saxby told us that exploring fulmars occasionally become ‘‘ grounded ” inside the walled burial-ground at Halligarth, which is the more remarkable since the enclosure (some 25 X 10 yards) has trees on two sides. This “pioneering” trait is very marked in the Unst population but is also notice- able in south mainland and Fair Isle, and it is difficult to explain it except on the assumption of a deep-seated psycho- logical change. In the bay at Haroldswick we watched one fulmar “ up-ending ”, like a duck, close inshore, and a pair was going through the usual courtship activities on top of a big boulder some five yards below the road. According to Dr. Saxby, the first fulmar’s egg was found at Hermaness 52 years ago. 44 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 REFERENCES > Evans, A. H. and Buckley, T. E., 1899. A Vertebrate Fauna of the Shetland j Islands. Edinburgh. | Salomonsen, F., 1948. The distribution of birds and the recent climatic f change in the North Atlantic area. Dansk Ornithologisk Forenings , ; Tidsskrift, 42 : 85-99. Saxby, H. L., 1874. The Birds of Shetland. Edinburgh. Williamson, K., 1946. “ Field-Notes on the breeding-biology of the Whimbrel ”. North-western Naturalist, 21 : 167-184. 1951 ANTS IN NORTH-WEST SCOTLAND 45 THE DISTRIBUTION OF ANTS IN NORTH-WEST SCOTLAND C. A. COLLINGWOOD Evesham [Received ^th January 1951) Short visits to areas in Sutherland and Ross-shire have been made in successive years and the ants noted. Most time has been spent in the west, in particular within the area whose extreme points are marked by Lairg, Kylescue, Ullapool and Garve. Many of the records have already been noted else- where,^ the following being a somewhat more expanded account. Of the species noted, a few are uncommon and one a rarity, but the most are such as are readily found in any of the southern counties of the British Isles or in the forests and moors of Perthshire, Easterness and Aberdeen. The nomen- clature used follows that of Donisthorpe.^ ,The commonest ants in the area are Formica fuse a and Myrmica rubra L. (= ruginodis N.). These are widespread and have been found in all localities in East and West Sutherland and East and West Ross. M, rubra is probably the more widespread and may be found in wetter situations than F, fusca. M. rubra is the only ant recorded to date from Caithness, the Shetlands and St. Kilda ^ and is common on Canna.^ Here A. J. Haddow reports that all specimens examined on Canna had the typical long epinotal spines of M. rubra and although some workers had indistinct striae between the spines none approached M. laevinodis N. in type. This is similar to the writer’s experience in Ross-shire and Sutherland where hundreds of colonies of M. rubra have been seen and workers examined from each, but all were more or less typical M. rubra^ no M. laevinodis having been seen. M. laevinodis, however, is recorded from West Ross.^ Gradations between M. rubra and M. sulcinodis N. have been seen at Elphin, West Sutherland and Coigach, West Ross, which may be referred to M. rubra v. sulcinodo-ruginodis E. and 46 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 F. Of the variations seen most tended to have the rugosity and colouring of M. rubra with the coarse curving epinotal spines of M. sulcinodis and the scape rather more curved than is usual with M. rubra. M. sulcinodis is to be found at Stoer, West Sutherland and at Coigach, West Ross, in similar situations at both localities. Nests were found under stones and sometimes in heather tufts on the south-facing slopes of low hills, the nests being situated within the range 400 to 500 feet. However, the species was also noted at Elphin, West Sutherland, in dry heather banks at a somewhat lower altitude. This ant is widely distributed within the British Isles but is by no means common and is one of the most distinctive of our Myrmica spp, M. scabrinodis N. proved to be unexpectedly common in Coigach, West Ross, where colonies were locally abundant at Rieff and in the rough grazing behind Achiltibuie ; and it was also taken at Achmelvich, West Sutherland.* This species is also common at Inchbae and Carve, East Ross. Forms darker than the type with scapes more sharply bent than is usual were often seen. A. J. Haddow records the closely related species M. sabuleti M. from Canna,^ but I have only seen this species ' at Carve, East Ross,* where a few workers were taken. At Carve the north banks of the river proved rich in species. Myrmica lobicornis N. was found in strength on a stony bank. Both workers and females were distinctly darker than those I have seen from further south. This tendency to darker coloration appeared to be general among the Myrmica species of the area. Other records for lobicornis in Scotland ® suggest i|| that this ant favours a littoral habitat, not being found on hillsides as is M. sulcinodis. In the same stony bank as the M. lobicornis, a nest of M, ■ schencki E.* was discovered partly under a stone. This ant is only known locally in the British Isles from West Ireland ® and South Wales, and is new to Scotland. Doubtless further search in the area will reveal more localities. The M. schencki workers seen were similar in coloration to the nearby M. sabuleti, being redder than those of M. lobicornis. They are, however, at once distinguishable from either species by the * New record for vice-county. 1951 ANTS IN NORTH-WEST SCOTLAND 47 peculiar formation of the antennal scape, where the transverse ! ridge is broader than in M. lobicornis while both scape and I epinotal spines are longer and coarser than in the latter species. Ij In habits these three species resemble M. scabrinodis^ being less I aggressive than M. sulcinodis and M. rubra. Among other species noted in the same locality at Garve, East Ross, were Acanthomyops (= Lasius) Jlavus and A. niger. ; These become common to the east and south of the area. : Although Darling ^ has recorded A. niger from Tanera off Coigach, I have not found it on the mainland or anywhere north of Garve. ' Leptothorax [Mychothorax) acervorum F. is also abundant at Garve and has been found widely distributed in West and East Ross and in West Sutherland. This ant has been found nesting in old tree stumps exposed in peat at Achiltibuie, but in this area it is typically found under stones and in the cracks of rock exposures, such as are to be found on the Coigach coast. Winged sexes of this species were seen flying at 1500 feet on Ben More, Coigach, in July 1947, but colonies have not been found higher than about 600 feet which seems to be about the limit for ants in the area. The plentiful evidence of tree stumps in the peat up to a height of 1000 feet suggests that the region has considerably altered in character within historic times ; only in sheltered hollows and in the lee of mountains are any relict woodlands now to be found. Oak and pine, once plentiful, are now rare or absent, and birch, rowan, hazel and alder represent what is left of what must once have been extensive areas of wood- land. In several of these predominantly birch thickets in the north-west corner of Ross Formica rufa still survives, only however where there is comparative absence of stock- grazing and disturbance. These ants have been observed in the Drumrunie valley, on the south shore of Loch Baddagyle, and in the thickets of Inverpolly. Many of the colonies appear to be surprisingly flourishing. Nests are comprised of birch twigs and are flattened and compact. There is much less free moveable material in the nests than is usual with this species, partly owing to beating down by rain and partly owing to the binding together of nest materials by fungi and 48 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 moss. Nests are sited in open ground away from the immediate shelter of trees, thus avoiding excessive drip, and trapping as much of the limited sunshine as possible. Formica rufa is also numerous at Inchbae near Garve and round Garve itself. Although one of our best-known species, this ant is also one of our most interesting. Owing to the relative inaccessibility of its colonies in North-West Ross it is regretted that insufficient time has been spared to study its ecology in this unique area. In the above account it will be seen that although several interesting species of ants occur in north-west Scotland, the total number is rather limited. While much territory yet remains to be explored it is doubted whether many more species will be found. In Goigach, for example, the ground has been well worked over in successive visits but no additions made after the first visit in 1947. Much remains however to be learnt about the ecology and habits of the ants in the area. For convenience a list of the species found in the area with their vice-county distribution as at present known appears below. Formica rufa L. . . . . . Formica rufa v. rufo-alpina Sant . Formica (Serviformica) fusca L. . Acanthomyops (Donisthorpea) niger L. Acanthomyops (Chthonolasius) flavus Fabr. Leptothorax (Mychothorax) acervorum Fabr. . Myrmica laevinodis Nyl. . . . . Myrmica rubra L. . . . . Myrmica rubra v. sulcinodo-ruginodis E. & F. . Myrmica sulcinodis Nyl. .... Myrmica scabrinodis Nyl. Myrmica sabuleti Meinert Myrmica lobicornis Nyl. . . . . Myrmica schencki Emery . . . . N. Ross,t E. Ross,® E. Sutherland.® E. Sutherland.® W. Ross,® E. Ross,® E. Sutherland,® W. Sutherland.! W. Ross,’ E. Ross.f E. Ross. I W. Ross,® E. Ross,! W. Sutherland.! W. Ross.® W. Ross,® E. Ross,! W. Sutherland.! E. Sutherland.® W. Ross,* W. Sutherland.* W. Ross,! W. Sutherland.’ W. Ross,! E. Ross,! W. Sutherland* E. Ross.* E. Ross,! E. Sutherland.® E. Ross.* REFERENCES 1. COLLINGWOOD, G. A., 1950. “ Ants in North Scotland”. Ent. Rec., 62: 41-42. 2. Donisthorpe, H. St. J. K., 1946. “ British Ants as at present known . . . ”. Ent. Rec., 58: 64, 89, 90. 3. Donisthorpe, H. St. J. K., 1927. British Ants (2nd Edition). London: Routledge. * New record for vice-county. ! First record for vice-county in Ent. Rec. 62, No. 4, 1950. BOTANICAL NOTE 49 4. Haddow, a. J., 1939. Report on the Glasgow University Expedition to Ganna. Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edin., 23, pt. i. 5. O’Rourke, F. J., 1945. “ An Extension of the range of Myrmica schencki Emery.” Ent. Rec., 57: 85-86. 6. Hallett, H. M., 1939. Guide to the Collection of British Aculeate Hymen- optera in the National Museum of Wales, p. 24. Cardiff : Natl. Mus. of Wales. 7. Darling, F. F., 1947. Natural History in the Highlands and Islands. London: Collins, p. 114. BOTANICAL NOTE Erophila conferta Wilmott in Scotland. — The early history of this new species has been given by the late Mr. A. J. Wilmott in his paper “ A New Species of Erophila in Britain : E. Conferta ”, Watsonia, Vol. i, Part iii, pp. 137-138, but it is now necessary to give a progress report as the plant has escaped from my garden near Aberfeldy, v.-c. 88 (Perthshire). In the spring of this year I was astonished to see a few plants of this species on a wall top about J of a mile away from the stone dyke that surrounds the garden where it had become firmly established. It had not spread widely in the garden but two or three plants had appeared within the boundary dyke about 15 yards beyond the main concentration. I have done nothing to assist the spread, but have within reason refrained from weeding fruiting plants. I am unable to account for the journey to the wall top as there is no suitable intervening locality, nor is there any sign of plants anywhere between them, nor has there been any removal of plants or soil from my garden. What is of interest is that the new habitat, unlike the ones in my garden, bears a marked resemblance to those in the Island of Rhodes from which I originally gathered my specimens. At the beginning of November I went to look at the wall top to find that among the much increased colony of rosettes four had sent up stems and were in flower. It should be noted that at the time of my gathering in Rhodes the plants were in flower (8th March 1934) and that the seed ripened in my press. I have purposely refrained from giving details of the locality, and beg anybody interested in obtaining specimens to get in touch with me as there will be ample material in my garden, and I am particularly anxious that the new colony should remain unmolested. — M. S. Campbell, Aberfeldy, Perthshire. 7 50 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 :\ SOME NOTES ON ! THE VEGETATION AND FLORA OF KNOYDART ' Donald Pigott * Cambridge [Received 29th January 1951.) The district of Knoydart in West Inverness, bounded by ij Loch Nevis in the south and by Loch Hourn in the north, is perhaps one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of i| the West Highlands of Scotland. No road suitable for motor vehicles enters this mountainous region, an area of about 120 square miles ; and only rough tracks, in places little better " than footpaths, lead up into it from the east by way of Loch ill Arkaig and Loch Quoich. To the south the district of North Morar is similarly devoid of communications ; and to the north lies the mountainous tract of Kintail, with the road from ! up Glen Shiel leading round by Glenelg to Arnisdale, on the north shore of Loch Hourn. I The magnificent scenery of Knoydart includes four mountains rising to over three thousand feet — Sgurr na i Ciche (3410 feet), Ladhar Bheinn (3343 feet), Meall Buidhe : (3107 feet) and Luinne Bheinn (3083 feet) — -and these are set among numerous lower hills. The group of hills as a whole is penetrated by the two long sea lochs as well as by a number of deep subsidiary glens, and the characteristic effects of | recent glaciation, over-steepened slopes and valley sides, bare rugged corries and aretes, accentuate their features. The fact that three of these mountains arise straight from sea level, allows their full height and grandeur to be appreciated. “ The absence of good communications, and the rugged nature of the country, account for the very low population ; I and even many of the sparsely distributed crofts which have been built now stand derelict. Although some of the hillsides above the lochs show traces of earlier cultivation of the lazybed * With the assistance of John Raven and Duncan Poore. THE VEGETATION AND FLORA OF KNOYDART 51 j 1951 type, at the present day the greater part of Knoydart is utilised agriculturally only as sheep walk. The intensive 1 grazing of both sheep and the large herds of red deer main- I tained on the hills produces, as elsewhere in the Highlands, a I profound alteration in the vegetation. From the botanical point of view, that is in so far as the ‘ rock types are distributed, the geology is relatively simple. The greater part of the area is composed of mica schists of the ' Moine series, but in two areas, on Beinn na Caillich and at * Rudha Raonuill near Inverie, ortho-gneiss of Sub-Moine age is exposed. Thus all the higher hills are carved out of Moine , schist, and it is from this rock that the skeletal soils of the higher slopes are derived. On the lower slopes and valley bottoms, , and indeed wherever the drainage is impeded, a thick cover of peat has developed, and only in scattered places in the birch woods is there anything approaching a true soil. With regard to the climate of the district, little precise ; information is obtainable. In common with the other moun- tainous parts along the Atlantic seaboard of the West High- ! lands the region is one of high atmospheric humidity, resulting in a heavy evenly distributed annual rainfall, and a low number ' of hours of sunshine. Despite this heavy precipitation (the head i of Glen Garry near Sgiirr na Ciche is reputed to have an average annual rainfall of 200 inches), both Sgurr na Ciche and : Meall Buidhe, its neighbour, proved remarkably ‘ dry and very few areas of flushed ground occur on the higher slopes ; to provide suitable habitats for the rarer alpine plants which might be expected on high schist mountains. Undoubtedly i this paucity of the more interesting alpine species is due also ' to the nature of the rock ; both the chemical constitution of ji the minerals present in the schist and the rate of weathering are important factors controlling the quantity of dissolved salts present in the ground water. In this region the Moine , complex, unlike the Dalradian which forms the Breadalbane ' hills, is generally lacking in schists, which disintegrate rapidly on weathering and contain calcium- and magnesium-rich I minerals (epidote, biotite, chlorite, etc.). In the siliceous ; granulites and mica schists, which form Sgurr na Ciche and I its neighbour, the felspar is an acid plagioclase and although i large crystals of muscovite are very abundant, biotite appears 52 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 62 to be almost absent. In some bands garnets (almandine) are plentiful. In the early part of July 1950, two brief visits were made by i boat ; one to the head of Loch Nevis, and one to Barrisdale i Bay in Loch Hourn, and from these centres the vegetation was examined. Sgurr na Ciche and Meall Buidhe These two mountains are separated by the glen of the Carnach river ; this is a typical glaciated valley, and it is the U-shaped form which accounts for the distribution of the main vegetation types. The flat floor of the valley is carpeted with thick peat, and the failure of attempts to drain it, owing to choking of the ditches, has left it, over most of the area, as deep sphagnum bog. The following plants are abundant : Drosera anglica D, rotundifolia Erica tetralix Molinia caerulea Narthecium ossifragum Myrica gale Pinguicula vulgaris Scirpus caespitosus Sphagnum papillosum S. rubellum The river itself meanders in its lower reaches, and broadens out at its mouth into tidal salt marshes, where a number of plants common in brackish places, including Blysmus rufus, occur. Qn the banks of mineral soil, exposed along the margins of I the river above Carnach, Hioacium stictophyllum and the | peculiar moss Diphyscium foliosum grow. The very wet bog of the valley floor passes, on the lower slopes of the mountains, into a wet tussocky grassland, domin- ated almost exclusively by Molinia caerulea. Although very poor in associated species numerous plants of Plantanthera bifolia and Hypericum pulchrum grow in among the tussocks, and where the grassland is traversed by the streams from higher * up, and in flushes fed by springs, a number of plants, character- | istic of more eutrophic conditions, are to be found. Carex dioica Orchis incarnata Carex hostiana Saxifraga oppositifolia I THE VEGETATION AND FLORA OF KNOYDART 53 Carex lepidocarpa Selaginella selaginoides Carex pulicaris Thalictrum alpinum Leucorchis albida At a higher altitude, between about 250 feet and 1000 feet, a thin birch wood occupies the steeper slopes. Gnarled and twisted trees of Betula puhescens (?), covered in lichens, form a sparse woodland, mixed with occasional trees of Sorbus aucuparia, but the absence of young trees and saplings suggests , that grazing is wholly preventing any regeneration. Vertical rocky cliffs at this altitude provide a habitat for a few alpines and other plants. Hymenophyllum peltatum Saussurea alpina Sedum rosea Trollius europaeus At about 2000 feet and above, localities exist providing suitable conditions for the more interesting alpine communities. Flushes around the headwaters of the streams, at about 2200 feet on Sgurr na Ciche, contain the following species : Alchemilla Jilicaulis Juncus castaneus Armeria maritima Juncus triglumis Botrychium lunaria Leontodon autumnalis var, asperior Caltha radicans Parnassia palustris Carex lepidocarpa Saxifraga aizoides Epilobium alpinum Saxifraga oppositifolia Under similar conditions elsewhere on the same mountain Carex saxatilis occurs, and on wet ledges on Meall Buidhe Saxifraga hypnoides, Luzula spicata, Epilobium alpinum and Leucorchis albida were found. The hard nature of the rock gives rise, on the west ridge of Sgurr na Ciche, to large hump-backed areas of rock, providing habitats for plants only in the form of narrow crevices and fissures. Small gnarled bushes of Juniperus sibirica, and here and there plants of Vaccinium uliginosum, occupy these holds, and along some of the cracks various Hieracium species abound, including the handsome Hieracium holosericeum, and the more frequent Hieracium lingulatum. Growing with Calluna, Cornus suecica occurs rarely, and on the windswept flat ledges Loiseleuria procumbens forms low mats. 54 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 On similar dry rocks on the summit of Sgurr na Ciche a number of other species are found, namely Gnaphalium supinum^ Juncus trifidus, Luzula spicata, Silene acaulis and Thymus drucei. \ The less steep, well-drained, upper slopes have allowed the 1 accumulation of a thin depth (up to 20 cm.) of reddish brown soil, full of decomposing crystals of muscovite, on both Meall Buidhe and Sgurr na Ciche. These areas are characterised by a short turf, with abundant Rhacomitrium and lichens and seem to be favoured grazing ground for the deer. A small area ^ on the slope of Druim Leac a’Shith on Meall Buidhe at about • 2300 feet, which was examined, provides the following list : Agrostis tenuis — ab. Alchemilla alpina Anthoxanthum odoratum Blechnum spicant — hollows Carex binervis Carex pilulifera Deschampsia Jlexuosa Euphrasia micrantha Festuca vivipara — ab. Galium saxatile Gnaphalium supinum Juncus squarrosus Luzula multijlora JSfardus stricta Polygala serpyllifolia Potentilla erecta Thymus drucei Vaccinium myrtillus Bryum sp. Cetraria aculeata Cladonia uncialis Cladonia rangiferina Cladonia silvatica Hylocomium splendens Pleurozium schreheri Poly trichum piliferum Ptilidium ciliare Rhacomitrium lanuginosum — ab. However, a similar grassland on the west brow of the ridge of Sgurr Sgeithe at 2500 feet, in a very exposed position, on examination revealed a considerably shorter list of constituent species. The strength of the prevailing westerly winds ** results in severe erosion of the Rhacomitrium cushions on their west side : : Agrostis tenuis — ab. Alchemilla alpina Carex bigelowii — ab. Carex pilulifera Festuca vivipara — ab. Galium saxatile Gnaphalium supinum Luzula spicata Thymus drucei — ab. Vaccinium myrtillus Viola palustris Cetraria islandica Dicranum scoparium Hylocomium splendens Pleurozium schreberi Rhacomitrium lanuginosum — ab ‘5; ! IQ5I THE VEGETATION AND FLORA OF KNOYDART 55 Ladhar Bheinn The very unpleasant weather encountered in Loch Hourn permitted little more than a short expedition into Coire Dhorrcail. This large corrie, encircled by the immense cliffs of Ladhar Bheinn, down which a number of waterfalls i cascade, looked promising as a home for the less frequent alpine plants ; however, as investigation showed, these were I absent, a fact probably to be attributed to the unsuitable j nature of the rock. On the screes the luxuriance of Crypto- gramma crispa was most remarkable, and Athyrium alpestre was seen in the gulleys in great profusion. Wet ledges beside the main waterfall added a number of species indicating a higher base status in the ground water, to the list drawn up. Athyrium alpestre Car ex higelowii Cochlearia alpina Cryptogramma crispa Cystopteris fragilis Gnaphalium supinum Gymnocarpium dryopteris Juncus trijidus Leucorchis albida Luzula spicata Lycopodium alpinum Lycopodium selago Salix herbacea Saxifraga oppositifolia Sedum rosea Selaginella selaginoides Thalictrum alpinum Thelypteris phegopteris Thymus drucei Trollius europaeus REFERENCES Geology Phemister, J. (1948). British Regional Geology — Scotland : the Morthern Highlands. (Second Edition.) Edinburgh. Richey, J. E., and W. Q. Kennedy (1939). The Moine and Sub-Moine Series of Morar, Inverness-shire. Bull. Geol. Survey Gt. Brit., No. 2. Botany The names used for the higher plants are those given in the ‘ Check- List of British Vascular Plants ’ compiled by Professor A. R. Clapham and : published in the Journal of Ecology, 33 : 308-347. Two exceptions are ' Orchis incarnata (=0. latifolia L. sec. Pugsl.) and Thymus drucei B.onn. em. Jalas. The names used for the mosses are those given in “ An Annotated List of British Mosses ” by P. W. Richards and E. C. Wallace in Trans. Brit. Bryolog. Soc. i : 427. Voucher specimens of all the critical plants are deposited in the Cambridge University Herbarium. 56 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 ISLE OF MAY BIRD OBSERVATORY REPORT, 1950* A. G. S. Bryson Edinburgh 1950 was another active year when much migration was wit- nessed. Records were maintained daily by a sequence of voluntary observers in the spring from i8th March to 31st May, in the autumn from 23rd August to 5th November and I in other periods in early spring and summer. f The following selected notes are arranged under species : } Hooded Crow Corvus cornix. The status of this bird seems J to have changed in fairly recent years. The Handbook of British Birds, Vol. i, p. 12, records that “great numbers” arrive on the east coast of Great Britain each autumn from the II east and north-east, returning again in spring. Baxter and Rintoul in A Vertebrate Fauna of Forth, 1935, p. 53, say that on i the islands of the Forth it occurs as a passage migrant some- times in considerable numbers. They record that 150 were seen on the Bass Rock in September 1912 and that they have seen considerable numbers on the Isle of May. In the nine ; years of regular observation since the Observatory was opened ! in 1934 the hooded crow has been recorded on only about three occasions per year, and, except for one record of eight in f 1937, the greatest number seen on any one day has been three, | the other records being mainly of single birds. It has been 1 seen in seven springs, all the occurrences being between 9th 1 April and i8th May, and in only four autumns, between 21st August and ist November. It is deduced that the hooded crow no longer arrives in Scotland from northern Europe in large numbers. This confirms what Miss E. V. Baxter wrote on page 18 of The Scottish Naturalist in 1948 : “ We used to see them [hooded crows as winter visitors in Scotland] commonly, but since about 1917 have hardly seen one ”. * Cost of publication met by a grant from the funds of the Isle of May Bird I Observatory and Field Station. ISLE OF MAY BIRD OBSERVATORY 57 j 1951 Siskin Carduelis spinus, C. K. Mylne informs us that at i Lista, at the south-western extremity of Norway, he, J. H. Hyatt and E. D. Williams watched siskins migrating by day in September 1950. Although from the 27th September to i 1st October this migration was largely coastwise to the south- 1 east, on the 23rd and 24th September there was a considerable movement towards the west and north-west over the North Sea. On the latter date 915 siskins were counted leaving the coast at one point in this direction in the two hours between : 8 and 10 a.m. It is possible that some of these birds crossed the North Sea as 24 hours later siskins were seen on the Isle of May : eight on the 24th and ten on the 25th. On Fair Isle three were recorded on the 26th. The only other record on the Isle of May during 1950 was of one on 13th October while the only other autumn record in Fair Isle was of one a day later. No siskins were observed at Spurn, Yorkshire, during 'these months. Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs. Many migrant species pass through the island quickly while some linger for a day or two, and it seems that, if general conditions are sufficiently attractive, a migration may be delayed for days, perhaps even I for a season. Chaffinches which often stay on the island for a few days, especially when the traps are baited with mixed Date Initial Weight gms. Last Weight gms. Period days Weight Increase per cent. 13th October 197 22-0 4 12 22*5 25-6 6 14 21-4 25-1 4 17 22*4 27-8 6 24 19-8 24-0 6 21 20-4 24-5 6 20 23-8 29*0 7 22 14th October 22-5 25-6 3 14 17-8 21-4 3 20 21*1 24-3 5 15 17-2 22-0 5 28 i6‘5 21-9 8 33 22-0 23-8 5 8 25-1 26-9 5 7 15th October 22-2 25-0 3 13 21-0 22-0 5 5 8 58 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 seed, can show a remarkable increase in weight during their stay. For example, in the three days, 13th to 15th October, 1950, of thirty- nine chaffinches trapped, sixteen were retrapped between three and eight days later. All, without exception, i had put on weight as shown in the table on p. 57. The initial weight of the 33 per cent, bird was carefully checked as it was so light and it was weighed again on eight subsequent occasions so there is good evidence in support of this increase. The time-of-day factor has been ignored as it would make no material difference to the trend shown. The average of these increases in weight is 17 per cent., but the true increase would have probably been higher if earlier and later weights could have been obtained. Thus while the birds weighed on the 13th were fresh arrivals (no chaffinches having been observed on the island on the previous day), some of the later birds may have been present and putting on weight for a day or two before they were first trapped. By learning their way about the traps, the birds quickly become able to avoid capture so making later weighings (especially perhaps of the more robust individuals) difficult to obtain. Such earlier and later weights would almost certainly raise the ( average increase to something around 20 or 25 per cent, on even more, and this is well supported by evidence from Fain Isle where chaffinches were weighed during the same period although only two comparable records are available. One ( on the 13th weighing 17 7 gms., weighed 23 6 gms. twelve days later, an increase of 33 per cent. Another on the 15th at 207 gms. attained 28 '3 gms. nine days later, an increase of 37 per cent. One explanation of the increase is recovery of weight lost during migration across the sea, especially against unfavour- able winds, and this would point to the birds being of Con- tinental origin. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla. Rintoul and Baxter record in A Vertebrate Fauna of Forth, p. 79, that bramblings appear occasionally to winter on the Isle of May. One ringed on 7th October 1949 stayed until 3rd November, was retrapped on loth March when the island was first visited in 1950 and was seen daily until the 29th. This bird appears to provide an example of occasional wintering. 1951 ISLE OF MAY BIRD OBSERVATORY 59 Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana. Several between 20th and 25th May. Four on the 22nd. Woodlark Lullula arhorea. One on 22nd October, three on 26th October and one on 4th November. Yellow Wagtail Motacilla jlava. A male grey-headed wagtail M.f. thunhergi was on the island from 20th to 23rd May. Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor. One on 3rd Novem- ber. Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio. One from 20th to 23 rd May. IsABELLiNE Shrike Lauius isabellinus. One on 26th Sep- tember. Details will be published in British Birds, Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus. One on 4th November. Pied Flycatcher Muscicapa hypoleuca. Numbers exceeded twenty on 26th and 30th August. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus. One on 25th September. Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia. One on 14th and 15th May. IcTERiNE Warbler Hippolais icterina. One from 30th August to 3rd September. It was initially found and trapped by Allan M. Watt whose detailed description agrees in every particular with that of the Handbook except that the lower mandible was flesh-coloured, not yellow. Separated from the melodious warbler Hippolais polyglotta by the wing-length (78 mm.), by the lengths of the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th primaries relative to the 3rd, by the emargination of the 3rd and 4th primaries only and by the bluish-grey legs. It was also ex- amined by subsequent observers. Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria. One from 31st August to 2nd September. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca. Three trapped be- tween 2 1 St and 24th October were found by Dr. K. B. Rooke and others to have the short 2nd primary of the Siberian race S, c, blythi. 6o . THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 Stonechat Saxicola torquata. There are signs that the stonechat may be regaining its numbers. In the three years 1946 to 1948 only one bird was recorded (3rd September i 1947). In 1949 there were records in two periods in Septem- ' ber and October. In 1950 there were records in six periods in March, September and October. The numbers trapped were : 1946 to 1948, nil ; 1949, three ; 1950, seven. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochrurus. One from 7th to Qth May and one to two between 22 nd and 28th October. ^ ® Bluethroat Luscinia svecica. One on 21st and 23rd May. Robin Erithacus rubecula. Robins do not breed on the Isle of May and we have no records of their having been present on the island during the period from ist June to 15th August in any year. During the rest of the year robins appear in irregular numbers. Some of these are passage migrants and some winter visitors. These winter visitors arrive in the second half of August or in September and a few stay until late March or early April. When racial determinations of these birds are attempted the conclusions invariably favour the British form E. r. melophilus. They sing and hold terri- tories not only among themselves but against invasions (some- times in hundreds) of passage migrants which are often like I the Continental form E. r, rubecula. Some individuals among these winter visitors return to the island year after year. One ^ bird was identified by its ring number on the following dates : (1935-36) — 28th September 1935, 30th September 1935, 7th October 1935. (1936-37) — 30th September 1936, ist October 1936, 27th | March 1937, 5th April 1937. I w 11 (1937-38) — 9th November 1937, loth November 1937. | These records suggest that it stayed or attempted to stay I through three successive winters, going elsewhere each breed- r ing season. I* Another was similarly identified on these and on otherffli intermediate dates : % (1947-48) — 1 8th October 1947. 1951 ISLE OF MAY BIRD OBSERVATORY 6i (1949-50) — 25th September 1949, 14th October 1949, nth March 1950. I (i95O"50 — 2nd October 1950, 27th October 1950. ! There was no record of this bird during the winter of 1948-49. These birds returned in three autumns across at least five miles of sea to spend or try to spend the winter on the Isle of May. The return to such winter quarters seems to be deliberate and can hardly be accounted for by random wandering among I unchanging topographical features. The latter bird occupied the same territory around the old ruined chapel in the autumns of 1949 and 1950. Wryneck Jynx torquilla. One on i8th May. ' Harrier Circus. One on 29th October was in female or first winter plumage and may have been a hen harrier Circus cyaneus. Osprey Pandion haliaetus. One on 21st May. Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur. One on 13th and 17th September. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola. One from 23rd to 26th August. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus. One from loth to 13th August. 22ND October 1950 On the evening of 22nd October, Dr. K. B. Rooke, who was accompanied by Cdr. T. Yeoman, wrote the following note : — An incredible day — too much of which was spent in the ringing- hut, and driving traps, for any adequate account to be possible of I the phenomenal migration passing over and “ through ” the island at least until after 14.00 hrs. G.M.T. Flocks (250-350 at a time) of starlings crossed the island (especially around ii.oo hrs.) from E. to W. (or N.E. to S.W.) — some settling to feed greedily on the turf. Many were caught at the light during the early hours of the morning. Blackbirds were everywhere, on the ground and (often) in the sky overhead. Fieldfares were heard more often than 62 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 seen — ^passing over. Relatively few redwings and Continental , song thrushes actually settled — they were not nearly so numerous as the starlings and blackbirds. At about ii.oo hrs. — ^with a light drizzle and reduced visibility the sky seemed “ alive ” with birds, ; flying confusingly in any direction (it seemed), appearing and dis- 1 appearing as if from nowhere : blackbirds coming in on the N.E. side and centre of the island — others leaving or preparing to do so — some passing (apparently) right over ; other Turdidae with them — in separate flocks or parties ; skylarks twisting down from invisible heights overhead — and some of them making off N.N.W. to the Fife shore (as did some of the starlings) after having a look ” at the island — ^mostly without settling ; a single woodlark flying over ; odd woodcock (one flying in ? from N.E.) ; small parties of lapwing turning in from over the sea and crossing the island (? going N.W. eventually) ; little parties and flocks of chaffinches and bramblings (only a small proportion of which seemed to settle) ; two snow buntings flying over, etc., etc. — and always the flights of starlings coming in — settling or going straight over (? about S.W.). All this noticed during brief spells walking between traps ^ or back to the Low Light — and gives only an impression of what must have been going over out of sight or earshot — and during the long hours when we were in the ringing-hut or concentrating on the traps. Other birds seen or trapped, and evidently involved in the movement, included three blackcaps, a lesser whitethroat and two black redstarts. One of the most memorable events (for me) was the sight of blackbirds literally falling from the skies in steep spiral dives — appearing as if from nowhere directly over the centre of the island, and tumbling earthwards evidently to make their first landfall after crossing the North Sea at a great height. The actual “ flight ” from which the birds “ peeled off** was invisible even with X 8 binoculars looking straight up into the clouds (? above cloud- level) — ^yet the tiny black specks kept dropping from almost the same spot in the sky for fully five minutes on end (as long as I could spare to watch) — about noon. At 17.10 G.M.T. fully 150-200 blackbirds were seen to “ tower ” up from the South and North Plateaux and the sides of the Loch, leaving in about S.S.W. or S.W. direction. Earlier in the day other lots had been followed some way out (with X 8 binoculars) towards North Berwick Law — possibly making further westwards — ; also flocks of starlings on a similar course. A curious feature of the migration is the relative lack of species such as goldcrests and Continental robins — and the enormous abundance of starlings and blackbirds compared with other species. 1951 ISLE OF MAY BIRD OBSERVATORY 63 Of the birds ringed on that date a chaffinch, which re- mained on the island for at least four days, was recovered in County Down, Ireland, on 15th November ; a blackbird was retrapped in Edinburgh on 30th October ; and another black- bird was retrapped on the island on 31st December. These recoveries suggest that at least some of the birds which arrived on the 22nd were going to winter in the British Isles. Ringing The number of birds ringed each year continues to in- crease : — Tear Birds ringed Species ringed 1946 551 38 1947 608 41 1948 1188 47 1949 2020 83 1950 2804 62 Recoveries have been or will be published in British Birds, The Observatory’s ringing record of 119 birds in one day (28th August 1949) was broken on 23rd May 1950 (133 birds) and again on 22nd October 1950 (200 birds). 64 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol, 63 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES Ephemera danica in North Scotland. — Dr. R. M. Neill {Scot 60 : 47) has noted the occurrence of Ephemera danica (Mull.) on the lower Don during June 1947. Records of this species in Scotland are few and come from widespread localities, which suggests that its apparent rarity may only be due to the scarcity of observers. It is therefore of interest to record its occurrence in two localities in the North of Scotland. E. danica has frequently been seen through the summer of 1950 in the Forss watershed, Caithness (v.-c. 109). It was first noted on 4th July and nymphs, sub-imagines and imagines were seen at intervals over the next few weeks. It was previously noted on the Forss in 1939 but the record was not published. Two imagines were seen also on Loch a’ Bhaid luachraich near Aultbea, Wester Ross (v.-c. 105), on 12th August. — K. H. Balmain and J. D. Brayshaw, Scottish Home Department, Salmon Research Station, Forss, Caithness. Through Dr. Neill we learn that Dr. Kimmins of the British Museum (Natural History) has seen specimens from Helmsdale River in Sutherland (v.-c. 108) and a MS. record of the species from the River Forss in Caithness. The Royal Scottish Museum have E. danica from Stow, Midlothian (v.-c. 83), and Loch Rannoch (v.-c. 88). Dr. Neill reports “ Ephemera sp. ” from Loch Ruthven, Inverness (v.-c. 96), and from Skye (v.-c. 104). — Editors. The Holly Blue Butterfly in Scotland. — The female of Celastrina argiolus, whose capture in Dumfries I have recorded else- where {Entomologist, 83 : 235), laid eggs which were fertile. In II view of this fact, and pf reports of a marked increase in its numbers in North West England {Entomologist, 83 : 280), naturalists in the South of Scotland should be on the watch for its occurrence in 1951. Its habits make it easy to recognise. It flies about trees and shrubs, the first brood in May showing a preference for holly bushes, and the second brood from late July onwards a preference for ivy. Its average flying distance from the ground is about six feet. This distinguishes it readily from the common blue Polyommatus icarus, which flies about grass and low-growing plants. On a closer view, the holly blue’s distinctive silvery blue underside, speckled with black, makes identification certain. ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 65 l| I I Whether it is established or about to establish itself in Scotland, ; and if so, how quickly and in what directions it will expand its ( range, are matters of some interest. — David Cunningham, Dumfries. ' Mr. Cunningham draws our attention to Dr. Buchanan White’s ‘ statement, made in 1872 {Scot. Nat., i : 273), that “ L. argiolus I will probably yet be found in Scotland ”. — Editors. The Clouded Yellow Butterfly, and other Immigrant Lepi- ! doptera in the Dumfries area in 1950 — Three silver-Y moths ; Plusia gamma were noticed on 3rd June, after which this species ^ was common. One painted lady butterfly Vanessa cardui, in very fresh condition, was seen on 6th June, and three others were re- i ported to me about the same date ; another, worn, was seen , 19th August. One red admiral V. atalanta was seen 8th June and three others on the loth. A worn and battered female of the death’s head hawkmoth Acherontia atropos was brought to me on 12 th June, and a fresh male on the i6th. I took a fresh male of the clouded yellow Colias croceus at Port Ling on 19th August. A worn male of the convolvulus hawkmoth Herse convolvuli was brought to me in late October. The occurrence of C. croceus in such a cold and wet season is , rather surprising. The only period of weather favourable to immigrants was the first fortnight of June, and in all probability this insect was bred somewhere on the Solway, the offspring of a June immigrant. The weather in the fortnight preceding its I capture seemed most unfavourable for immigration. — David Cunningham, Dumfries. The Scarcity of Fieldfares and Redwings. — In The Scottish Naturalist, Volume 60, p. 56, there is a note by Mr. P. A. Clancey on ! the scarcity of fieldfares and redwings during the winter of 1949-50. This does not quite coincide with my own experience here. For most of that winter there were more redwings roosting in the bushes round the house here than since the winter of 1946-47. Sometimes there were over a hundred which is a lot for this particular roost. They were also much more evident in the surrounding countryside. On 29th October 1949 there were hundreds of fieldfares between here and Milliken Park, Renfrewshire, so many that I noted the fact in my diary. These birds moved on within a week or so. But again as with redwings there were more than in any year since ! 1946-47- As a contrast, during the winter of 1 947-48 I saw only odd birds of both species here. Since then both species have increased steadily.— J. A. Anderson, Beith. 9 66 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 Fieldfares and redwings have been more plentiful than for several years during November and December 1950 in several areas known to us in East Ross, Inverness and Perth. — Editors. Grasshopper Warbler in West Stirling. — It would appear ! from your note inThe Scottish Naturalist, Volume 61, p. 1 19, that there is only one record of the grasshopper warbler Locustella naevia for S West Stirling. I have seen and heard these birds during the past three summers in the Forestry Commission woods to the north of Drymen. This year 1950 I have heard three of them singing at the same time, and so it is safe to assume that there is quite a colony. The habitat consists of young spruces about 2-4 feet high, planted in long heather, and there are occasional birches and goat willows scattered about. Such a habitat can only be transitory and pre- sumably the locality will become unsuitable when the spruces blanket out the heather. Singing commenced on 4th May 1950. On 17th July I heard a grasshopper warbler singing in the willow d scrub just west of where the Mar Burn joins the River Endrick, ^ near the village of Balmaha. The habitat is semi-marsh — bushes of Salix drier ea and dense masses of sedges and the grass Phalaris ' arundinacea. A nest with eggs is said to have been found near here 1 a few years ago. — Iain C. Christie, Drymen, Stirlingshire. Great Spotted Woodpeckers in Glasgow Public Parks. — The range of this bird has extended during recent years. It may be of interest to note that it nested in two of Glasgow’s Public Parks in 1950. — Ian Hay, Edinburgh. Probable Green Woodpecker in East Lothian On the 5th August 1950 while walking in a small wood near the sea shore at Dirleton, East Lothian, I saw a bird which was in all probability a green woodpecker Picus viridis. I have only seen this species previously in North Wales, but although I had only a short glimpse of this particular bird I am fairly certain of the identification. A companion, who had not previously seen this species, saw the bird first and, noting its red head and general appearance, im- mediately recognised it as a green woodpecker from pictures pre- viously seen. It was settled on a Scotch pine tree when disturbed, and im- mediately flew off with a typical woodpecker flight. Its olive back J and wings were clearly visible. Several Scotch pine trees nearby were dead and infested with numerous borings, probably of longicorn beetles. ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 67 i ;! 1951 I I should be very interested if this record has been confirmed as I the occurrence of the green woodpecker in East Lothian, according 1 to Rintoul and Baxter {Vertebrate Fauna of Forth Area, 1935), has been ) very infrequent.— John A. Oliver, Edinburgh. A green woodpecker was seen by Mr. George Waterston in a I hardwood plantation near the coast at Dirleton on 27 th January 1951 {Scotsman, 31st January). In the same letter to the press i Mr. Waterston, who is now investigating the present status of the bird in Scotland, refers to an occurrence in the grounds of LufFness ! House, Aberlady, on 24th September 1950, which was reported in [Edinburgh Bird Bulletin, vol. i, no. i. — Editors. ' Diet of Golden Eagle. — A pair of eagles Aquila chrysaetus have nested recently in South-West Scotland. As rabbits are not numer- ous in the district, and as there were no complaints from the farm- ing populace, their diet was rather a mystery. However, castings taken at what appeared to be the roost of the male bird, 1 50 yards from the eyrie, were forwarded to the Royal Scottish Museum in 1950 for investigation. When the closely felted masses of hair and feathers had been loosened, several bone fragments, etc., were 1 brought to light. They were identified as follows : — Fox cub Vulpes vulpes. Two fragments of a skull show the carnassials, but at neither side had the first molar reached i, the surface of the gum ; jaws of a matching size were j found in a separate casting. A distal epiphysis of a humerus was also present ; the remainder of the bone had been dissolved. Pheasant Phasianus colchicus. Remains of two birds, two sterna ; skin of foot showing scales, and with claws intact ; distal process of tarso-metatarsus ; distal end of tibio-tarsus ; |! fragments of wing bone ; third metacarpals. ' Teal Anas crecca. Wing bone. i Mountain Hare Lepus timidus. Two animals : one old, and one not quite mature, indicated by two pelvic bones of varying size : one lumbar vertebra. !; Carrion crow Corvus corone. Juvenile ; foot with claws. I A leg of a beetle, Geotrupes sp., was found in a casting, but its significance is not certain as it may have been taken originally by I the carrion crow. — Margery I. Platt, Royal Scottish Museum. Common Guillemot inland in North Perth. — On 23rd j October 1 950 I found a bird that had killed itself on electric cables. 68 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 borne on pylons, that cross the Tay about 100 yards below the June- ! tion of the Tay and Lyon. I identified it as the common guillemot Uria aalge. It had been dead about five days. The throat was white. Subsequently, on 31st October, I revisited the bird. Countless larvae of a well-known dipteron had by this time gained \ full possession, but I managed to secure the beak, wings and legs for positive identification by Dr. James Campbell of Strathtay. — Thomas Poore, Coshieville, Perthshire. There are very few recent inland occurrences for this area. One was caught in the Sma’ Glen, and released on the Tay at Perth, in the end of September 1926 [Trans. Perthshire Nat. Hist. Soc., 1928-29). In August and September 1895 an extensive invasion took place on the Tummel and Tay above Dunkeld, with some records also from Loch Tay [A.S.N.H. 1896, 25-26). — Editors. BOOK REVIEWS 69 li 1951 BOOK REVIEWS British Water Beetles, Vol. ii. By F. Balfour-Browne. London: Ray Society, 1950. Pp. 394, 90 figs, i pi. 27s. 6d. Having dealt with the Haliplidae, Hygrobiidae and three tribes of the Dytiscidae in Volume i published in 1940, Professor Balfour-Browne concludes the account of British Water Beetles ten years later with the Dytiscid tribes Colymbetini and Dytiscini and the family Gyrinidae. Though the species are not formally described, the reader wishing to name a specimen of a British water beetle can, with the help of the keys, find its sex and species. Varieties and forms of a species are also distinguished and synonymy is listed and discussed. Volume i contains the keys to the families of adult beetles and of larvae. Cuticular structures are described and figured clearly; the internal anatomy and problems like respiration and the origin of the fauna are surveyed briefly. The distribution of each species in the British Isles is depicted. A long bibliography and compre- hensive index completes each volume. Systematists may receive stimulating provocation from some of the author’s opinions on nomenclature. Field naturalists will welcome the books for the classification, the maps of distribution, the summary of what is known of the life-history and bionomics of each species, and for the numerous statements on facts and theories which may be applied to the study of other groups of animals. G.D.M. List of Danish Vertebrates. By Anton Fr. Bruun, J. R. Pfaff, Bernt L0PPENTHIN and Magnus Degerbol. Copenhagen: Dansk Videns- kabs Forlag (Danish Science Press Ltd.), 1950. 10.50 Danish Kroner. This useful list, which is in English, contains notes on the 688 species which constitute the Danish list of Vertebrates. In addition to the list of species there are most interesting introductory chapters on subfossil occurrences, as well as on the living species of Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals. A bibliography, a comprehensive index and a map complete the volume. A series of such volumes from other countries is much to be desired as an aid to zoographical studies on the palaearctic fauna. E.V.B. The Edinburgh Bird Bulletin, Vol. i. Nos. 1-3. Edited for the Edinburgh Branch of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club by Stewart Kirkaldy and Dougal G. Andrew. Privately printed: Edinburgh, 1950-51. Price 6d. each; annual subscription, 3s. It is with pleasure that we welcome the appearance of this new periodical, both as an index of the flourishing state of ornithology in Edinburgh, and for the interest of its contents. 70 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 Each number contains 12 pages of duplicated typescript, half-foolscap size, wired into a cover. The articles are mostly short, and though some of them are possibly of only topical and transient interest, others will undoubtedly be consulted and quoted in years to come. The kinship is of course close between the Bulletin and ourselves, and we have a particular bond of fellow-feeling for the editors. Their gravest responsibility is to pass judgment on numerous sight-records of rarities; and we hope they will be as “ hard-boiled ” as we have become in what they admit to the permanent record. “ Occurrence of Myxine off the Berwickshire coast.” By W. J. Fairbairn, Nature, 167: 72-73. Jan. 1951. I “ Nebria nivalis Paykull (Col., Carabidae) in Scotland.” By K. G. Blair, Ent. Mo. Mag., 86 : 220-222, Aug. 1950. ; Following up the recognition in Dr. Carl Lindroth’s paper of a specimen i of this northern beetle, collected on Ben Nevis, in the Zoological Museum I in Amsterdam {Scot. Nat., 61: 105), Dr. Blair’s inquiries have led to the identification of three further specimens, namely, a second from Ben Nevis, : one from Cairn Toul, and one from “ Aviemore ”. “ An Experiment in marking migratory butterflies.” By J. L. Campbell, Entomologist, 1-6, Jan. 1951. An interesting diary of Mr. Campbell’s pioneer attempt in 1949 to study i the movements of painted ladies (300 marked and released) and red \ admirals (100 marked and released). The marked butterflies appear to \ have moved away from the Isle of Canna, where the experiment was done; but some element of doubt is attached to the possible “ recoveries ” i since none of the sight-reports came from an entomologist, and no marked i specimen was recaptured. CURRENT LITERATURE 'i 1951 OBITUARY 71 OBITUARY ALFRED JAMES WILMOTT 1888-1950 I ■ ijl With the passing of A. J. Wilmott on 27th January 1950, British jji systematic botany has lost one of its most versatile experts. ||j Detailed obituary notices have appeared elsewhere but in view " of his great interest in the Scottish flora, more especially of the North Western Highlands and Islands, an appreciation in The IJ Scottish Naturalist is clearly indicated. Alfred James Wilmott was born at Tottenham in 1888, and spent most of his early years in Cambridge where he won the Frank Smart prize. He went to the Department of Botany, British Museum (Natural History) in 1911 where he continued to work until the day of his death. He was appointed Deputy Keeper in 1931. He had been for many years in charge of the British and European herbaria. He first visited Scotland in 1921 when he accompanied the late Francis Druce to East Sutherland. He returned a great many ' times, and from 1935 onwards I had the privilege of botanising I with him in most of the Scottish vice-counties, and remember with particular pleasure journeys to John o’ Groats, Lochinver, and the Mull of Kintyre. He visited Skye and the Outer Hebrides on several occasions, and the deep interest he took in the flora of the Long Island has been ably displayed in his contributions to the I, ‘‘ Flora of Uig ”. In 1948 this journal published his “ Further Botan- ising in Uig ” {Scot. Nat., 60; 82-90). He was especially interested in the origins of British flora particularly with regard to the “ Arctic- alpine ” element ; he was also an expert on the flora of the Arctic, I and many a laborious journey (he was an exceptionally big man with the relic of a football-knee) was taken up awkward screes and spouts in efforts to elucidate its mysteries further. He loved Scotland, especially the beauty of hill and sea and sunsets, and it is sad that he has not lived to make more journeys to the north-west where he was working towards a much needed v.-c. flora. He was a well-known player of table tennis — in fact, an inter- national— a musician of considerable talent, a philatelist and a successuful amateur photographer. 72 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63, 1951 To others he gave most generously from the storehouse of his knowledge, and countless botanists to-day, from professionals to the merest amateurs, feel the loss of his help and guidance, and those of us who were also his friends are grateful for having known him. ; Maybud S. Campbell. (Obituaries have appeared in Mature, Table Tennis Journal, The Times and “ Watsonia ”.) NOTICE THE PROTECTION OF BRITISH INSECTS The Protection Committee of the Royal Entomological Society of London was instituted in 1925, as a result of many complaints in the entomological journals of that time, con- ™ cerning the wanton damage that was being caused by a certain number of unscrupulous collectors, which was actually threatening the very existence of particular species. Since its institution the Committee has met with considerable success, ^ and those insects most threatened in 1925 are now considered ' to be firmly established in their particular habitats. The Committee would be glad at all times to receive ’ practical suggestions from entomologists. In particular it i| would urge entomologists to notify the Committee at the earliest possible moment of any observed threat to a rare or local species or to its habitat, giving all the information obtain- able, so that the Committee’s support and experience may be made available in framing measures to provide protection. N. D. RILEY, Hon, Secretary, Committee for the J Protection of British Insects. Royal Entomological Society of London, London, S.W. 7, ^oth March, 1951. To Miss Aileen Forrest Natural History Department Marischal College Aberdeen I enclose herewith the sum of is., being my sub- scription to The Scottish Naturalist for 1951. Name please write clearly Address Cheques may be made payable to The Scottish Naturalist. To Messrs Oliver & Boyd Ltd. Tweeddale Court Edinburgh Please send me The Scottish Naturalist. Vol. 60, 1948, price los. 6d., postage 6d. Vol. 61, 1949, „ 15s., „ 6d. Vol. 62, 1950, „ 15s., „ 6d. for which I enclose a sum of. Separate parts and volumes from 1892 onwards are available. Prices will be quoted on application to Oliver & Boyd Ltd. Name Address...... [P.T.O. THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST If not aiready paid, subscriptions of £i is. for volume 63 (1951) should be sent to Miss A. Forrest, Natural History Department, Marischal College, Aberdeen. Application should be made to Messrs. Oliver & Boyd Ltd., Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh, for previous volumes, at the following prices Volume 60, 1948 . . I os. 6d. Volume 61, 1949 • 15s. Volume 62, 1950 . 15s. NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS T' HE SCOTTISH NATURALIST is devoted to the study of Scottish Natural History, and is therefore concerned with j all the many aspects, zoological, botanical, geographical, I topographical and climatic embraced by this title. Contributions in the form of articles and short notes, and papers and books for review, should be addressed to the Editor of The Scottish Naturalist, Department of Natural History, Marischal p College, Aberdeen. Contributors should observe the following j points and endeavour to conform with the arrangement and set-up of articles and notes adopted in the current number. Manuscripts must be clearly written ; whenever possible they should be typed, double-spaced, on one side of the paper, and with adequate margins. Except in headings and titles, English names of animals and plants should appear without initial capitals, e.g. j crested tit, red admiral, but Planer’s lamprey, Scots pine. Scientific names should be given wherever they may be helpful to readers, I especially to naturalists abroad. When both are given the Latin |I name (underlined) follows the English name without any inter- Ij vening punctuation mark or brackets, e.g. “ the pale clouded I yellow Colias hyale has never occurred in Scotland.” Trinomials j should be avoided except where essential to the context. Authori- Ij ties for scientific names should be given only where there is risk : of ambiguity. The Editors will always assist in cases of difficulty :i over nomenclature. l! ij Dates should be given in the following form : 4th July 1906, I with the day of the month first. Titles of books and periodicals ij referred to by authors are printed in italics and should therefore [ be underlined. Listed referenees should be in the form of the examples in the current number. Maps, diagrams and graphs for reproduction should be drawn elearly in Indian ink on white, unlined paper, traeing linen or Bristol board. Lettering should be in pencil unless done by a skilled draughtsman. Photographs to illustrate articles and notes are aeeepted ; also pictures relating to subjects of special interest covered by the magazine. Photo- graphic prints must be made on a glossy paper. Authors of articles, but not of short notes, will receive on request 12 reprints free of charge ; additional copies may be pur- chased by the author. Reprints should be ordered when proofs are returned. Printed in Great Britain at The Aberdeen University Press Limited AUTUMN 1951 Price The Scottish Naturalist With which is incorporated The Annals of Scottish Natural History EDITED BY V. G. WYNNE-EDWARDS Regius Professor of Natural History, University of Aberdeen AND JAMES W. CAMPBELL All Articles and Communications intended for publication and all Books, etc., for notice, should be sent to The Editor, Natural History Department, Marischal College, Aberdeen. Subscriptions and Advertisements should be addressed to the Editor. Annual Subscription : £i is. ; single parts, 7s. CONTENTS PAGE The Breeding, Distribution, Population and History of the Birds of Ailsa Craig (First Part) — J. A. Gibson . 73 | The Aquatic Coleoptera of the County of Elgin — R. Richter loi Insect Immigration in 1950 — T. Dannreuther . . .122 Zoological Notes . . . . . . .128 Correspondence . . . . . . .136 136 Correction The Scottish Naturalist Volume 63, No. 2 Autumn 1951 THE BREEDING DISTRIBUTION, POPULATION AND HISTORY OF THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG J. A. Gibson Paisley 1. Introduction Position and topography. General survey of the bird popu- lation. Methods used in making the census. 2. The Breeding Species The Land Birds. The Sea Birds. Breeding Census in 1950. 3. The Non-breeding Species Regular Visitors. Occasional and Irregular Visitors. Doubtful Records. 4. Comparison with Previous Work 5. Acknowledgments 6. Summary 7. References I. Introduction In 1950 an attempt was made to carry out for the first time a complete census of all the breeding-birds on the rock of Ailsa Craig, Firth of Clyde. This paper sets out the results of the census, gives the status of all recorded non-breeding species and outlines the history of the birds in recent years. In short, an attempt is made to present a complete survey of the bird population. I have spent a Considerable period of time on the rock during the years from 1945 onwards, visiting it a number of times each year, at all seasons of the year and staying for periods of up to eight weeks at a time, but the main work for this study was carried out in April and June-July-August 1950- 10 73 0CTI7198I 74 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 Position and Topography Ailsa Graig is situated at the entrance to the Firth of Clyde in 55° 15' N.j 5° 08' W. In this position, passed by a constant stream of maritime traffic, it must be the best-known sea bird rock in Great Britain, better known even than the Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth. It is surely a strange coincidence that the entrance to the Firth of Clyde in the west of Scotland, and the entrance to the Firth of Forth in the east, should both be guarded by islands very similar in character. Both are volcanic in origin and both are the haunts of thousands of sea birds. The Bass, miles from the coast, may be more rich in human history, but Ailsa, twice as large, three times as high and miles from the nearest part of the mainland, far surpasses it in natural grandeur and impressiveness. The nearest part of the mainland is Ardwell Point, Ayr- shire, 8J miles to the south-east ; Girvan is gj miles distant; Turnberry, 1 1 J miles ; Pladda in Arran, 1 2 miles ; Gorsewall Point in Wigtonshire, 17 miles; and the nearest part of Ireland 36 miles. Since it lies almost exactly midway on the sea-route between Glasgow and Belfast it has long received the nickname “ Paddy’s Milestone According to the measurements of the Ordnance Survey, the Craig is 3,900ft. long, 2,600ft. broad and 1,114ft. high. In circumference it is rather more than 2J miles, and it covers an area of 225 acres. The spit of level ground on the east where the houses and lighthouse stand measures some 30 acres, and the only natural landing-place is a small beach on the same side. Seen from Girvan, on the Ayrshire coast, the rock has the appearance of a huge tea-cosy. On the north, west, and south sides sheer cliffs rise abruptly from a narrow foreshore to a maximum height of about 700 ft. The Barestack [c. 650 ft.) is probably the highest overhang in Great Britain. The east side is bounded by steep boulder slopes covered with bracken and heather, the average angle of slope being approx. 45°. At the south-west two points. Toutin’ Stone Point and Stranny Point, project into the sea, but at low tide it is possible to walk right round the island. Ailsa Craig is composed of a fine-grained microgranite THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 75 1951 which in certain localities contains crystals of riebeckite, a rare dark-blue variety of hornblende. The cliffs are formed HlRRlNa GULLS HEATHER 5LCPES LESSER BLACK* SACKED fiOUUS A AAA A AAA TALUS SLOP»tft CLIFFS ^ :iic marsh WITH LOCHS Fig. I. — Map showing distribution of herring and lesser black-backed gulls. 76 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 by tall perpendicular columns of the granite, broken up by 1 widely separated dolerite ridges which have an average thickness of 6 to 8 ft. These are more easily weathered than the granite and afford natural boundaries for dividing the I bird colonies. t The surface of the island is divided by three main gullies, i Garryloo, Clashwaun and Nettley Howe. Garryloo and Clash- waun intersect at the Garry Loch, the main source of water. On the summit the vegetation is mainly grass ; lower down are bracken-covered boulder slopes and steep screes, and heather slopes on the east side behind the dwelling houses. A full account of the land vegetation is given in the excellent paper by H. G. Vevers (1936). General survey of the bird population The bird population of Ailsa Craig throughout the year falls naturally into two groups — the breeding birds and the visitors. The breeding birds may be divided roughly into the follow- ing communities : [a) the small Passerines that occupy the greater part of the island and get their food from it ; {b) birds that nest and feed along the shore, represented only "by the oystercatcher ; (r) birds that use the island only for nesting and occupy the cliffs and cliff margins, i.e. the sea birds proper; and [d) predatory and partly predatory birds— the raven, peregrine falcon and large gulls. It is convenient, however, to consider the breeding birds under two main headings, namely, land birds and sea birds. Ailsa Craig lies on no very definite migration route so the number of regular visitors is not large ; two factors, however, serve to bring rare visitors to the island — high winds and fog — • and of these fog is undoubtedly the more important. Twenty species of birds nest fairly regularly and a further 17 have bred. Twenty-nine birds are regular visitors (all seasons) and 64 are occasional and irregular visitors — a large class of very varied status, some of which are now “ extinct ”, and some of which may prove to be more regular than now appears. A further 12 birds have been doubtfully recorded. If we are to believe previous reports of the bird population, and these vary immensely in accuracy, then the present popu- lation is a mere fraction of what it was formerly. There is ll THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 77 I 1951 \ certainly no doubt that the sea birds have decreased markedly I since, say, the end of the last century. The enemies of the sea birds have been man, rats, gulls and oil. The sea birds were formerly systematically trapped for their I feathers (in fact it was for this purpose that the Craig was rented) and as a source of food, but these activities have long since ceased. At the beginning of the century extensive quarrying operations were commenced on Ailsa Craig and these caused some concern to the British Ornithologists’ Club I (Rothschild, 1907), who were, however, assured by the Marquis of Ailsa that there was no danger to the birds. McWilliam (1927) was of the opinion that the quarrying on Ailsa Craig constituted a serious menace to the birds, but I personally cannot believe that the present quarrying (for the manufacture of curling stones) affects the bird population in any way whatsoever. In 1889 rats got ashore from a wreck (Campbell, 1892) and since then have multiplied exceedingly. They made havoc among the birds and probably played a great part in the reduction of the puffin. In 1925 the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds attempted to have the rats destroyed but this was only partly successful ; recently, however, there seems to be a decrease in numbers. The large population of gulls every year takes a heavy toll in eggs and nestlings. Systematic collection of gulls’ eggs is now carried out and may be in some measure responsible for the noticeable increase in the numbers of puffins in recent years. Finally it is necessary to consider the efl'ects of oiling, which constitutes by far the most serious menace to the bird population. Every year considerable numbers of all species of sea birds are destroyed in this way and in some years the effect is disastrous. In 1948 at least 20 per cent, of the whole guillemot population was destroyed by oil. The effect of this kind of mortality occurring year after year must be enormous. Mr. James Girvan, tenant of the island, tells me he can trace the decline in the auks from the commencement of serious oiling. If this menace continues on the present scale the guillemots and razorbills will be exterminated within the next few decades. 78 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 Methods used in making the census Where large areas of “ dead ground ” could be avoided the colonies were counted from the beach, otherwise almost ,, entirely from a boat ; a few isolated groups were counted from I the top of the cliffs. Countmg by eye is the most satisfactory method and this was used whenever possible, but in the * majority of cases X 8 or X 10 field glasses were used to aid the counts by eye. {a) Direct counts of occupied nests. This is the most accurate method and was used for those species that make definite nests, i.e. the gannet and kittiwake. {b) Counts by other methods. Since guillemots and razorbills make no nest, special methods had to be adopted to assess their populations and the counts were made by the method described in a previous paper (Gibson, 1950). (c) Estimation by area. The gulls were estimated by taking sample counts and |j deducing the total. The pipits were estimated by taking the whole area occupied and the average area of the territory held by each pair. (d) Estimation by other methods. Each of the puffin groups was estimated separately, the : results being based on the numbers and activity of the birds I observed during repeated watches at each group. In the case of the other species many of the nests were known, and the populations were small enough to enable f accurate estimates to be made fairly easily. 2. The Breeding Species The Land Birds I Raven Corvus corax | One pair of ravens breed on Ailsa Craig, rearing four ori five young each year. They inhabit mainly the south-west of| the island and since 1948 their nest has been placed in the same situation on the top of the cliffs at the East Trammins, not far from the south quarry. There has always been at least one pair of ravens on Ailsa Craig; from time to time in the , THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 79 T951 ;past one of the birds has been shot but the remaining bird has always found another mate by the next season. It is doubtful whether there has ever been more than one pair breeding. Walker (1868) mentioned several pairs breeding, jbut he visited the island rather late in the year and there is no other supporting evidence. Meadow-pipit Anthus pratensis and Rock-pipit Anthus spinoletta These two pipits can be conveniently considered together. Differentiation in the field is not easy so the area occupied by each cannot be clearly delimited and certainly overlaps to some extent. The rock-pipits are by far the more numerous. They inhabit the whole of the shore-line, the cliffs and much of the ground at the cliff- top, and their population, estimated on a territory basis, is somewhere in the region of 100 pairs. The meadow-pipits are to be found nearer the summit of the island, but some also inhabit the east side down to the slopes below the castle. Only a rough estimate of the popu- lation can be made and I tentatively suggest 15 pairs. Blackbird Turdus merula Several pairs of blackbirds formerly bred on Ailsa Craig but the population fluctuates somewhat and in recent years there has only been one pair. At present they are to be found on the slopes behind the castle [c. 450 ft.), but their choice of habitat varies greatly and they have occupied such diverse nesting sites as within McNall’s cave, within the ruins of the castle and on the shore near the West Loups. The blackbird also occurs regularly on passage, considerable migration taking place every year especially during the months of April, October and November. Robin Erithacus rubecula The robin is best known as a regular passage-migrant in spring and autumn, but in 1950 two pairs remained to breed, and it is probable that birds do so most years yet go unrecorded (Donaldson recorded the robin as a breeding species in 1854). ' Certainly the territory in the region of the houses provides an abundance of suitable nesting-sites. In previous years I have noticed birds throughout the summer but no proof of breeding was obtained until 1950. 8o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 Hedge-sparrow Prunella modularis The hedge-sparrow has long been known as an inhabitant of Ailsa Craig. Gray and Anderson wrote in 1869, it lives upon Ailsa Craig, among the kittiwakes and guillemots, and 1 jerks about among the rugged stones as contentedly as if in the ! near neighbourhood of a stack yard Gray (1871) also recorded it as having nested in one of the caves, but the usual haunt is along the east shore and the slopes in the neighbour- hood of the houses. It was probably never numerous, and now its numbers vary from year to year; one pair bred in 1950 whereas it was completely absent in 1947 — a rare happening (Gibson, 1948). Stray visitors also occur through- out the year. Wren Troglodytes troglodytes A small colony of wrens is one of the most pleasing features of the land bird population of Ailsa Craig. Its existence has long been known and was recorded by many previous writers including Donaldson in 1854. The present size of the popu- lation is some 20 pairs, spread over the Castle Well flat (r. 500 ft.), the Castle flat (r. 400 ft.) and the east shore-line from the Trammins in the south to the Swine Cave in the north. There are also some to be found at the foot of Ashydoo in the west. The wrens of Ailsa Craig differ slightly from the main- ' land form, although the differences are not sufficient to merit a subspecies. This tendency of island wrens to differ slightly from their mainland counterparts is a strange one. It has 1 been referred to in the Summer Isles by Darling (1940) and i has also been noted on the islands in Loch Lomond. In , spring and autumn it is probable that the native population ' is added to by birds on passage. Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus \ Ailsa Craig seems to have been a long-established breeding | station of the peregrine and as long ago as 1635 have ; references to goose-hawks ” (Brereton, 1635). The peregrine i has survived considerable persecution. Carrier-pigeons were I formerly used for commmnication with the mainland and so : attempts were made to exterminate all the hawks on the ; island. Lawson (1895) recorded that “ we have managed this I summer to shoot all the hawks on the island except one. Fig. 2. — Gannets on Kennedy’s Nags, June 1950. ig^i THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 81 They were of the peregrine sort, and we have the largest one stuffed One pair now breeds every year, rearing on an average three young. Their principal haunt is the north- east of the island and the nest is usually situated at the top of one of the steep gullies in the neighbourhood of the Loups. The Sea Birds Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo The cormorant has never been plentiful on Ailsa Craig and, moreover, must often have been confused with the shag. 82 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 65 Donaldson (1854) does not distinguish the species. Gray and Anderson (1869) recorded a few pairs breeding, but Walker (1868) made no mention of the cormorant. Paterson had no evidence of breeding in 1901 and Paton and Pike stated in; 1929 “it has also nested on Ailsa Craig, but not, as far as wei ' can find out, in recent years ”. Occasional birds were seen from 1946 to 1949 and one pair nested on the Barestack in 1950. Mr. James Girvan, tenant of the island, states that in his lifetime the cormorant has always been less numerous than the shag. Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis ii. Gray and Anderson, and Walker, in the 1860s recorded ! the shag as a breeding species. Walker stated three or four < pairs nested and that it had formerly been more common. ( Later Gray, in 1871, also recorded the shag as a nesting species, j Within the next thirty years it seems to have undergone a change : in status because in 1900 Paterson (Smith, Paterson and Watt, t 1900) could write : “ There is no recent evidence that I am aware of, of the cormorant or shag nesting on the Craig It must be remembered, however, that a few pairs of shags “ could easily be overlooked by observers paying but a short visit. This same criticism could also be applied to the account 1 of Paton and Pike who stated that the Craig was no longer a nesting site in 1929. Me William (1936) is more guarded in : his statement, “ it may sometimes nest on Ailsa still Never- j theless, all these statements point to a definite decrease in j numbers of the shag. In recent years, however, it has become increasingly common and in 1950 my estimate was r. 18 pairs. ! Of these some 1 1 pairs nested on the Barestack, and the rest on Ashydoo, the Cairn, Stranny point (4 pairs) and the Main ' Craigs far east. j,.. Gannet Sula bassafia I Considerable attention has been paid to the gannet on Ailsa ' Craig and for the detailed history readers are referred to the account of Gurney (1913) for the years up to 1907, and to that of Fisher and Vevers (1943 and 1944) for the years 1907 to 1942. This account is confined to a consideration of the population in recent years. The gannet population of Ailsa Craig has been estimated THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 83 1951 ] many times, with widely varying degrees of accuracy, but the ; first accurate census, based on a direct count of occupied ;! nests, was carried out in 1936 by Vevers and Fisher. There- j after counts were made in 1937 (Vevers, Fisher, Hartley and Best, 1937), 1938 (Vevers and Fisher, 1938) and 1939, 1940, ! 1941 and 1942 (Fisher and Vevers, 1943). There was an j unavoidable interruption during the war years but obser- f vations were continued in 1946 and counts again made in i 1947 (Gibson, 1948), 1948, 1949 and 1950 (Gibson, 1951). I From 1936 to 1942 the counts were made by members of a team, A. T. Best, F. F. Darling, J. Fisher, Mrs. M. I. E. j Fisher, G. H. Hartley, R. A. Hinde, Vliss F. Howard, F. J. I Huxley, L. P. Madge, M. Stewart, L. S. V. Venables and H. G. Vevers;. from 1946 to 1948 by J. A. Gibson, in 1949 by J. A. Gibson, F. J. Huxley, H. G. Vevers and V. A. Mitchison, , and in 1950 by J. A. Gibson. The detailed results of the yearly census are given in Table i and all the groups are referable to the plan of the gannet colonies (Fig. 3). Each count of a group is the mean of several counts made on the same or different days. In 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942 the census was made by direct counts only, but more than half the assessment of the 1937 population was based on the alighting method, first described by Vevers and Fisher in 1936. In a later paper, however, they stated they had overestimated the accuracy of the method (1943). It is possible, indeed, that an error of 20-30 per cent, was made in the fraction assessed by this kind of estimation. Therefore the hgure for 1937 may be higher than 6,000 pairs, or as low as 5,000 pairs — ^which would bring it between the figures for 1936 and 1938, and indeed it is probable that there was a fairly steady increase during the five years from 1936 to 1940. In 1941 there was a truly remarkable decrease. The Glyde is used in war-time for naval gunnery practice and explosions were shocking the gannets off their nest-sites. This may account for the decrease, but other factors may be involved since the gannets made a good recovery in 1942 although the activities of the Royal Navy were in no important sense different (Fisher and Vevers, 1943). (See also under razorbills and guillemots.) BARR.WE.ADS f The gannet colonies and population in recent years. All figures stand for the number of pairs 1951 THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 85 o 3 fl Ph P o 5 o I § Gibson.— Sliddery, North of the Slunk, Foot of the Slunk, Above Ashydoo. Vevers-Fisher. — Barestack, North of Ashydoo, Ashydoo Ai, Ashydoo A2. The present nomenclature will be used for all future counts. 86 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 f | It would have been extremely interesting to have traced the population during the next few years but, unfortunately, this ' was not possible. Observations were continued after the ' cessation of hostilities and in 1947 the Main Craigs far east top j and Stranny point groups were occupied for the first time [ (Gibson, 1948). The counts in 1947, 1948 and 1949 show a 1, slight but steady decrease, starting from a level of above that ! ■ in 1942, so it may be that the gannets made a good recovery and that the maximum of the population curve lies somewhere | between 1942 and 1947. I In 1950 there was an astounding increase, of over 1,500 ii pairs on the 1949 population. One completely new colony ■ was occupied and nine groups held the maximum population ever counted in any year. Whether or not this is a temporary j increase we shall see with interest. Fisher and Vevers (1943) arrived at an index of the amount of ‘ room ’ available for gannets on Ails a Craig by adding , together the maximum population that had ever been counted on : each of the different sections of the cliffs. This miaximum is I for 1936 4800 pairs, for 1937 5694, for 1938 5922, for 1939 , 6334, for 1940 6657, for 1941 6665, for 1942 6836, for 1947 7064, for 1948 7084, for 1949 7276 and for 1950 8125. Certainly the Craig can hold 8125 pairs of gannets. After my experience with the population in 1950 I should say that the cliffs them- I selves can hold easily 10,000 pairs without the birds having to i spread up on to the sloping ground at the cliff-tops. | Fulmar petrel Fidmarus glacialis The fulmar is the most recent addition to the avifauna of Ailsa Craig, so it will be of interest to examine its history in detail. The first record of the fulmar on Ailsa Craig was in 1931 when A. McCaw, the principal lighthouse-keeper, saw one ; ^ flying about. No more was seen of the fulmar until 1936 when James Fisher, who spent a week on the island in April, saw one ^ ; off the cliffs. The detailed history from 1936 to date is as . ; follow^s : 1937 None seen. 1938 J . Girvan saw two birds at the north quarry nearly every ? : day throughout the summer. ; / ■ ( ; THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 87 J951 1939 round Swine cave in spring (J. Fisher) and on 26th August J. Girvan found a young bird, almost fully-feathered but in a very weak condition and unable to fly, on the beach near the Barestack. This was recorded by Fisher and Waterston (1941) as the first Ailsa Craig breeding record. 1940 Two pairs seen in early April (J. Fisher). Fig. 4. — Fulmar petrel and young, Toutin’ Stone point, July 1950. 1941 Two birds seen over lighthouse and cottage in April (J. Fisher). 1942 Fulmars seen several times over Stranny point in early April, and two pairs seen at Swine cave during summer by J. Girvan who “ suspected breeding ”. 1943 None seen. 1944 None seen. 1945 Fulmars prospecting Ashydoo; one pair probably bred on Ashydoo fj. Girvan; see also short note by Gillespie, 1947). 88 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 1946 Fulmars seen by Swine cave and Graignawn in spring. During summer two pairs almost certainly bred on Ashydoo. 1947 In June, J. A. Gibson and J. Girvan found fulmars ; breeding on Loutin’ Stone point and Stranny point; I also prospecting Graignawn. Population estimated at 13 birds (Gibson, 1948), of which four pairs were definitely breeding. 1948 Again breeding on Loutin’ Stone point; doubtful on Stranny point; prospecting Graignawn; also seen flying near Swine cave. ** 1949 At least eight pairs breeding on Loutin’ Stone point; two pairs breeding on Stranny point; prospecting West Trammins, McNall’s cave, Graignawn. Estimate 25 birds. 1950 Fulmars breeding on Loutin’ Stone point, Stranny point. Main Graigs far east. Probably breeding on Main Graigs, Barestack. Prospecting Swine cave, Graignawn and Ashydoo. Breeding was proved in ^ only eight cases (eggs or young examined), but a further ,, ten pairs (inaccessible nests) were probably breeding. | Estimate about 40 birds. For proof of breeding it is essential that either eggs or young ^ be examined, since it is well known that the fulmar may haunt | a suitable site for many years before actually nesting. More- 1 ^ over, it appears from the latest information that the fulmar ^ p may not necessarily breed every year (Wynne- Edwards, 1939). The first sign of breeding was in 1939 when J. Girvan found the young bird on the shore, and although breeding was suspected several times in the years following, the next definite proof ' « came in 1947 when J. Girvan and J. A. Gibson found the small - colony on Loutin’ Stone point. Since then the fulmar has7‘!: bred every year, in steadily increasing numbers. In 1950, I although the population was in the region of forty birds, it L was possible to examine only eight nests, so the remaining H pairs, probably breeding, could not be accepted as records. 9 Oystercatgher Haematopus ostralegus \ For the past fifteen years or so one pair of oystercatchers ) has bred on Ailsa Graig. They occupy diverse nesting-sites, ) 1951 THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAICx 89 I and in 1950 bred on the west shore not far from Ashydoo. The statement of Paton and Pike in 1929 that the oystercatcher “ does not breed on Ailsa Craig, and we can find no record of its having been seen there ” is only partially correct. Although they had never been found breeding, birds had been seen on ; many occasions before that (J. Girvan). Later Paton (1932), however, reported that it bred on Ailsa in 1930 and that appears to be the first record. Pennant (1774) mentioned , “ sea-pies ” breeding. This is listed by MacGillivray (1846) as a local name for the oystercatcher, so it may be that the oyster- catcher was breeding on Ailsa in Pennant’s time. : Herring gull Lams argentatus The herring gull is now by far the most numerous of the scavenging gulls on Ailsa Craig, but this does not always seem to have been the case. Gray and Anderson (1869) were of the opinion that the lesser black-backed was much more numerous. Walker stated in 1868: “ I forgot to notice the proportion of lesser black-backed to herring gulls but I believe the latter predominate ”, so his statement cannot be relied upon closely. , Paterson, however, writing in 1900 left no doubt that ‘‘ the herring gull occurs in small numbers, being greatly exceeded by the lesser black-backed gull ” (Smith, Paterson and Watt, 1900), and again: “ a few pairs of herring gulls nest on Ailsa Craig ; colonies of lesser black-backed gulls on Ailsa Craig ” (Paterson, 1901). More recently, however (Paton and Pike, 1929), the herring gull seemed to be increasing and the lesser black-backed decreasing. The herring gull now nests in two large colonies, above Kennedy’s Nags and the Eagle’s Seat, the colony above Kennedy’s Nags being the larger ; and there is also a smallish colony on Toutin’ Stone point and Stranny point. The herring gull colonies are generally placed at a lower level than those of the lesser black-backed gull, the approxi- mate outlines of the respective colonies being shown in Fig i. Partial counts were made at each of the colonies, and by correlating this with the number of eggs collected (systematic egg collecting is now carried out) the population of herring gulls was estimated at approximately 800 pairs. The herring and lesser black-backed gulls are responsible for great destruction of eggs and young of the other nesting 12 90 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 birds, principally the gannet, guillemot and razorbill. During the summer pleasure steamers sometimes sail round the island and attempt to make the birds fly out from the cliffs by sounding their whistles. When this happens hordes of gulls descend on ; the undefended nests and vast numbers of eggs are sucked or f young killed. Solitary gulls, also, carry out pirate raids, and I have watched two herring gulls take 37 guillemot eggs in thirty minutes. The gulls are probably one of the chief enemies of the puffin. Attempts are now being made to reduce the population of gulls on the island (for example, m by egg collecting) and since these have been commenced | there has been a noticeable increase in the number of puffins. | This may be simply coincidence, but it is tempting to link the | two together. ‘ Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus As was noted under the last species the lesser black-backed gull was formerly very numerous but is no longer so. The principal colony is on the high slopes above the Eagle’s Seat, and there is a smaller colony above the herring gull colony at 1 Kennedy’s Nags. Isolated nests are also found on the summit towards the north. The population was estimated in a similar manner, and the final result was approximately 200 pairs. Great black-backed gull Larus marinus In 1950 some 12 pairs of great black-backed gulls nested on Ailsa Craig, and this has been the size of the population for the last few years. The nests are scattered over the island, most being placed along the tops of the west cliffs from the Trammins to the Slunk. James Girvan, the tenant, can trace the rise of the great black-backed gull from the introduction of the Soay sheep, and is of the opinion that they take a heavy ^ toll of newly-born lambs every year. The status of this gull in past years has been varied. Walker (1868), Gray and Anderson (1869) Gray (1864, 1871) all recorded it as a I breeding species, although in small numbers, but by 1901 Paterson was writing “ possibly nests on Ailsa Craig ”, so it seems to have undergone a change in status. Seven years later Berry (1908) wrote, “ Whatever it may have done in the past, I fear at the present time it does not breed here”. In 1922, however, McCrindle found it breeding. Later Me William ^ \jg^i THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 91 (1936) wrote “it occasionally nests on Ailsa From then onwards it increased steadily, and is now firmly established as a breeding species. ' Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla This dainty little gull has always occurred in large numbers on Ailsa Craig, but strangely enough has received compara- tively scant attention in the past. A map of the kittiwake colonies is given in Fig. 6, and the results of the census in 1950 are listed ‘in Table 2; all the Fig. 5. — Kittiwakes nesting in the Slunk, July 1950. colonies in Table 2 can be referred to the groups on the map. Each count of a group is the mean of several counts made on the same or different days. The counts were made from the beach or from a boat, and in three cases (the Slunk, Doras Yet Di and D2) from the top of the cliff's. The final result was 7,104 pairs, thus showing the kittiwake to be the most numerous bird on the Craig. Razorbill Aka tor da Most of the remarks about the guillemot (below) can be applied to the razorbill. Fig. 7 is a combined map of the The Kittiwake, Guillemot and Razorbill Colonies and Populations in 1950. All figures stand for the number of pairs. 92 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 OCOCO I-H CO C) (N 05 TjH W (N CO OJr^LOCOO >-iCO '^CO 05 CO Of I-H (N lO 11 M CT5 0( lO iCO o -if CO o CO ^ (N CO ^ 1 1-H « 1- CD lOCO - CO LO (N 05 Tf 0 0 CO Cl d'co CO ■'t' 11 05 O' CO Cl 0 05 CO (05 1 Cl n Cl lO CO Cl Cl LO 11 .N 1 CO lO CO 1 1 .V 0 1 1 ^CO 0 Cl 1 0 CO CO -CO 0 H Cl M Cl LO CO (05 Cl 10 CO 1 Cl LO Ilf 11 Cl COw II CO'id-'I^CI (N O i n o r^co n Cl 05 tJh LO 05nclC|iO'n05iiiiCliO rhco CO m o LO 1 05 05 lO ^co « CO lO CO ^CO O 05 05 coco CO 1 1 T^i lO CO 11 lO 05 CO >> o 'b u C3 Ph O PP b I i J ;§ ;» J 'B 13 <<<< UO to O (N hh C( ex ^to lO ^ a: X^CO « ex coco ex CO X^ „ HH «co Thcx T^x^ojxo. >-< CO 'f CO HH ^co CO ^cOLOCXThCOiocx ex to x^ o^to eoco lO ^ M eo-^ex coeoioe'tco '-' x^ i-H ex to ^ CO lo >-■ ex HH CO „ ex CO -I lO •-< I-H CO -H ex lO lO ^ x^ co«cobtooototocn-^^ CO ocxi-ocotocD'-'''^exTh'C2 ►H mco hhhhco*-h lo to CO, 5" ocnoocor^oii CO X^^ lO CO i-i CO ^ t}h lO o to x^ W CO CO o CO CO lO to LO O (^o CTi cn O exi^’•^lOCr>cxTjH i-HCXLO'^C7>'-HhHCOi-iCT)CXThi ^cx „,.x^^^^„exT}-'„ o rv «-H x^ CO Thico CO ^ ^ o ►H o O «cOtOCO O TjHCTit^cx I-H ex lO coco I-H HH CO >1 ex rj-i lO to O « O ” X^ LO H^l rvtO '' •-• cT)X-hoi ex cn-i x^cox^o '- cox^ „lOCO ^X^lO r.'if ^ co^tococrji-Hcoco^o ^ CO X^CX -^COi-hCO '^X^'fi-H to LO ►H X^ ex I-H lO tJH ^ r-H Oi CO ^ O O CO - I-H o> x^ CO C) Loto ►-'CO ThOiio-^tii-H r^cT) lO LO -I ■'t' tJh HH coto CO O ' “ O x^ O *cx -I ex 05 to I-H tJh LO lO I-H X^CO •'_>xO''i-H Or^O, 0)0^|-H lOi-l I-H I-H tJhOJLOCX i-H i-H ex i-t ^^lOr^-'fiO'-H coto CO ^co _ .»0)•«^,^x^^»^ .Nr, .nI-h to _e LOtO I-H « to Tf (05 LOtO O if 05 LO X^to W if -fi X-i-tO x^ ex -f CO X^to CO CO .N if CO CO lO r^to I-H if lo x^co x^ .N ex rjH .N X^to CO .N LO .N .,tO HH .nCO X^ X^to ex if if x^ lO I-I if if I-I coto CO*-HX^CxCXiocXifi-H X^to coto x^ 05 TjH CO LO -H .N ex CO ex CO .N .N to '1 ex x^H ex .N CO O "f CO CO I- CO ex .N if « o V 03 M O 4-1 "d cts (hh gfc, o CO V C3 CO . . -p O d W pq oO OT 04-2 2-2 o W c/) Mare Mare, North Below (L) c/3 c/3 ^ cs V OrHOfnCHC^c/Tc/r o 022 ’o d ‘S ‘d 2 C3 04 2 - H l3 3 ^ ^ U ij CO c/2 c/3 4-> 4-> .S J.S 0 s ill C3 cS hhh^^ BARRHE.AD5 Fig. 7. — Panorama diagram of the west and south cliffs showing the natural and artificial boundaries of the razorbill and guillemot colonies. 96 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 guillemot and razorbill colonies and the results of the census ' are listed in Table 2. As usual, each count of a group is the mean of several counts. The razorbill was never so plentiful as | the guillemot and does not seem to be so badly affected by the t oil. This may be due to a difference m feeding habits. In 1859 there was great mortality among the sea birds in the Firth of Clyde. Razorbills and guillemots were worst affected, the razorbill being found in extraordinary numbers — ten to one of the other species. The birds “ darted eagerly at' any food which came their way, rushing at baited hooks on a hand-line, and otherwise exhibiting a tameness more like the result of starvation that the effects of disease. They were all in a wasted condition, being almost reduced to skin and feathers, and were found floating in thousands over a wide extent of sea from the mouth of the river Clyde to the Irish coasts ”. The mortality was attributed to an extreme scarcity of food (Robertson, 1859). In 1913 Ailsa Craig was completely deserted by razorbills and guillemots; puffins and kittiwakes had also decreased , (Kirk, 1913). This was at first thought to be due to naval gunnery practice in the Clyde, but razorbills and guillemots " were also much reduced on St. Kilda and Rathlin (Best, 1913) where there was no gunfire, and reported as normal in the | Firth of Forth (Evans, 1913) where gun practice was much in |! evidence. Food supply was therefore suggested as the reason for the decrease. The birds returned in full force the following | year (Nash, 1914). | Guillemot Uria aalge The Handbook records the southern guillemot {Uria aalge albionis) as the form of the common guillemot found on Ailsa Craig, but this is only partly correct since the northern {Uria aalge aalge) and southern forms both occur, although the southern guillemot is in the majority (Gibson, 1951). In- vestigations into the exact status of each species have been in progress for some time and it is hoped to complete them in 1951- The methods used in counting the guillemot and razorbill colonies were discussed in a previous paper (Gibson, 1950). Each count of a group is the mean of several counts made on the ji THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 97 I 1951 same and different days. The results of the census are listed in Table 2, and Fig. 7 gives a combined map of the guillemot and razorbill colonies. During the years 1947-49 investigations were carried out into the status of the bridled guillemot. Ledge counts were made according to the method described by Southern (1948), with a grand total (over 3 years) of 20/2484, or o-8i per cent, of bridled birds. This agrees closely with the figure of 0-87 per cent, reached by L. S. V. Venables in 1938 and 1940 and quoted in the survey by Southern and Reeve (1941). Gray and Anderson (1869) investigated the status of the bridled guillemot in 1866, putting the figure at i in 500. Walker (1868), in the same year, gave the figure as i in 12, but this was certainly erroneous. In former years the eggs of the guillemot and razorbill were systematically collected, and fortunately the records of these collections have been kept. By comparing them with the present known population in the same groups, we have an index of the population in past years, and there is no doubt that the guillemot has decreased sharply since the turn of the century. Two examples will suffice. During the years 1905- 1910 the average “ bag ” of eggs taken from the Bed o’ Grass area was 1 10 dozen (population c. 250 pairs in 1950), and from Ashydoo 90 dozen (population 248 pairs in 1950) (A. and J. Girvan) . There are many other similar counts and, moreover, many formerly dense colonies are no longer occupied at all. It is safe to say that the present population is only 10 per cent, of what it was forty years ago, and according to the tenant, Jimmy Girvan, the decline can be traced to the effects of oiling. Every year there is considerable mortality but the year 1948 was the worst on record. The summer had been very warm so the large stretches of floating oil did not get broken up by heavy seas. On 23rd August vast numbers of oiled guillemots came ashore overnight. From the south Fog Horn to the jetty (a distance of about half a mile) I counted over 850 badly oiled guillemots on the beach. There were many hundreds floating a little way out at sea and hundreds more round the rest of the coast line. All would certainly die, and this re- presented almost a quarter of the total population. Similar disasters were reported from the Ayrshire coast. The effect 13 98 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 of this mortality was very marked in 1949 — many previously thriving colonies being almost deserted. By 1950, however, they had made some sort of recovery. It will be immediately obvious that if this menace to the sea birds is allowed to con- tinue unchecked then the extermination of the auks on Ailsa Craig IS not very far distant. Puffin Fratercula arciica The history of the puffin on Ailsa Craig is melancholy indeed. About a hundred years ago the puffin was by far the most numerous bird on the island and probably as numerous as all the rest of the birds added together. Contemporary reports often speak of them as “ darkening the sky ” (e.g. Abercrummie, 1696) and although the account of the old fisherman, “ They come twelve raik a day, and 156 million thousand at a raik ” (in Lawson, 1888), may be slightly exaggerated (!), nevertheless it gives us a good idea of the vast numbers. Walker in 1866 found the puffin breeding “ everywhere a patch of soil is found in which it can burrow ”. Gray wrote in 1871 that “ the birds were so closely packed that it would have been almost impossible to insert one’s hand anywhere amongst them ”, and that in flight “ their numbers seemed so great as to cause a bewildering darkness ”. He regarded the puffin as the most plentiful sea bird in the west of Scotland and “ could scarcely have believed the existence of so many puffins in any locality so near the mainland (Ailsa Craig) ”. But rats got ashore from a wreck in 1889 (Campbell, 1892), and from then onwards the puffin’s doom was sealed, although the end was somewhat delayed. Kearton in the 1890s and Paterson in 1900 still found puffins in immense numbers (“ throughout the summer the air is full of them ”), while in 1900 Andrew Girvan, the tenant, killed 100 dozen puffins with a pole in a single day, thus bettering David Bodan’s feat of 80 dozen in one day in 1826. From 1900 we get signs of a slight decrease although they still nested over the whole island, but by 1910 the slopes behind the houses were being deserted (J. Girvan). By 1924 there was “ not nearly the number” that nested there in the late sixties (Baton and Pike, 1929); by 1927 only a few were to be found; by 1934 the puffin was THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 99 I ‘S5‘ practically extinct (Me William, 1936), and this was the position j' up till a few years ago. I From probably over a quarter of a million puffins in the ; 1 860s there were only thirty birds on the whole island in I 1947 (Gibson, 1948). The cause of this decrease has never i been fully explained but I would put it down to the combined effects of rats, oil and gulls. The rats came in 1889 t)ut the puffins were managing to hold their own till past the turn of the century. Then oil began to play its part and we can see a slow but steady decrease. The great decline in the population came in the ten years from 1925 to 1935 and it was Table 3 Puffin colonies and population in 1950. Colony No. of pairs Swine Cave r. 8 Sliddery, Lower Part c. 10 Foot of the Slunk C. 12 Ashydoo .... c. 40 Foot of the Cairn . C. 20 Black Holes . C. 10 Mare, Lower Ledge c. 10 Bed 0’ Grass . c. 70 Loutin’ Stone C. 12 Below Rotten Nick C. 20 Trammins .... r. 30 Craignawn r. 4 Total c. 246 pairs in the late 1920s that the gulls began to increase rapidly, so it would seem that the depredations of the gulls added to the oil and rats brought about the final downfall. In the last five years serious attempts to exterminate the gulls have been commenced and this has been accompanied by a slight but noticeable increase in the puffins. If these two facts are related then there is hope for the puffins yet. d’able 3 gives the results of the census in 1950. There are now twelve nesting-sites, compared with one in 1947. 100 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 6j Breeding Census in 1950 fAll figures stand for the number of pairs.) Land Birds: Raven i Meadow-pipit . . . . c, 15 Rock-pipit r. 100 Blackbird i Robin 2 Hedge-sparrow .... i Wren c. 20 Peregrine falcon .... i Total land birds c. 14 1 pairs Cormorant . . . I Shag CO HH c Gannet • 6579 Fulmar 8 Oystercatcher I Herring gull . c. 800 Lesser black-backed gull . C. 200 Great black-backed gull . C. 12 Kittiwake 7104 Razorbill • 2159 Guillemot .... • 5381 Puffin Total sea birds c. 22,509 pairs (To be continued) 1951 THE AQUATIC GOLEOPTERA OF ELGIN lOI THE AQUATIC GOLEOPTERA OF THE COUNTY OF ELGIN R. Richter Gordonstoun {Received ^ist January 1951) In the period from September 1949 to December 1950 I have had the opportunity to do some intensive collecting in the County of Elgin. Although I am confident that new species will be added to the county list in the future, I feel justified in publishing the following account of the species known at present. The number of recorded species now stands at about ninety, and the list may be regarded as fairly representative. A number of collectors have previously worked the Forres district, but not until 1934 was anything like a comprehensive survey of the whole county undertaken. In that year F. Balfour-Browne made a tour covering the remainder of the county, and added many new species to the list. From then until 1939 little more seems to have been done. As the area covered is so large and diverse, I have divided it for the purposes of this paper into three levels, by altitude. A. — The coastal flats, nowhere more than a few feet above sea level, bounded inland by a raised beach line in most places. This area is largely covered by marshes and pine woods and contains some shallow reedy lochs. Among these is Loch Spynie, which occupies a somewhat unique position as regards both fauna and flora. All the estuarine salt-marshes are in this division, which I have extended, for reasons of natural geo- graphy, into the County of Nairn, as far as the golf links. B. — The remainder of the county up to the 900 feet contour. An area of great diversity, mostly on Old Red Sandstone. There are some natural and artificial lochs, distillery reservoirs and quarry pools, but few larger patches of marshland. There is a fair amount of grouse moor in this division but it does not contain lochs. C. ^ — The Highland area above 900 feet, nearly all heather and peat, and containing a number of pools and lochs of THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 102 VoL 63 various sizes, the larger stone-bottomed. The water is always ■ more or less peaty. In the following list, the levels at which a species has I occurred are given by their letters. A, B or C. Localities are [ given for the older records wherever possible. They are followed by the collector’s initials and the year of capture ; the key to the former will be found below. The letters mss. after the date indicate an unpublished record. Localities from my own collecting are only given in the case of the more local species. F. B.-B. A.J. C. ** T E A. F. R. H. E.J. P. Haliplidae F. Balfour-Browne. A. J. Chitty. T. Edmonston. Anderson Fergusson. R. Hislop. E. J. Pearce. Adephaga Brychius elevatus Panz. A. River Lossie, Moy Burn. Moy Burn, A. J. C. 1892. Haliplus conjinis Steph. A, B. I have only taken it in Loch Romach among Chara. Loch Spynie, Loch Oire, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Haliplus obliquus Fab. A. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Haliplus lineatocollis Marsh. A, B. A very common species in diverse habitats, absent from high elevations. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Haliplus ruficollis Deg. A, B. Common in stagnant water at low or medium alti- tudes^— once in a saline ditch near Lossiemouth and on one occasion in running water. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. ** The dates following these letters are those of publication of the record, not of capture of the specimens. 03 1951 the aquatic COLEOPTERA of ELGIN * Haliplus immaculatus Gerh. A. A single specimen in a silted backwater of the Spey, in company with lineatocollis and wehnckei. This was also the only spot where Hygrotus ^-lineatus occurred. Haliplus wehnckei Gerh. A, B. Covers the same area as rujicollis but the two are not often found together, wehnckei preferring cleaner water moving at some speed. Once found with rujicollis in a saline ditch. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Haliplus lineolatus Mannerh. var. nomax F. B.-B. A, B. Loch Spynie, Loch of Blairs. Loch Spynie, Loch Oire, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Haliplus fulvus Fab. B, C. Widely distributed in stagnant and slowly moving water from 50 feet near Elgin to ca. 1350 feet in Loch Ille Mhor. What evidence I have supports Balfour- Browne’s (1940) statement that this species prefers larger sheets of water. Only on two occasions did I find it in quite small pools. Loch Oire, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Dytiscidae Hygrotus inaequalis Fab. A, B. Common in clear water with vegetation, occasionally saline, as on Findhorn Bay. Not in peaty or turbid water, nor at high altitudes. Spynie, Loch Oire, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Hygrotus novemlineatus Steph. A, B. In one silted-up backwater of the Spey, an unusual habitat, this species abounds. I have not found it elsewhere. Loch Oire, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Deronectes latus Steph. B. River Lossie at Elgin. * The asterisk before the name of a species indicates that it has not been previously recorded for the County of Elgin. 104 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 Deronectes duodecimpustulatus Fab. A, B. Not as common as depressus but generally its com- panion. Moy, A. J. C. 1892. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Deronectes depressus Fab. var. elegans Panz. A, B, C. Occurs in clear water with vegetation. Most commonly in streams. In some stretches of the River Lossie it is found in enormous numbers. All specimens agree more or less with the form elegans Panz. in coloration. I have not examined the aedeagi but F. Balfour-Browne (1940) has pub- lished a map of the forms based on this character, and the entries on it for our area are all elegans. Forres, A. J. C. 1892 mss. Loch Spynie, Loch Oire, Loch Allan, between Grantown and Dava, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Deronectes assimilis Payk. A, B, C. This species has a curiously scattered distribution, having occurred only in five collections : the Spey backwater mentioned under H. ^-lineatus ; a quarry pool on the Nairn golf links ; a distillery reservoir near Elgin ; a highland loch in the Loch Allan group, where it accompanied D. griseostriatus ; and a lochan at 1250 feet near Lochindorb. Loch Oire, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. * Deronectes griseostriatus Deg. C. I have only found this species in two widely sep- arated lochs. In one of them, in the Loch Allan group, it accompanied D. assimilis and the habits of the two were very similar. The beetles were crawling slowly over a sandy bottom or sitting on stones in shallow water. When picked up, they made no attempt to escape. I examined every beetle over an area of several square yards, and found both species mixed with about one griseostriatus to two assimilis. The species also occurred in the Loch Dallas group. Oreodytes davisii Curtis A, B. More local than its congeners, and not yet found J95I K B, A, B, B, C. A, B, A, B. A, B, A, B, THE AQUATIC COLEOPTERA OF ELGIN 105 at high levels. Confined to rocky or gravelly bottoms, and absent from still water. Moy Burn, A. J. C. 1892. Oreodytes septentrionalis Gyll. C. In running water and clear lochs. This species and the last may occur together but are more frequently found apart, septentrionalis preferring larger waters. It occurs in considerable numbers in Loch Romach and Loch Allan, and I believe it breeds there. Moy Burn, A. J. C. 1892. Oreodytes rivalis Gyll. G. Everywhere in quick-flowing waters, preferring a stony bottom but also found over mud. Moy Burn, A. J. C. 1892. Hydroporus tristis Payk. Only found in peaty pools and Sphagnum, chiefly at higher elevations but local even there. Loch Allan, Dava Road, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Hydroporus umbrosus Gyll. C. This is a common species of many shallow waters at any height. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Hydroporus angustatus Sturm Apparently very local. I have only taken it in two localities, Darnaway and Spynie. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Hydroporus gyllenhalii Schiodte C. A very common beetle of acid water up to 1400 feet. There are gaps in its distribution but only, I believe, where the water is alkaline, as at Gordons- toun. Fochabers, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Hydroporus morio Aube C. This species is widely distributed in mossy peat pools on high ground. A single specimen was found at sea level in a Potamogeton pool by Loch Loy outside the county boundary, October 1949. If 14 io6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 this was a stray, it must have travelled a long way from its mountain haunts. Douglasshiel Moss, Knockando, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Hydroporus palustris 1^. A, B, C. The commonest species of the genus with the possible exception of pubescens. It is rarely found in tem- porary waters, and absent from fast streams. In the peaty lochs on high ground it abounds ; it occurs in alkaline water at Gordonstoun. Spynie, Loch Allan, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. * Hydroporus striola Gyll. A, B. Rather local in the coastal area, and only found once higher up, near Elgin. Pools bottomed with vegetable detritus, and once in a clear, stone-lined well. In the latter place, nearly all specimens were somewhat ferruginous in colour — perhaps a habitat y influence. * Hydroporus incognitus Sharp A. Only in three localities : a Potamogeton pool near Loch Loy ; a gently flowing drain with “ iron ” deposits, which quite encrusted the insects ; a trickle in a grassy field at Gordonstoun. Its associates were different in the three places but in all of them palustris was absent, though occurring nearby. Hydroporus erythrocephalus L. A, B, C. In permanent stagnant water of many types at all elevations to 1350 feet. (Loch Ille Mhor.) Spynie, Loch Allan, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. * Hydroporus longulus Muls. B. A single specimen in a watering tank for cattle fed by a trickle which yielded H, nigrita^ A. guttatus, % Gyrinus minutus. V Rothes. ■ Hydroporus melanarius Sturm S A, B, G. Scattered over the high ground, mostly in peaty® pools. Once in a rapid stream among FontinalisW with Hydraena gracilis, Limnius tuberculatus, and ElmisM 1951 THE AQUATIC COLEOPTERA OF ELGIN 107 maugei. A colony seems established in a woodland marsh near sea level, at Spynie. Forres, A. J. C. 1892 mss. Douglasshiel Moss, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Hydroporus memnonius Nicolai A, B, C. Mossy and detritus pools at high or low levels but very local. Cotts, Culbin, Dallas. Fochabers, Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Hydroporus obscurus Sturm A, B, C. Not uncommon but local. Prefers mossy pools with very shallow water. Douglasshiel Moss, Knockando, Fochabers, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. * Hydroporus nigrita Fab. A, B, G. In small but permanent accumulations of water, stagnant or gently moving, with a muddy bottom. A local species but widely spread. * Hydroporus discretus Fairm. A. Local and apparently confined to low levels. Only found so far in four places, in two of which it was with incognitus. In all cases the water was flowing and only once larger than a trickle. Spynie, Gordonstoun, Roseisle. Hydroporus pubescens Gyll. A, B, G. Abundant everywhere in shallow water. This is one of the first species to colonise new habitats, however temporary or artificial, and thus found in tractor ruts, water tanks, etc. as well as in more natural habitats. It also occurs in saline pools, and in the hills to 1600 feet. Forres, A. J. G. 1892 mss. Douglasshiel Moss, Knockando, Dava Road, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. * Hydroporus planus Fab. A, B. A common species except on high ground. This is also an early colonist of newly formed waters. A characteristic species of saline marshes especially over a silt bottom. In vegetated waters it is less at home than pubescens. io8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Hydroporus ferrugineus Steph. A, B. Tynet Burn. Moy Burn, A. J. C. 1892. Vol. 63 Agabus guttatus Payk. ! A, B, C. I believe this species to be less local than the captures | indicate. It lives in wells and small streams, mostly hiding under stones. It appears to be intensely gregarious, and the whole population ' of a stretch of water may be concentrated under a few stones. In one burn, I turned over hundreds of stones without finding any until I found two clusters under neighbouring stones, consisting of eight and sixteen beetles respectively. In cap- 1 ^ tivity, too, the insects tend to congregate into masses. 1 |j It is thus evident that a casual search may failii to reveal the species even where it is common. |i Moy Burn, A. J. C. 1892. I Agabus biguttatus Olivier B. Tynet Burn. I A. A, B. A, C. Agabus paludosus Fab. Rare or hard to find. There was a single specimen j in a stagnant ditch at Cotts, evidently a stray. It | was common in a trickle in a grassy field at Gordons- toun where a single hoofprint yielded eighteen i:; specimens, together with some H. discretus and one 1 incognitus. On 7th January 1951, when the field ; was frozen, two specimens were discovered under [\ the ice in a water tank fed by the same trickle.; These are the only records. | Agabus qffinis Payk. |i Local in marsh pools with thick vegetation. Loch „ Loy, Culbin, Cotts, Elgin. Spynie, Fochabers, F. B.-B. mss. 'i Agabus congener Thunb. j| Two specimens in widely separated places in small peaty pools. Loch Loy, Loch Ille Mhor. Forres, E. J. P. 1940 mss. ! 1951 THE AQUATIC COLEOPTERA OF ELGIN 109 i Agabus sturmii GyH. A, B, C. Common in stagnant waters at all levels but absent from stony or sandy bottoms. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Agabus arcticus Payk. C (A). Very common on high ground, and not particular as to habitat. In clear stony lochs and small mossy pools, roadside ditches, etc. I have not taken it in running water. Moy, in flood refuse, A. J. G. 1892 — probably washed down. * Agabus labiatus Brahm A, B. Shallow pools with Potamogeton. A local species found in three places only, twice with affinis. Gulbin, Cotts, Elgin. Agabus nebulosus Forster A, B. Widespread in pools with a clay or silt bottom. Often in temporary waters. Gulbin, A. J. C. 1892. * Agabus chalconatus Panz. A. Muddy pools with vegetation. Local but some- times in very large numbers. A curious habit of many Agabi which I have seen most spectacularly performed by this species, is to gather in numbers just under the surface film. These performances take place mostly in hot weather. It may be a preliminary to migration but the beetles make no attempt to climb a hand or stick lowered among them. Both sexes take part in these gatherings but no pairing was observed. Professor Balfour-Browne has kindly examined a number of males from one locality, and they were all«var. melanocornis Zimm. Cotts, Gulbin, Loch Loy. Agabus bipustulatus L. A, B, C. Found in all kinds of water, stagnant or moving, clean or dirty, throughout the county to 1600 feet. One of the first colonists in newly formed waters. Vol 63 no THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 B, C. and often the only species in contaminated pasture pools. Its presence in rapid streams I regard as accidental. I have taken it up to 1600 feet but only one specimen — at 1200 feet — was referable to var. solieri Aube. Spynie, Douglasshiel Moss, Knockando, Fochabers, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Platambus maculatus L. Inhabits running water, often in company with A. guttatus but not in the smallest of trickles. On the other hand, it is common in more slowly moving vegetated rivers where guttatus is absent. A single specimen in Loch an t’Sithein is my only still- water record. Forres, A. J. G. 1892 mss. A, B. * Ilybius fuliginosus Fab. Fairly common in a variety of stagnant habitats but there must be at least some vegetation. A. Ilybius ater Deg. Curiously local, inhabiting muddy marshes around Loch Spynie but there not uncommon. The only previous record is for the same locality. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. C. * Ilybius aenescens Thoms. Occurs in deep moss or detritus but not necessarily in deep water. I have never taken this beetle in open water though undoubtedly it must renew its air supply occasionally. The species is found in • many places on the higher levels from Dallas to Lochindorb. A, C. Rantus exsoletus Forster Loch Allan. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. A, B, C. Rantus bistriatus Bergstrasser Local. Mossy and detritus pools, and once in numbers in a gravel pit with a little Chara and Potamogeton, It occurs at 1250 feet. Dava Road, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. ^ , 1951 THE AQUATIC COLEOPTERA OF ELGIN 1 1 1 * Colymbetes fuscus L. A, B, C. The absence of previous records is puzzling. At the present XivciQ, fuscus occurs in every part of the county from east to west, and in the hills to at least 1600 feet. Its absence from a suitable loch or pool is the exception rather than the rule. * Dytiscus semisulcatus Muller ! A, B. Except for a single larva in Loch Oire in 1948, i I have only come across this species in the coastal strip where it inhabits Potamogeton pools in marshy ! ground. Most of my records are for the winter months when the beetles congregate in large num- i bers in certain pools. In the vicinity of Loch Loy (Nairn) these pools contained only males, with a ! sprinkling of marginalis, also males. Both species I were absent there in summer. At Cotts, in similar pools, the proportion of the sexes was three males to four females out of a total of twenty-one. ' Dytiscus marginalis L. j A, B. Much more general than semisulcatus but never in such large numbers. It is the typical Dytiscus of medium altitudes. Forres, T. E. 1844. * Dytiscus lapponicus Gyll. C. I have taken this species in three lochs, four speci- mens in all, and only males. Larvae found in five other lochs and pools are believed to be of this species but confirmation is required. Possibly all suitable lochs above 900 feet may hold this beetle. Loch Ille Mhor i6th July, Loch Dallas 12th June, Loch Allan 24th September (all 1950). * Acilius sulcatus L. A, B, C. Although found at all levels, this species is definitely scarce on low ground, and may not breed there. It is common in all highland lochs but requires a good depth of water to breed. Loch Loy, Newton quarry pool — one specimen each. 1 12 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63W * Acilius canaliculatus Nicolai I A. I have only found this species from October to^. April in Potamogeton pools from Culbin to Loch ^ Loy. In some of the pools large numbers were concentrated, with the sexes in about equal numbers. In April they left for an unknown destination, ^ probably to breed. Gyrinidae ; * Gyrinus minutus Fab. < A, B, C. Local at lower altitudes but occurs in saline pools j on the Nairn golf links, at Spynie and Elgin. On the moors it is almost as common as natator, its ! constant companion. Once in a tank at Rothes. * Gyrinus natator L. | A, B, C. I cannot think of any type of country or still-water : habitat from which this ubiquitous insect is absent. | The lack of previous records is a mystery. Gyrinus caspius Menetries A. Very local but still found in Loch Spynie where it was originally taken by F. Balfour-Browne. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Polyphaga Palpicornes Hydrobius fuscipes L. and var. picicrus Thoms. A, B, C. A fairly common species. The form picicrus seems more especially associated with a muddy bottom, ^ or perhaps more acid water. I have not seen any ;| real intermediates but one specimen of picicrus^ probably a stray, occurred with the type at Cotts. Picicrus is the only form in the hills but this may be due to type of habitat rather than elevation. Fochabers, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. {picicrus). Anacaena globulus Payk. A, B, C. Very common in stagnant or running water, , especially the latter. Sometimes in very small accumulations. r j Fochabers, Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. 1951 THE AQUATIC COLEOPTERA OF ELGIN A, B. A. I: A. A, B. A, B, G. A, B, C. B. B. A, B, C. A, B. A, B, C. * Anacaena limbata Fab. Very local but widely spread, in mossy swamps. Elgin (two localities), Loch na Bo, Culbin. Laccobius striatulus Fab. A single specimen on the saltmarshes at Garmouth. Culbin, A. J. G. 1892. Laccobius alutaceus Thoms. Local in grassy ditches and pools, at Gulbin, Duffus, and Gordonstoun. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Laccobius minutus L. Local, in less muddy water than alutaceus, Fochabers. Elgin, Gulbin, A. J. G. 1892. Loch Oire, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Enochrus quadripunctatus Herbst. vdcr fuscipennis Thoms. Gommoner than E, minutus under similar conditions. R. Hislop’s record oi Philydrus melanocephalus 1870-71 probably refers to this species. * Enochrus minutus Fab. Local in muddy water. Lochindorb, Elgin, Gordonstoun. Chaetarthria seminulum Herbst. Darnaway, R. H. 1870-71. (Half- submerged moss by pool). Berosus luridus L. Darnaway, R. H. 1870-71. (Half submerged moss by pool). * Limnebius truncatellus Thunb. Widespread but local in springs and small streams. Helophorus aquaticus L. Common in grassy accumulations of water^ especially temporary ones. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Helophorus jlavipes Fab. and var. mulsanti Rye. In many types of stagnant water to 1300 feet. Specimens from the saltmarshes are near mulsanti, Fochabers, Douglasshiel Moss, Dava Road, F. B.-B. 1934 m.ss. 15 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 Helophorus brevipalpis Bedel A, B. Ubiquitous at moderate elevations, and most catholic in its choice of habitat. I even found it under a stone in a torrential river. Absent from ; high levels. Fochabers, Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. Helophorus arvernicus Muls. B. In one spot, the River Lossie at Elgin, where the flow was gentle and the banks grassy. It was accompanied by brevipalpis. One record by R. H. 1870-71. Ochthebius exsculptus Germ. A. Moy Burn. Gulbin, A. J. C. 1892. (Flood refuse in burn.) * Ochthebius bicolon Germ. A. Moy Burn. n Ochthebius minimus Fab. {pygmaeus of British authors.) A, B. Local in vegetated shallow ditches and grassy fields, at Darnaway, Gordonstoun, Cotts. Once in a saltmarsh at Garmouth, with dilatatus. Gulbin, A. J. G. 1892. Spynie, F. B.-B. 1934 mss. * Ochthebius dilatatus Steph. A. Saltmarshes at Findhorn, Lossiemouth and Gar- mouth. Once in fresh water at Gordonstoun, with ; minimus. _ ^ Ochthebius auriculatus Rey. A. Findhorn, A. F. 1939 mss. * Ochthebius lenensis Popp. , s A. Common in saltmarshes of Findhorn Bay. A single specimen, with dilatatus, in a saline ditch at Lossiemouth. Hydraena rip aria Kug. i A. In a grassy swamp at Dyke. | Hydraena nigrita Germ. : A. Gulbin, A. J. C. 1892. (F. Balfour-Browne ex- | amined Chitty’s collection in the Oxford Museum in 1908 and this species was not^ represented. , 1931 THE AQUATIC COLEOPTERA OF ELGIN 115 Hydraena britteni was there, though it does not appear in Chitty’s paper. Possibly britteni was the species recorded under the name of nigrita.) Hydraena gracilis Germ. A, B, C. Among Fontinalis in many of the faster rivers and streams. Culbin, A. J. C. 1892. Hydraena minutissima Steph. A. Culbin, A. J. G. 1892. Hydraena pulchella Germ. A. Moy Burn. Culbin, A. J. C. 1892. Hydraena britteni Joy ? Forres, A. J. C. 1892. (See remarks under //. * Hydraena pygmaea Wat. A. Tynet Burn, Moy Burn. Coelostoma orbiculare Fab. B. Darnaway, R. H. 1870-71. (Half-submerged moss by pools.) Chrysomelidae Donacia simplex Fab. A. On Sparganium at Gordonstoun. Donacia versicolorea Brahm A. Backwaters of the Spey, Fochabers. Plateumaris discolor Panz. A, C. Culbin, Loch Ille Mhor. Plateumaris sericea L. G. Peaty pool near Loch Dallas. Dryopidae Dryops luridus Erh. [prolifericornis of British authors.) A, C. In small accumulations of water, in mud and under stones. Lochindorb, Fochabers. Limnius tuberculatus Muller. B, G. In fast streams and rivers among Fontinalis, not uncommon. THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 1 16 Elmis maugei Bedel. B, G. In the same situations as the preceding, and usually with it. * Latelmis volckmari Panz. ! A, B, C. Running water, widespread. I Esolus parallelopipedus Muller. B. Once, in the river Lossie at Buinach, with the two preceding species. i I Viewed as a whole, the list of water beetles is noteworthy only for its negative features. There are {a) no incursions of western or “ Atlantic ” forms into the area ; {b) no “ boreal ” species descending to low levels, as they do farther north and west ; (c) no outliers of the more southern or a “ English ” fauna, such as can be seen in other groups of invertebrates and also among plants (e.g. the moth Brephos notha, the spider Singa pygmaea, the grass Corynephorus canescens^ whose northern limits outside Moray are South Wales, Yorkshire and Lincoln respectively). i The level A, by far the smallest of the divisions, has twenty-three species of its own ; three of these occur in il saltmarshes : II Ochthebius dilatatus 0. auriculatus 0, lenensis. The Loch of Spynie and the surrounding marshland have yielded three species which have not yet been found elsewhere in the county. These ^re : Haliplus obliquus t Ilybius ater Gyrinus caspius. * Furthermore, with the exception of Laccobius alutaceus^ the other insects peculiar to A are absent from Spynie. This loch, and the marshes which were part of it before drainage, overlie a clay soil ; the other low-lying marshlands along the coast are on sand or gravel. While much of the vege- tation of Spynie is of the usual type, dominated by Phragmites, Typha^ and various species of Carex and Juncus, with Hippuris, 1951 THE AQUATIC COLEOPTERA OF ELGIN 117 Potamogeton, and Myriophyllum as the chief submerged forms, certain typical acid water plants are rare or absent, e.g. Myrica^ Menyanthes ^ Drosera, and, I believe. Sphagnum. In addition. Slum erectum and Ceratophyllum demersum occur only at Spynie, as does also the bug Corixa panzeri, considered an alkaline-water species (Macan 1939). All these pecularities are likely to be connected, and the chemistry of the water may be the common factor. The other fresh-water marshes along the coast have ! contributed the following to the fauna peculiar to A : Hydroporus incognitus Acilius canaliculatus Agabus chalconatus Hydraena riparia. The remaining twelve species are all of diverse habits and very local. I cannot account for their concentration at the lowest level. The level B, as the intermediate level, shares most of its species with either A or C or both, except six very local species : 1 Hydroporus longulus Chaetarthria seminulum Helophorus arvernicus Coelostoma orbiculare Berosus luridus Esolus parallelopipedus. ! The distribution of their particular habitats is more likely to be the result of geographical accident than of ! anything connected with altitude. Thirty-five species were collected in the level C, above 900 feet, but only five of these were not found at lower levels, ’ The single occurrence of Plateumaris sericea gives no indication of its real distribution. Deronectes griseostriatus, Agabus arcticus and Dytiscus lapponicus are boreal species, so that their restricted range occasions no surprise. The absence of Ilybius aenescens from lower ground is peculiar and unex- plained. Most of the species are widely and evenly distributed over the moors and lochs, but Haliplus fulvus, Deronectes assimilis, and Deronectes depressus were only taken in the western half of this division. In the following I give lists of the water beetles taken in some sample localities to illustrate the communities in some of the principal types of habitat found in this county. ii8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST A VoL 63 I, Swampy Edge of Loch Spynie Haliplus rujicollis Hygrotus inae quails Deronectes depressus Hydroporus umbrosus Hydroporus palustris Hydroporus striola Hydroporus angustatus Hydroporus erythrocephalus Agabus sturmii Agabus bipustulatus Ilybius ater Rantus bistriatus Colymbetes fuscus Dytiscus marginalis Gyrinus caspius Helophorus aquaticus Helophorus brevipalpis II. Stagnant Pool in Low-lying Marsh BY Loch Buckie, Culbin Potamogeton in deeper water with Sphagnum, Drosera and a willow. Hydroporus umbrosus Hydroporus obscurus Hydroporus palustris Hydroporus erythrocephalus Hydroporus gyllenhali Acilius canaliculatus Dytiscus semisulcatus Dytiscus marginalis Haliplus rujicollis Gyrinus natator Agabus sturmii and some Utricularia, edges few bushes of Myrica and^ Agabus labiatus Agabus chalconatus Agabus bipustulatus Rantus bistriatus Colymbetes fuscus Anacaena limbata Hydrobius fuscipes picicrus Agabus affinis Laccobius alutaceus Helophorus jiavipes var. III. Saltmarsh Pools near Kinross on Lindhorn Bay Hygrotus inaequalis Hydroporus pubescens Hydroporus planus Agabus bipustulatus Colymbetes fuscus (one speci- Helophorus flavipes mulsanti Helophorus brevipalpis Ochthebius dilatatus Ochthebius lenensis var. men, THE AQUATIC COLEOPTERA OF ELGIN 119 B IV. A Mossy Swamp in a Birchwood near Elgin Potamogeton in deeper water, Hydroporus palustris Hydroporus striola Hydroporus erythrocephalus Hydroporus umbrosus Hydroporus obscurus Hydroporus planus A gab us affinis Agabus sturmii Mainly dry in summer. Agabus bipustulatus Ilybius fuliginosus Anacaena limbata Enochrus quadripunctatus var. fuscipennis Helophorus aquaticus Helophorus brevipalpis Helophorus jiavipes V. Stretch of River Lossie near Elgin Slow-moving, muddy, grassy edges with Myosotis. Haliplus lineatocollis Haliplus wehnckei Haliplus fulvus Deronectes 12-pustulatus Deronectes depressus Oreodytes septentrionalis Oreodytes rivalis Hydroporus erythrocephalus (one specimen) Platambus maculatus Helophorus brevipalpis Helophorus arvernicus * VI. Rapid Burn near Forres Stone bottom, Fontinalis on the stones, ca. 400 feet. Oreodytes davisii Oreodytes rivalis Agabus guttatus Platambus maculatus Anacaena globulus Limnebius truncatellus Hydraena gracilis Limnius tuberculatus Elmis maugii VII. A Peaty Loch in the Loch Allan Group : Stone bottom with little Littorella^ 950 feet. i, Oreodytes septentrionalis 1! Deronectes assimilis ! Deronectes griseostriatus I Hydroporus palustris Hydroporus erythrocephalus vegetation, some Carex and Agabus arcticus Agabus bipustulatus Acilius sulcatus Dytiscus lapponicus Gyrinus minutus Gyrinus natator 120 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 VIII. Sphagnum Pool by Roadside near Loch Dallas 1050 feet. Hydroporus umbrosus Hydroporus tristis Hydroporus morio Hydroporus obscurus Hydroporus melanarius Hydroporus gyllenhalii A gab us arcticus Hydroporus pubescens Agabus bipustulatus llybius aenescens Rantus bisiriatus Colymbetes fuscus Gyrinus minutus Gyrinus natator Hydrobius fuscipes var. picicrus Helophorus jlavipes In considering what changes, if any, have taken place* in the composition of the water beetle fauna in recent years, ] ^ we must remember that differences in the lists of species L taken by different collectors are not in themselves evidence! of such changes. All collectors do not visit the same habitats, and if they do they may work under different conditions of season or weather. Different methods of collecting are ; also important in this connection. Nevertheless, the cases of five species call for comment. | Haliplus obliquus and Rantus exsoletus were taken by Balfour-Browne in the Spynie marshes in 1934. I worked this locality fairly thoroughly in 1950 without finding either. Possibly these two species have disappeared. Ochthebius auriculatus was found by A. Fergusson in 1939, “ In swarms in the Findhorn estuary ”. Ten years later I failed to find it there, but 0. dilatatus and 0. lenensis were common. Ochthebius lenensis. Introduced to the British list by F. I Balfour-Browne in 1938, when he found it “ very common ” in a pool in the sea merse at Tain (E. Ross). In 1939, when ; A. Fergusson took auriculatus at Findhorn Bay, he did not : come across lenensis. From the nature of the locality, it is unlikely that he overlooked it. It is definitely common : there at the present time. A single specimen taken by me at Lossiemouth in 1950 may have been a pioneer of further I i j| 1951 THE AQUATIC COLEOPTERA OF ELGIN 12 1 'j i expansion. This is a Siberian species, also recorded from ) Norway. Acilius canaliculatus. The statement by Sharpe (1873-74) that the species had occurred in ‘‘ the Moray area ” may ;; point to its having been established in the North in his day, but may equally well refer to a stray specimen. The first definite record for this species in the North of Scotland is by E. S. Brown, who in 1944 found three males in a stagnant I acid pool at Tomintoul (Banff) at an elevation of 1300 feet, i Five years later I found it in numbers over a five mile stretch of coastal marsh between Culbin and Loch Loy, in the I counties of Moray and Nairn. Here we may be witnessing a northward extension of a species long established in the South of Scotland. There is no proof of this, since Banff ! has been but little worked in the past, and the Moray Firth I locality has not, as far as I know, been visited by any previous collectors. I wish to express my gratitude to Professor F. Balfour- Browne for the invaluable help and advice he has given ! me in the preparation of this paper ; for information concerning older records ; and above all for identifying all my species of Adephaga and Palpicornes. , I am greatly indebted to Mr. D. K. Kevan for identifying my specimens of the other groups of Coleoptera. REFERENCES Balfour-Browne, F., 1938. The aquatic Coleoptera of Ross and Cromarty. Scot. Mat., 1938 : 129- 134. First British record of 0. lenensis. 1940. British Water Beetles, I. Ray Soc., 127. Habitat preferences of Hal. fulvus. 1950. British Water Beetles, II. Distribution of A. canaliculatus. Burgess, J. J., 1935. Flora of Moray. Moray Field Club Publication. Flora of Loch Spynie. Chitty, a. j., 1893. Coleoptera in Morayshire. E.M.M., 29 : 68-71 ; 259. Lists of Species collected in 1892. Edmonston, T., 1844. Voracity of Dyt. marginalis. Zoologist, 2 : 702. D. marginalis near Forres. Hislop, R., 1870-71. Coleoptera in Morayshire. E.M.M., 7 : 10-12. Magan, T. T., 1939. A Key to the British Species of Corixidae with notes on their distribution. Freshwater Biological Association. Corixa panzeri in alkaline water. 6 122 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 INSECT IMMIGRATION IN 1950 j Capt. T. Dannreuther, R.N., F.R.E.S. Hastings, Sussex {Received 20th March, 1951) i In The Scottish Naturalist, 1948, 60 : 74-81, the writer gave 1 the figures recorded in the British Isles of the more regular common migrant species during the 1947 season. The | scale of such figures depends upon the number of observers j and their distribution, mostly in southern England. They merely indicate the relative abundances of the species to one | another on a plan dating back to 1824 ? but are in no sense | population figures. It so happened that 1947 was a year of j exceptional abundance, probably due to severe Continental | droughts prolonging the ranges of the migrant swarms. " Though differing in detail, the years 1946 and 1950 were of a ; normal type and, as the total number of observers varied j very little in the period, the following table exhibits the contrasts : Species Recorded in 1946 Recorded in 1947 Recorded in 1950 Vanessa cardui 2,450 12,000 920 Vanessa atalanta 4,640 13,000 4,940 Colias crocea 784 36,000 1,250 Colias hyale 31 870 169 Acherontia atropos . 6 29 25 Herse convolvuli 34 294 437 Macroglossum stellatarum 953 4,250 650 Plusia gamma . myriads 90,000 81,000 NomoNiila noctuella 1,000 6,000 87 The 1950 figures clearly show the scarcity of the painted lady butterfiy and the often associated rush veneer Pyraustid moth ; on the other hand it exhibits the extraordinary abundance of the convolvulus hawk-moth. The 1950 figure of 437 was only surpassed by a total of 573 recorded in 1846, by 681 in the maximum year of 1901 and by 500 in 1945 — the latter being a Continental drought year similar 1951 INSECT IMMIGRATION IN 1950 123 to 1947 though differently distributed as to severity. In Scotland the convolvulus hawk-moths were so well recorded that details will be given below. The distribution of the most important immigrant species can best be shown by tabulating the highest counts made by observers keeping daily schedules on any date in 1950 and noting the number of days in which migrants were observed. For comparison with the 1947 table (vol. 60: 80) the corresponding figures for that season are also shown (bracketed below) : HIGHEST DAY COUNTS SHOWN IN 1950 SCHEDULES 1 Locality : V. cardui V. ata- lanta C.crocea M. stel- latarum P. gamma N. noc- tuella Observer and No. of Days Scalloway, 1 Shetland — 2 — — 6 — W. J. Williamson (for 1947) (2) (6) — — (0 — 12 (9) iKeiss, 1 Caithness — 2 — ■ — 12 — S. Swanson (for 1947) (23) (47) (20) (4) (13) — 21 (56) Ickford, Bucks. I 5 — I 2 — Mrs. Simpkins i . (for 1947) (2) (68) — (5) (3O — 54 (4O Timoleague, Cork 9 15 2 I 75 I Miss Donovan (for 1947) Plymouth, (250) (19O (49) (13) (350) (18) 50 (127) 1 Devon 21 25 10 21 200 I F. W. Jeffery (for 1947) (200) (150) (307) (47) (88) (17) 120 (118) Bradwell, Essex 1 1 33 23 4 5.830 3 A. J. Dewick ; (for 1947) (16) (17) (41) (9) (16) (14) 182 (142) Pett, E. Sussex 26 70 24 120 30,000 A. D. Wilkinson 1 (for 1947) li (3,000) (5,000) (1,048) (50) (710) (2,000) 142 (133) : In the 1950 Plusia gamma column, the 5,630 were collected (and later released) I on 6th July in a new Mercury Vapour lighted trap at Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, !j where the season’s catch was 34,630. The estimated figure of 30,000 P. gamma at Pett, near Hastings, were seen one afternoon only, 5th August, in a red clover field of 9|- acres. The northern ranges recorded in 1950 were as follows : painted lady at Port Ling in Kirkcudbrightshire on 6th June and the clouded yellow there on 19th August ; both the red admiral and the silver-Y moth reached Scalloway, Shetland, on 2nd June ; a death’s head hawk-moth got to Lerwick on 28th August and the humming-bird hawk-moth 24 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST V0L63 I to Loch Swannay in Orkney on 6th August. The con- volvulus hawk-moth on 24th August was taken as far north as Durga Head in the Isle of Foula (M. Bowser). | All the details of the 1950 experiences of observers already [ mentioned will be found summarised in the current issues of I The Entomologist ; but in the case of the convolvulus hawk- ' moth, with the co-operation of the Natural History Depart- ments in Aberdeen University and the Royal Scottish 1 Museum, Edinburgh, the details of ‘‘ the Convolvulus Year ” as recorded in Scotland can be given in full, as follows : 24 June. Scalloway, Shetland, one reported but not confirmed. 29 July. Sumbrough, Shetland, a female taken (G. Cairson). 10 Aug. Dunrossness, Shetland, one seen (W. J. Williamson) . 21 ,, Sanday, Orkney, one taken (Mrs. Scott). 22 ,, St. Andrews, Fife, one taken damaged (S. Bayne). 23 ,, Aberdeen, a male taken (G. D. Morison). 24 ,, Durga Head, Foula, one taken (M. Bowser). 26 ,, Scotstown, Aberdeen, female taken (A. Forrest). 27 ,, Aberdeen, a female taken (H. & N. Fowler). 27-31 Aug. Yell, Shetland, four taken at light (W. J. Williamson). 28 Aug. Alt-na-Craig, Aviemore, one found (Mrs. Ferguson). 30 ,5 Aberdeen, a female taken (G. D. Morison). End of Aug. Aberdeen, two males and two females taken (A. Forrest). 1 Sept. Arisaig, W. Inverness, one taken (G. Macdonald). 2 ,, Ben Nevis (foot), two females taken and released (R. W. Burgess). 3 ,, Scalloway and Tondra, Shetland, two seen [Shetland Tim.es) . 4 ,, Helmsdale River, Sutherland, a male taken (A. C. Butler). 5 ,, Aberdeen, one taken about this date (A. Forrest). 6 ,, Dornoch, Sutherland, one taken (D. Macdonald). 6 ,, Urafirth, Shetland, one taken but identity unverified (Miss Manson). I J 1 II ii ' LI ■ ■ ii II ^ !! 1' 1951 INSECT IMMIGRATION IN 1950 125 1 1-24 Sept. Nairn, four taken (W. Quibel in Scotsman). 17 19 21 22 Sept. one found ( Mrs. Alt-na-Craig, Aviemore. Ferguson). Aberdeen, one taken about this date (A Forrest). Koningsburgh, Shetland, one taken, died next day (W. J. Williamson). Aberdeen, a female taken (A. Forrest). Newtonmore, Inverness, a male taken (Marischal College). We thus have about three dozen Scottish records for 1950 of which a dozen were in the Shetland Isles. All the Scottish records must be of the summer brood, as about three dozen were recorded in Switzerland, and in Exeter a larva emerged on 1 2th August. The first hawk-moth appeared at Dunge- ness, Kent, on 8th June and the last was still fresh at Start Point, Devon, on 25th October. Their breadth of front flying north can be gauged by numbers recorded in other areas of the British Isles: 91 in Kent, 82 in Sussex, 57 in Hants, 37 in Essex (19 in one mercury vapour trap), 25 each in Devon and Norfolk, 15 in Glamorgan, 13 in Cornwall, 8 in Surrey and half a dozen or less in fifteen other counties. There were 12 in Ireland. The total of 437 H. convolvuli was unexpected as in 1949 there were only 16 and in 1948 15, whereas with the present number of observers a normal year would show nearly a hundred. It ranged up to the Shetlands every year from 1942 to 1947 ; in 1948 to Dumfries ; but in 1949 no farther north than Kinsale, Co. Cork. There was one other regular migrant species almost unique in Scotland in the summer of 1950. In the Daily Mail “ Young Britain ” booklet on Butterfly Migration ” (1948) Dr. C. B. Williams has inserted a migration map showing the route taken annually by the “ snowstorms ” of cabbage white butterflies from Scandinavia and the Baltic area. It shows that the average direction of flight from southern Sweden is S.S.W. to the Alps, with some branch- ing off crossing the North Sea or up the English Channel as shown by arrows, with the extreme deflection pointing towards Lincolnshire. It might have included one into Yorkshire and Durham in 1943 which defoliated cabbages ; 126 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 but the only record as far north as the Lothians came from a newspaper report in mid- August 1940, of a “ snowstorm ” of Pieris brassicae and with “ unusual numbers ” flying east in S. Perthshire. In 1950 such an extreme deflection from the southerly route was confirmed by the only large swarm entering the Firth of Forth on 15th August. The first report stated that “ motoring along the coast from Edinburgh to North Berwick, we met a cloud of just thousands and thousands of white butterflies settling on a large cabbage field by the Musselburgh Golf Course ” (Mrs. C. Shackleton). During that week others reported flocks of P. brassicae settling in the North Berwick area up to i-| miles inland or moving westwards up to 26th August (B.B.G. broadcast). Further south on i6th August near Dalston Hall, in the Carlisle area, there were “ three clusters of hundreds each passing through and all gone next day ” (Miss Hodgson). Earlier, from 27th to 30th July, there had been a trickle of large white butterflies west along the coast and coming in at both Pett Level, near Hastings, and Swanage, in Dorset, but only at twenty to forty per hour or perhaps a thousand in all. Although unrecorded, something similar must have happened along the east coast of England, as later the National Agricultural Advisory Entomologists reported that larvae of this species damaged crucifer crops, notably around Kirton in Lincolnshire in August and some slight damage occurred on a wide front, in Essex, Bedford, Suffolk and Norfolk in September (A. H. Strickland). Thus it is evident that the largest swarm was observed in East Lothian — a most unusual event, but not likely to do any permanent harm, as the parasite Apanteles glomeratus is so effective in “ stinging ” the larvae. Only one of the vagrant species specially watched for by lepidopterists exceeded the abundance of all previous years. This was the small white point moth, Leucania albipuncta Haw., of which 164 were recorded between 6th June and 19th September. One was recorded unusually far north, at Wells in Norfolk; the main distribution being eighty-one in Kent, sixty-three in Essex, nine in Dorset and one in Sussex. There is no direct evidence of immigration and it is possible that the use of the new mercury vapour traps 1951 INSECT IMMIGRATION IN 1950 127 i merely rendered collection and recording easier than hither- ij to. At any rate the M.V. trap at Bradwell in Essex alone I collected fifty-eight (A. J. Dewick). ' The result of twenty years’ work by the Insect Immigration Committee is shown by an exhibit in the Festival of Britain I (South Bank). Public interest in Insect Migration is by no means confined to the British Isles. In Holland B. J. Lempke, of Amsterdam Museum, has published ten years’ I records of Trekvlinders in the Netherlands. The Journal of i| Animal Ecology is publishing for Dr. David Lack, F.R.S., , Director of Edward Grey Institute, Oxford, his experiences I of butterflies following the same routes as the birds migrating I in autumn (October 1950) from France to Spain through the passes in the Pyrenees, with swarms of dragonflies and even hoverflies. The autumn southerly return flight of the red admiral — recorded on Lewes downs and from the Royal Sovereign Light Vessel in September — was also reported J in October on a wide front in Switzerland and Bavaria, in Dr. R. Loeliger’s monthly roneo circulars, issued from Zurich in German and French by his Pro Juventute organisa- tion, which records and marks migrant butterflies and hawk-moths, hoping for recoveries elsewhere. The Swiss j organisation is so popular that the 1951 issue of postage stamps show illustrations in colour of the red admiral, clouded yellow butterfly and Clifden nonpareil moth : the red admiral IOC. stamp on a blue ground is used for the printed paper rate and is very attractive. In 1949 there was a migration of painted ladies across Switzerland north-east into East Ger- many on the million scale on a broad front ; but there was nothing like it in 1950 on the Continent. 128 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES Red-headed Bunting at Stonehaven. — On 29th May 1951, Mr. David Louden sent to the Natural History Department, Aberdeen University, an adult male red-headed bunting Emberiza bruniceps=E. icterica, which he had taken the same day from a rat trap at the Glenury Distillery, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire. The specimen lacked the right half of the tail, but was otherwise in perfect condition, and is now in the University collection. The crown, face and upper breast are rust-brown, the sides of the I neck, underparts and rump bright yellow; the back of the head is greenish yellow, and the mantle similar, but with dark streaks; the flight feathers and tail feathers are dark greyish-brown, with buff edges. Bill blue-grey, darker at the tip; legs pale pinkish brown. Weight 28 g. ; wing 82 mm. ; tail 70 mm. ; tarsus 20 mm. ; bill 13 mm.; testes 7-75 X 0-5 mm. The Handbook of British Birds, Vol. i, p. 123, gives the wing measurement of males as 87-90 mm. (one 93) ; this specimen has thus remarkably short „ wings. The primary-lengths agree with the formula given, however. The stomach contained 4 grains of barley, perhaps picked up at the distillery. The red-headed bunting, a native of the steppes of south-west Asia, has now been recorded four times in Scotland in the last | 15 months, but on only one earlier occasion. The following are I the previous records and references: 1. — North Ronaldshay, 19th June 1931; Brit. Birds, 25: 66-69! (specimen in B.M.(N.H.)). 2. — Lerwick, 6th June 1950; E air Isle Bird Obs. Ann. Rep., 1950 (in press), also Brit. Birds, 44: 224 (bird died; specimen now in Lerwick). 11 3. — Fair Isle, i9th-22nd September 1950; Brit. Birds, 44: 118- 11 1 19 (sight record). At Lerwick the unknown bird was caught by a lady in a baited i bird-cage, which it entered several times before being caught, and | this naturally suggested that it was an escaped bird; the one at : Stonehaven entered a building and was caught in a trap, in some- i what similar circumstances. However, the latter showed in its .8 plumage not the slightest sign of having been in captivity, at least ! since it last moulted; and considering the two cases together we are r ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 129 ;l i j 1951 j of the opinion that both are “ natural ” occurrences, and reveal an j unusual boldness or curiosity in birds of this species. Confirmatory evidence is provided by the general coincidence of dates, which fall I into two 3- or 4-week periods in late spring and early autumn; one of Gatke’s two records at Heligoland was on 20th June, and the other in September (H. Gatke, 1895, Heligoland^ 383); the more i recent Norwegian record was on 7th September 1937 (H. L. L^venskiold, 1947, Handbok over JVorges Fugler, 93). The present record is the first on the British mainland, and, like j all the others mentioned above, the bird was a male — in this case an old male in perfect plumage. — Editors. • (Since this went to press we have received a note from Mr. Williamson of still another individual at Fair Isle, in August 1951.) Red-backed Shrike in Wester Ross. — A fine male red- backed shrike Lanius collurio was resting about the “ garden ” at Badentarbert Lodge on 27th May 1951, from breakfast time to sunset. It was observed five times through prismatics, and the ruddy back, dove-grey crown, black stripe along whole side of face to bill, hooked upper mandible, and much white on side of tail * feathers were noted. In the 1 920s and 1930s I was very familiar with this species in the New Forest and often examined nests and two larders. I think j it will be agreed that the bird is quite unmistakable. The Handbook states “ very rare straggler in west ”. The occurrence of this bird here this year, together with the previously reported visits on passage of a Temminck’s stint and lesser whitethroat {Scot. Nat., 60: 220 j and 61 : 180), support the view, which I have long held after ten years’ residence here and earlier in Moidart, that there is regular migration along this north-west coast. — Tom G. Longstaff, Achiltibuie, Ross-shire. Red-backed Shrike in North Perth. — One day during the last week of May 1951 I watched a male red-backed shrike Lanius collurio, a few miles west of Aberfeldy, Perthshire. It was perched very characteristically on a wire above a stone wall, and made several flights after insects, returning to its perch as is their wont. I watched it being “ mobbed ” by a pair of whea tears who sat by it on the wire, and its greater size was most marked. I saw no sign of a female, and returned a fortnight later, but having sat in the same area for over an hour saw no sign of the bird that day. I know this species well as they nested regularly near my house in Buckinghamshire, and I have photographed them numbers of times 17 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 130 VoL 63 in Norfolk, Buckinghamshire and elsewhere. — Ian M. Thomson, Aberfeldy, Perthshire. These records are of much interest. There is no previou record for North Perth, but a male was watched at close quarters by J. H. B. Munro at Ardhelsaig, Outer Loch Torridon, Wester Ross on 13th July 1933 {Scot. Nat., 1933: 146). — Editors. |i Pied Flycatcher in North Perth. — On 3rd June 1951, on the south shore of Loch Earn, Perthshire, I had an excellent view of a cock pied flycatcher Muscicapa hypoleuca. A fortnight later I had a fleeting glimpse of a cock about 200 yards further east. Unfortunately there was no definite evidence of breeding as the* hen did not appear on either occasion, nor did the cock reveal the nest. In view of the tendency of this species to spread northwards, this record would seem to be of interest. — R. S. Weir, Dunfermline. For previous records in north Perth see Scot. Nat., 61 : 1 19 and 62: 182. — Editors. ChifFchaflf in East Inverness. — ^With reference to my previous record {Scot. Nat., 62 : 1 25) of a chiffchaff in song near Clachnaharry in May 1950, it is worth reporting that one was singing from the same place when I passed along the Beauly Firth, on 17th May and 30th May 1951. — James W. Campbell, Strathtay, Perthshire. ChififchafF in Midlothian. — A chiffchafT was heard singing several times at the end of June 1949 within a small area of deciduous woods in the South Esk valley, Midlothian. On 28th June I watched the cock singing from an oak tree, and at the same time a warbler (chiffchaff or willow warbler) was seen in rhododendron bushes underneath carrying food and calling frequently the “ hooeet ” note common to both species. I was unable to discover either nest or young, but there seemed to be every indication that these birds were a breeding pair of chiffchaffs. As there was no final evidence of breeding, I was anxious to wait till 1 950 to confirm it, but the species did not return. However, as there are apparently no breeding or even singing records for Midlothian, it would seem worth while putting these observations on record. — C. K. Mylne, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian. Bluethroat in East Lothian. — On 22 nd April 1951, a clear day with a light south-easterly breeze, I saw a bluethroat Luscinia svecica in the vicinity of Pencaitland, East Lothian. 1951 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 131 It was low down in a thin hedge bordering a roadside garden. A ditch ran on either side of the road. The bird was quite tame, allowing continuous observation at close quarters for about five minutes, after which it flew off to a nearby wood and was not seen again. The upper parts were browny-grey with some reddish-brown on the tail and a thin whitish line over the eye. The breast was blue bordered below with a limited rim of chestnut, but no “ spot ” — either red or white — ^was seen, and I am therefore unable to say whether the bird was of the red-spotted or white-spotted race. The rest of the underparts were whitish. All the colours were somewhat dull and suggested an immature male. — William D. Grant, Pencaitland, East Lothian. Hoopoe in Wigtownshire. — On 26th April 1951 I saw a hoopoe Upupa epops in the garden of this house, the Old Place of Mochrum, which is situated at the north end of Mochrum Loch. It remained for seven days, feeding generally on the grass verges of the paths, and was last seen on the afternoon of 3rd May. — David Stuart, Mochrum, Wigtownshire. Black-billed Cuckoo in Kintyre. — On 6th November 1950 two shepherds near Southend, Kintyre, were attracted by a flock of birds, which were circling in a peculiar manner. They were unable to identify the species, but were sure that the birds were not newly arrived fieldfares or redwings. One of the men, John Harvey of Gartnacopaig, saw them again next day and on the following day (8th November) he found a dead bird. He is positive that the flock was composed of birds similar to the one which he picked up on the east side of Achnaslishaig Hill. The dead bird was passed to Mr. J. Greenlees, who was unable to make anything of it and who in turn sent it up to Glasgow. After study of the Handbook we tentatively identified the specimen as a black-billed cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus in immature plumage. The skin was sent to the British Museum, where Mr. J. D. Macdonald very kindly confirmed the identification, adding that it appeared to be in first winter plumage. There are only two previous records admitted in the Handbook. This is the first for Scotland. The skin is now preserved in the Museum and Art Gallery at Kelvingrove, Glasgow. — C. Eric Palmar, and Thomas Robertson, Glasgow. This bird, in first winter plumage, retains the juvenile wing and tail feathers; it therefore lacks the characters which serve best to 132 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 6jl| distinguish (in preserved skins) between the adults of the black-* billed Coccyzus erythropthalmus , and the yellow-billed cuckoo C. americanus. The specimen is also slightly imperfect, as a result of| its condition when received. Through the kindness of Mr. Palmar ' we have been able to examine it. | The two species, closely similar in life even when adult, are a ? little difficult to recognise at first sight in immature plumage, even with the bird in the hand. Identihcation is made certain in this case by a number of characters, among which the following may be mentioned: (i) the very narrow and ill-defined terminal markings of the tail feathers, visible on the 3 outer pairs only; (ii) the greenish gloss of the back and adjacent part of the wings (cf. Bent, 1940, Life Histories of North American Cuckoos, etc., U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 176, p. 77); (in) the rufous colour in the wings being strictly i confined .to the edgings of some of the primaries and secondaries « (central portion of primaries grey-brown and not rufous) ; and I (iv) the very short wing, measuring 125 mm., equal to minimum j given for erythropthalmus by Forbush (1927, Bds. of Massachussetts, 2, p. 245) and below the range of americanus. The length of the tail (140 mm.) and'bill (25 mm.) are not diagnostic. That there could have been a flock of these birds seems extremely improbable. — Editors. Montagu’s Harrier near Perth. — At the end of April, within 10 miles of Perth, a headless partridge was found still warm, sai4 to be one of several found over the last few weeks. A bird was , killed coming back to the body in quite a short time, and so almost certainly responsible for the death. I have seen it and it is a Montagu’s harrier Circus pygargus, a male. There is a dark bar across the secondaries showing on the underside also, there are < rufous streaks on the flanks, and the white is confined to the base of the tail, a narrow strip and not a patch. The length is right and the wing agrees with the sketch on p. 65, Vol. Ill of the Handbook. The fifth primary is not emarginated and short. The underparts are broadly and heavily streaked, so it seems to be a yearling. The upper plumage is suffused with brown. I have never seen one before, but I think the identification is certain. Partridges (adult) are not mentioned as food in the Handbook, but the headless condition of the prey suggests that the stoop was at the head which may have moved, and perhaps the harrier did not realise the size of the bird. There are about 8 previous records from south Scotland plus the Orkneys: see Scot. Nat., 61: 122. — J. M. D. Mackenzie, Balbeggie, Perthshire. 1951 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 133 We have seen the skin of this specimen and agree with Mr. Mackenzie’s view that it is a male not fully matured. There appear to be no previous published records for Perthshire. — Editors. King Eider Drake at Aberdeen. — ^Among the mixed eider flocks around Girdleness a handsome stranger appeared in the spring of 1951. He was first noted on 6th March though he may have been there earlier, and was later definitely identified as a drake king eider Somateria spectabilis. He remained in this neighbourhood till 24th April, when the first swallows arrived. His most noticeable features were first the silver-grey head and upper neck giving the impression of a soldier’s Balaclava helmet, and second the large yellow horny base of the bill extending to the eyes. This gave a curious spectacled effect enhanced by a sur- rounding black line which became more conspicuous as time passed. He could easily be picked out from the ordinary eider drakes by the much greater area of black on his back. The king eider is as expert a diver as his companions. His times under the water were not noted but he certainly opened his wings slightly as he dived. He spent his time swimming and diving with the common eider flocks, usually with a small group of 15 or 20 in Greyhope Bay between Girdleness and the South Break- water. More than once he was seen with the large flock (over 120) off Girdleness Point. On stormy days he sheltered with others in Nigg Bay, and once was seen inside the South Breakwater. I did not see him flying or on land. — A. C. Kennedy, Aberdeen. Following instructions from Professor Kennedy we first saw this fine mature drake on 1 5th April. A number of other ornithologists also saw it during the few days following, usually under very favourable conditions. — Editors. Great Skua using its feet in an attack upon a Gannet. — The following observations, mainly concerning the great skua Stercorarius skua, were made during the course of a voyage on the fishery research vessel Explorer in the month of July 1948, and the account is from notes taken at the time. On 27th July, shortly after leaving Stromness, my attention was directed to where a great skua was chasing a gannet Sula hassana\ the birds were on our port bow, some little way ahead of the ship and flying at a height varying from 10 to 15 feet, the skua being a little above, behind and to the left of the gannet. The interesting feature of this attack was the repeated use of the feet by the skua. Flying close in, it made several quick successive strikes with the feet at the rump of the gannet; both feet were used simultaneously. 134 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 the action being extremely vigorous and directed forwards and down- wards. The skua then withdrew for a short time only to repeat the manoeuvre until the gannet was forced down on the sea, whereupon the attacker alighted close by. After a short interval during which both birds rode the waves quietly the gannet rose and made another ! attempt to escape but was again forced down by the skua in exactly i the same manner. Two further attempts by the gannet to escape * were similarly frustrated, until finally, wearied of the persecution the victim disgorged something which fell into the sea; this was im- j mediately retrieved by the skua, carried for a short distance and for ! some unknown reason dropped, no attempt being made to recover it. The whole incident was clearly visible with and without binoculars, the intervals when the birds were settled on the surface allowing the ship each time to make good the distance lost. Other observers included the captain and members of the scientific staff on | board. No mention is made in the Handbook of the feet of the great | skua being used in the manner described, but to anyone familiar with i' the appearance of the claws it will not seem improbable. Earlier in the month (loth July), in the neighbourhood of i Foula, great skuas were extremely numerous, and when the trawl was being brought in they would settle expectantly in large numbers i close to the ship in readiness to compete with the gulls, kittiwakes, gannets and fulmars, for whatever escaped from the net. In the ensuing scramble, and later when we were disposing of unwanted fish, etc., the skuas made themselves very prominent and on several | occasions were seen to submerge completely. At 18-40 on 15th July at a point 21-5 miles 341° from the Butt of Lewis a ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula was observed j which remained for several minutes in the vicinity of the ship, | sometimes in company with a storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus. A great skua, also observed in the vicinity at this time, accompanied the ship at varying distances for several miles. On the following | day when 43 miles west from the Butt of Lewis a great skua was again seen. At 22 -oo on 17th July, 73 miles west from Barra Head, three oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus were seen flying due west; after passing the ship, the birds wheeled round and returned on their j!; course remaining thus until out of sight. When opposite the island ;ji of Jura on 19th July a great skua was observed flying in a northerly I direction. Towards evening, on the 21st July, we anchored for the j j night in Tobermory Bay. During the course of a walk ashore, a |j young male hen-harrier Circus cyaneus was seen, the grey plumage jj showing mostly on the tail and lower back. ]’ On the numerous occasions when stations were worked and li trawls made during the hours of darkness, fulmar petrels Fulmarus || 1951 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 135 I glacialis and kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla were always present and ' apparently as active as in the hours of daylight. In the converging beams of two ship’s lights directed down on the water they were seen passing continually to and fro, while others remained settled in quiet I anticipation on the surface. When the net was drawn up there was the usual excited scramble for the small fish and invertebrates which escaped from the meshes. If, as frequently happened, a fish was too big for them, the fulmars pecked eagerly at the soft belly. — W. T. Stirling, Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh. ' Supplement to the Capercaillie Report. — The following notes are supplementary to the report published in The Scottish Naturalist, 62: 65-87, 157-178 and 63 : 4-17. ! With reference to the statement that “ the second greatest cause of decrease is undoubtedly the hostile activities of many employees of the Forestry Commission ” the Director of the Forestry Commis- sion (Scotland) states that definite steps are now taken to ensure that capercaillies are protected, and that foresters may only kill them when the Commission is satisfied that their numbers and the damage they do warrants this action. Perth and Clackmannan. — Loch Ard forest extends to 10,000 acres of plantation, not 300 acres as stated, although only about 300 acres are of a size that would attract caper. Ross and Cromarty. — At Scatwell the total stock in 1 950 consisted of only one cock and two or three hens ; no broods had been reared for several years. Sutherland. The first appearance at Uppat was of a cross blackcock X caper shot in October 1 930. At Skibo there has been a considerable increase since the questionnaire was sent out. Argyll. Dr. J. W. Campbell was informed in August 1932 by Donald Mackenzie, keeper at Inverary, that there were four caper then on the Inveraray Castle estate, and that these were very old birds. Eventually only one, a cock, remained and it finally dis- appeared. Peebles. — The Editorial of the Scottish Field for November 1950 contained a statement that “ the officers of the Forestry Commission are actively engaged in trying to introduce caper to the state forests in the south ”. The origin of this appears to be an un- successful attempt two years ago to introduce capercaillies to Glentress Forest, Peebles, by placing capercaillies’ eggs in the nests of greyhens. Although eggs were obtained, unfortunately no nests could be located and the experiment fell through. — Ian D. Pennie, Tongue. 36 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63, 1351 CORRESPONDENCE Isle of Canna, Scotland. 1 2th August 1951. The Editor The Scottish Naturalist. Dear Sir, In his article on “ The Vegetation and Flora of Knoydart” Mr. Donald Pigott remarks that “ the absence of good communications and the rugged nature of the country, account for the very low population ”. As this is not the first time that an attempt has been made to include the native human element in an ecological survey of the Highlands, and to explain its scarcity by reference to purely natural and material conditions, I hope you will allow me to say that such a conclusion can only be reached by ignoring both the historical and the archaeological evidence. For if absence of good communications and rugged terrain accounted for depopulation, or sparse population, then we would hardly expect to find many districts of Norway, or any part of Iceland and the Faeroes, populated at all. There is the less excuse for ignoring the social history of Knoydart, as this has recently received public airing in the course of a valiant attempt to revive the district as a Highland community. Natural historians who propose to include the human element in ecological surveys of Highland districts would do well to read MacKenzie’s Highland Clearances and the Minutes of Evidence of the Crofters'" Commission (where a great deal was said about Knoydart). They could then approach the problem of man’s place in the Highland scene with some historical sense, and some understanding of the reasons why districts, which in countries like Norway are well populated, are depopulated in Scotland. I am. Yours truly, J. L. CAMPBELL. Correction The contributor of the note on a “ Probable Green Woodpecker in East Lothian ” on pp. 66-67 of this volume is Mr. John A. Owen, Edinburgh. NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS The SCOTTISH naturalist is devoted to the study of Scottish Natural History, and is therefore concerned with all the many aspects, zoological, botanical, geographical, topographical and climatic embraced by this title. Contributions in the form of articles and short notes, and papers and books for review, should be addressed to the Editor of The Scottish Naturalist, Department of Natural History, Marischal College, Aberdeen. Contributors should observe the following points and endeavour to conform with the arrangement and set-up of articles and notes adopted in the current number. Manuscripts must be clearly written ; whenever possible they should be typed, double-spaced, on one side of the paper, and with adequate margins. Except in headings and titles, English names of animals and plants should appear without initial capitals, e.g. crested tit, red admiral, but Planer’s lamprey, Scots pine. 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Annual Subscription : £i is. ; single parts, 7s. CONTENTS The Spiders of Aberdeenshire — Bruce Forman . The Harvestmen {Phalangida) of Aberdeenshire — Bruce Forman ........ The Breeding Distribution, Population and History of the Birds of Ailsa Craig (Second Part) — J. A. Gibson . Notes on the Birds of Sanda Island — Jack F. Borland and Frank D. E. Walls ...... Botanical Note ....... Zoological Notes ....... Protection of Rare Scottish Birds ..... Correction ........ Index ......... PAGE 137 156 159 178 183 184 I 199 I 199 5 200 4 The Scottish Naturalist Volume 63, No. 3 Winter 1951 THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE* Bruce Forman Department of Natural History University of Aberdeen Bristowe (1939, 1941) lists one hundred and nineteen species of spiders as occurring in Aberdeenshire. In preparing this list he appears, however, to have been unaware of a paper published by the late Professor J. W. H. Trail, in which several additional species are mentioned. When the obsolete nomenclature used by Trail is brought up-to-date, with the aid of the excellent synonymic index in Bristowe’s book (Vol. II), it is found that about a hundred species are mentioned of which fourteen are not included in Bristowe’s list. Par- ticulars of these are given below. ^ost of my collecting was carried out in the small area of central Buchan (vice-county 93) marked off in the map by the dotted line. This part of the county was not covered by Trail in his work. As would be expected, however, a great many of the species found were recorded by Trail in other districts, but nineteen species are completely new to the county, while, in addition, four of the species not mentioned by Bristowe but recorded by Trail were found, thus corroborating his statement of their existence here. In all, about ninety species are in- cluded in my collection. "^Received i^th February 1951 18 137 taS9 138 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 For convenience seven types of habitat have been dis- tinguished, and these are designated A-G as follows : — A — All kinds of buildings (except greenhouses) including dwelling-houses, stores, sheds, cellars, etc. | B — Gardens and greenhouses. I G — Hedgerows, most commonly beech and hawthorn. D — Deciduous woodland, mostly beech with a fairly open floor, covered with some grass and dead leaves. E — Coniferous woodland, the floor either fairly open with clumps of grass and heather, or else well covered with bracken. F — Moorland, covered with fairly long grass, clumps of ; heather and gorse bushes. G — Open country, such as fields, along roadsides, etc. In the list of species given below the nomenclature and classification used are those advocated by Bristowe (1938). With each species is given the name of the first person to record it in the county. (Bristowe gives as his main source of in- formation the manuscripts of Colonel Pickard, but does not 1951 THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE 139 give a detailed reference. I have been unable to trace the work of this author and therefore his records are accredited to Bristowe.) In the case of all species found by me, particulars are included concerning the habitats in which they were cap- tured, and some idea of their abundance is also given. The present paper brings the total number of species known to occur in Aberdeenshire to one hundred and fifty-four. Dictynidae Dictyna arundinacea Linn. Trail (1878). Habitat : F, amongst heather and on long grass. Common everywhere, v.-c. 92 and 93. * Cinijlo similis Bl. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : A, amongst old sacking, and amongst boxes and firewood in sheds. Fairly common in Longside but not so far found elsewhere. v.-c. 93. Cinijio fenestralis Stroem. Trail (1878). Habitat : A, B, C, D, E and G, under stones, bark, sacking ; in houses ; amongst leaves, etc. Abundant everywhere, v.-c. 92 and 93. OONOPIDAE Oonops pulcher Tempi. Trail (1878). Habitat : D and E, amongst grass and leaves and under stones. Common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Dysderidae Segestria senoculata Linn. Trail (1878). Habitat : A and C, under stones and amongst dead leaves. , Fairly common, v.-c. 92 and 93. * New records for Aberdeenshire from present collection. 140 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Drassidae Vol. 63 Drassodes lapidosus Walck. Trail (1878). : Habitat : D and G, under stones and amongst leaves and grass. Fairly common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Drassodes signifer C. L. Koch. Trail (1878) — once Parkhill. Habitat : G, on links near Aberdeen, 10 : iv : 49. Rare. v.-c. 92. Zdotes latreilli C. L. Koch. Bristowe (1939). I have not so far discovered this species. Zdotes apricorum L. Koch. , Bristowe (1939). J Not in my collection. ; Micaria pulicaria Sund. ' Trail (1878). Habitat: D, under stones and leaves, Hazlehead,, I 20 : V : 50. Rare. v.-c. 92. Clubionidae ' Clubiona terrestris Westr. Trail (1878). Habitat : D, amongst grass and leaves, Longside, 10 : ix : 48. ^ Rare. v.-c. 93. * Clubiona neglecta Cambr. Not previously recorded here. Habitat : B, D, under stones, bark, and amongst dead 1 leaves. 3 Common, v.-c. 92 and 93. j Clubiona phragmitis C. L. Koch. Trail (1878) — Murcar links, v.-c. 92. Rare. Not found by me so far. ;j Clubiona redusa Cambr. ’1 Trail (1878) — Braemar, once. v.-c. 92. Not so far found by mie. THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE 41 1951 Clubiona trivialis L. Koch. Bristowe (1939). I have not discovered this species. Clubiona coerulescens L. Koch. Trail (1878)^ — ^only once, locality doubtful. Not in my collection. This is the only known record of this species in Scotland. Clubiona compta C. L. Koch. Trail (1878) — Inverurie, once. v.-c. 92 and 93. This species is not included in Bristowe’s (1939) list. Cheiracanthium erraticum Walck. Trail (1878). Habitat : D, amongst dead leaves, Hazlehead, 20 : v : 50. Rare. v.-c. 92. This species is not cited by Bristowe for Aberdeenshire. Zora spinimana Sund. Trail (1878). Habitat : D, amongst grass and dead leaves, Kinmundy, Longside, 8 : ix : 49. Rare. v.-c. 93. Zora nemoralis Bl. Bristowe (1939). Not found by me so far. Thomisidae Xysticus kochi Thor. Bristowe (1939). I have not yet discovered this species. Xysticus viaticus Linn. Trail (1878) Habitat : D and E, amongst grass and leaves. Fairly common throughout the county, v.-c. 92 and 93. I Oxyptila atomaria Panz. I Trail (1878). Habitat : E and G on branch of fir tree and amongst rocks, Ardlaw Wood, Longside, 14 : ix : 48. I Rare. v.-c. 93. ' Oxyptila trux Bl. Trail (1878) — Parkhill, once. v.-c. 92. Not found by me so far. THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 142 Philodromus aureolus Oliv. Trail (1878). Habitat : F, amongst grass, Ardlaw Wood, Longside, 1.1 15 : X : 48. f Rare. v.-c. 93. Philodromus cespiticolis Walck. Bristowe (1939). Not found by me so far. Philodromus emarginatus Schr. J « Bristowe (1939). Not in my collection. Philodromus histrio Latr. ! Trail (1878) — Parkhill, once. v.-c. 92. I have not yet found this species. k Salticidae '5 1 ; II Salticus scenicus Linn. | Trail (1878). f Habitat : A, G, amongst stones and once in house. J Not very common, v.-c. 92. 5 Salticus cingulatus Panz. Bristowe {1939). ' Not found by me. Euophrys frontalis Walck. Trail (1878). ^ Habitat : G, amongst rocks. Rare. v.-c. 92. 'I Evarcha blancardi Scop. Trail (1878) — Ballater, once. v.-c. 92. ■! Not yet found by me. : ji i : Lycosidae Lycosa saccata Linn. | Trail (1878). I Habitat : D, amongst grass and leaves. | Not very common, v.-c. 92 and 93. I Lycosa agricola Thor. i Bristowe (1939). I Not yet found by me. | THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE 143 ;i I ! j 1951 ' Lycosa trailli Cambr. Bristowe (1939). Not in my collection. Lycosa nigriceps Thor. Trail (1878). Habitat : G, amongst grass. Not very common, v.-c. 92. Lycosa pullata Oliv. Trail (1878) — Old Aberdeen, once. v.-c. 92. Not found by me. Lycosa tarsalis Thor. Trail(i878) — Braemar, once. v.-c. 92. Not included in Bristowe’s (1939) list for Aberdeenshire. Lycosa monticola Sund. Trail (1878). Habitat : G, links near Aberdeen, 10 : vii : 50. Rare. v.-c. 92. Tarentula barbipes Latr. Trail (1878). Habitat : F, hillside, 2000 feet. Upper Deeside, near Ballater, 10 : hi : 49. Rare. v.-c. 92. Tarentula carinata Oliv. Trail (1878). Habitat : F, amongst grass and heather, Ardlaw Wood, Longside, 10 : ix : 48. Rare. v.-c. 93. * Trochosa ruricola de Geer. Not previously recorded for Aberdeenshire. Habitat : F, amongst grass and heather, Ardlaw Wood, 10 : ix : 48. Rare. v.-c. 93. Trochosa terricola Thor. Trail (1878). Habitat : D and F, amongst dead leaves, Pitfour, Old Deer, 12 : viii : 49. Ardlaw Wood, 14 : vii : 50. Rare. v.-c. 93. Arctosa leopardus Sund. Trail (1878) — Glengairn, Upper Deeside, once. v.-c. 92. Not yet found by me. 144 the SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 Arctosa biungulata Cambr. Trail (1878)^ — ^Braemar, once. v.-c. 92. Not in my collection. Arctosa parita Latr. | Trail (1878). Habitat : sand dunes on coast. Common, -v.-c. 92. Pirata piratica Oliv. Trail (1878) — Strathdon, once. v.-c. 92. Not yet found by me. J | ■V . PiSAURIDAE Pisaura listeri Scop. \ | Trail (1878). Habitat : G, links near Aberdeen, 12 : v : 49. Rare. v.-c. 92. This species is not included in Bristowe’si list for Aberdeenshire. I Agelenidae Cryphoeca silvicola C. L. Koch. Trail (1878). Habitat : A, C, D and E, amongst sacking ; grass and leaves ; under bark and stones, etc. Very common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Argyroneta aquatica Linn. Trail (1880) — Scotstown Moor, Aberdeen, v.-c. 92. Not found by me. Tegenaria domestic a Linn. Trail (1878). Habitat : A and B, about houses, greenhouses and sheds. Very common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Not included in Bristowe’sv list. Textrix denticulata Oliv. Trail (1878). Habitat : A and B, amongst sacking : under stones, bark, etc. Very common, v.-c. 92 and 93. ^Hahnia helveola Sim. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE 1 Habitat : F, amongst heather, Pitfour, 4 : V : 49. Rare. v.-c. 93. 145 Old Deer, T ETRAGN ATHID AE Tetragnatha extensa Linn. Trail (1878). Habitat : D and G, amongst grass. Very common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Pachygnatha degeeri Sund. Bristowe (1939). Habitat : G, on gorse bushes, Pitfour, Old Deer, 10 : v : 49. Rare. v.-c. 93. Pachygnatha clercki Sund. Bristowe (1939). Habitat : D, on bulrushes beside lake, Pitfour, Old Deer, 3 : v : 49. One only found so far by me, in Buchan, v.-c. 93. Argyopidae Meta reticulata Linn. Trail (1878). Habitat : A, B, C, D, E and F, mostly on hedges, trees, long grass, gorse, etc. Abundant everywhere and showing a tremendous amount of variation in both form and colour pattern, v.-c. 92 and 93. Meta merianae Latr. Trail (1878). Habitat : A, B and F, damp open porch, amongst dead leaves and in heather. Fairly common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Meta menardi Scop. Trail (1878) — Parkhill, once. v.-c. 92. Not so far found by me. Cyclosa conica Pallas. Trail (1878). Habitat : D, gorse bushes, Kinmundy, Longside, 28 : ix : 49. Rare. v.-c. 93. 9 VoL 63 146 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Singa albovittata Westr. Trail (1878) — Hazlehead, Braemar, Inverurie, v.-c. 92. I have not so far come across this species. The above is the only record of its occurrence in Scotland. I Aranea raji betulae Sulz. Trail (1878) — Braemar, once. v.-c. 92. Not found by m.e so far. Aranea diadema Linn. Trail (1878). Habitat : A, B, C, E and F, about buildings, hedges, fir trees, heather. Abundant, v.-c. 92 and 93. Aranea cucurbitina Linn. Trail (1878) — ‘‘ wide spread, but rather scarce Not yet found by me. Aranea sexpunctata Linn. Trail (1878). Habitat : D and G, under bark ; in crack in fence post, Pitfour, Old Deer, 1 1 : ix : 48, 16 : vii : 50. Rare. v.-c. 93. Aranea reaumuri Scop. Trail (1878). Habitat : F, on heather. Common, v.-c. 93. Aranea foliata Fourer. Trail (1878). Habitat : E and F, on heather and fir branches ; gorse bushes. Common, v.-c. 92 and 93. * Zygidla litterata Oliv. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : G, captured on fence ; in long grass ; on gorse bushes. Not very common — Buchan area only so far, e.g. Pitfour, 12 : ix : 48. v.-c. 93. Zygiella atrica C. L. Koch. Trail (1878). Habitat : B, C and D, on shrubs, gorse bushes and beech hedges. Common, v.-c. 92 and 93. 1951 THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE Theridiidae 147 Theridion notatum Linn. Trail (1878). Habitat : B, C, D, E and particularly F, in greenhouses ; amongst flowers and shrubs and on grass, heather and fir branches. Abundant, v.-c. 92 and 93. Theridion denticulatum Walck. Trail (1878). Habitat : A and B, found in a porch also on shrubs in garden. Not very common, v.-c. 93. Theridion pallens Bl. Bristowe (1939). Habitat : B and C. on plants in greenhouse and on beech hedges, Longside, 7 : viii : 48 ; Duthie Park, I : v!49. Rare. v.-c. 92 and 93. Theridion redimitum Linn. Trail (1878). Habitat : A, B and C. Porch ; greenhouse ; amongst flowers and on beech hedges. Very common, v.-c. 92 and 93. All specimens found by me so far have been of the white variety, which, according to Savory (1945), is usually less common than the yellow variety. Pholcomma gihhum Westr. Trail (1878). Habitat : B, D and G, amongst earth, grass and leaves in open fields. Fairly common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Theonoe minutissima Cambr. Bristowe (1939). Not discovered so far by me. * Stearodea bipunctata Linn. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : A, amongst old sacking in shed. Only one female specimen captured so far, in Longside, 10 : viii : 48. v.-c. 93. Vol. 63 148 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Robertus lividus Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : B, C and F, amongst flowers ; on beech hedges and amongst heather. Common, v.-c. 93. * JVesticus cellulanus Oliv. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : G, amongst long grass. Common locally^ — only found along banks of the Don near Aberdeen so far, v.-c. 92. Mimetidae Ero furcata Vill. Trail (1878). Habitat : D and G, on shrubs and bushes, Hazlehead, 10 : ix : 50. Rare. v.-c. 92. Linyphiidae Ceratinella brevipes Westr. Trail (1878). Habitat : D and G, amongst grass and leaves and on links, Aberdeen, 1 2 : vi : 50. Rare. v.-c. 92. *? Blaniargus herbigradus Bl. Not previously recorded here. Habitat : G, amongst long grass. One only, found along banks of the Don near Aberdeen, 20 : ii : 49. This specimen was slightly damaged, but identification fairly certain. Minyriolus pusillus Wid. Trail (1878) — Inverurie, Braemar. v.-c. 92. Not found by me. Caledonia evansi Cambr. Bristowe (1939). Not yet found by me. Silometopus incurvatus Cambr. Bristowe (1939). Not in my collection. THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE 149 1951 Gnathonarium dentatum Wid. Bristowe (1939). Habitat : B and D, amongst earth, and grass and leaves, Longside, 3 : x : 48, Pitfour, 7 : v : 49. Rare. v.-c. 93. Tiso vagans Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : G, links near Aberdeen, 12 : v : 49. Rare. v.-c. 92. Tiso aestivus L. Koch. Bristowe (1939). Not found by me. * Diplocephalus cristatus Bl. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : D and G, grass and leaves and in open fields, Kinmundy, Longside, 20 : ix : 48 ; banks of Don, Aberdeen, 20 : ii : 49. Fairly common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Diplocephalus permixtus Cambr. Trail (1878). Habitat : G, on links near Aberdeen, 12 : v : 49. Rare. v.-c. 92. Savignia frontata Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : B and G, on links and amongst earth, Longside, 20 : X : 48 ; Aberdeen, 12 : viii : 50. Rare. v.-c. 92 and 93. Dicymbium nigrum Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : D, amongst grass and leaves, Pitfour, Old Deer, 20 : ix : 48. Rare. v.-c. 93. * Monocephalus fuscipes Bl. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : D and F, amongst grass and leaves and heather. Common and widely distributed, v.-c. 92 and 93. Thyreosthenius biovatus Cambr. Bristowe (1939). Not yet found by me. VoL 63 150 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Walckenaera acuminata Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : B and F, amongst earth and in grass, Longside, j 21 : viii : 48. Ardlaw Wood, 16 : v : 49. Rare. v.-c. 93. Wideria antica Wid. j Bristowe ( 1 939) . Habitat : E, amongst grass, Pitfour, 10 : v : 49. Rare. v.-c. 93. Wideria capita Westr. Bristowe (1939). 1 Not found by me. Evansia merens Cambr. I Bristowe (1939). Not found by me. Cornicularia karpinskii Cambr. f | Bristowe (1939). | Not found by me. I * Gonatium rubellum Bl. I Not previously recorded for Aberdeenshire. | Habitat : G, amongst grass and in web on banks of | stream. Along the banks of the Don, 20 : ii : 49. Rare. v.-c. 92. Gonatium rubens Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : E and F, amongst grass and leaves. Fairly common, v.-c. 93. Not included in Bristowe’s list. Hypomma bituberculata Wid. Trail (1878). Habitat : G, amongst long grass. Common locally — banks of Don only so far. v.-c. 93. Dismodicus bifrons Bl. Trail (1878) — ^Murcar and Inverurie, v.-c. 92. Not found by me. These are the only Scottish records. Erigone dentipalpis Wid. Trail (1878). Habitat : B and G, open grassland. Fairly common, v.-c. 92 and 93. THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE ij 1951 151 S Erigone atra BL Bristowe (1939). Not yet found by me. Erigone promiscua Cambr. Trail (1878). Habitat : D and G amongst grass and leaves, Hazlehead, and on links. Rare. v.-c. 92. Erigone longipalpis Sund. Trail (1878). Habitat : B, D and G amongst leaves and in fields. Very common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Erigone tirolensis L. Koch. Jackson (1914) — Ben Macdhui and Cairn Toul. v.-c. 92 and 93. Not found by me. Oedothorax agrestis Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : D, amongst dead leaves, Hazlehead, 12 : iv : 49. Rare. v.-c. 93. Oedothorax fuscus Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : F, amongst grass and heather, Ardlaw Wood, Longside, 10 : ix : 48. Rare. v.-c. 93. Not included in Bristowe’s list. Oedothorax retusus Westr. Trail (1878) — Braemar. v.-c. 92. Not found by me. Not included in Bristowe’s list. Lophomma punctata Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : G, on links near Aberdeen, 12 : v : 49. Rare. v.-c. 92. Coryphaeolanus holmgreni Thor. Bristowe (1939). Not found by me. Halorates reprobus Cambr. Bristowe (1939). Not in my collection. THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 152 Hilaira uncata Cambr. Trail (1878) — Murcar, and at 3500 feet on Cairn-na- Glaisha. v.-c. 92. Not found by me. Hilaira frigida Thor. Bristowe (1939). I have not yet found this species. * Porrhomma pygmaeum Bl. Not previously recorded for the county. Habitat : B, in greenhouses and in gardens amongst flowers. Fairly common, v.-c. 93. * Bathyphantes concolor Wid. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : G, amongst long grass. Fairly common locally — banks of Don, Aberdeen, only, 20 : ii : 49. v.-c. 92. Bathyphantes gracilis Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : D, amongst grass and leaves, Hazlehead, 15 : viii : 48. Rare. v.-c. 92. Linyphia montana Linn. Bristowe (1939). Habitat : D, F and G, almost always in association with gorse or heather. Abundant, v.-c. 92 and 93. * Linyphia insignis Bl. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : C, D and G, amongst grass and leaves and under stones. Fairly common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Linyphia hortensis Sund. Trail (1878) — Locality not given. Not found by me. Linyphia peltata Wid. Trail (1878). Habitat : E, amongst grass. Rare. v.-c. 93. 1951 THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE 153 Linyphia clathrata Sund. Bristowe (1939). Habitat : B, F and G, amongst flowers, heather and grass. Common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Linyphia pusilla Sund. Trail (1878) — Hazlehead, Braemar, Inverurie, v.-c. 92. Not found by me so far. Stemonyphantes lineata Linn Trail (1878) — Braemar. Habitat: G, on snow at about 1750 feet, Inverey, Upper Deeside, 28 : hi : 51. Rare. v.-c. 92. Bolyphantes alticeps Sund. Trail (1878) — Braemar. v.-c. 92. Not found by me. Bolyphantes luteolus Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : D, E and F, amongst grass and leaves, and heather. Fairly common, v.-c. 93. * Lepthyphantes minutus Bl. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : D and E, under bark of trees. Very common, v.-c. 93. These spiders come out on to the tree trunks in great numbers at dusk, along with Drapetisca socialis, to hunt for insects. Lepthyphantes alacris Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : A, E and F, amongst firewood in shed ; on trees, and amongst heather. Fairly common, v.-c. 93. Lepthyphantes obscurus Bl. Trail (1878). Habitat : D and E, amongst grass and on trees. Common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Lepthyphantes whymperi F. Cambr. Bristowe (1939). Not found by me. Lepthyphantes leprosus Ohl. Trail (1878). 20 154 the SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 Habitat : A and G, amongst sacking in shed and amongst grass, Longside only. Rare. v.-c. 93. Lepthyphantes zi'mmermanni Bertk. Trail (1878) Habitat : A, B and E, amongst sacking ; in greenhouse ; amongst grass and leaves. Fairly common, v.-c. 93. 1 Lepthyphantes tenuis Bl. ] Bristowe (1939). I Habitat : B and F, amongst grass and heather, Pitfour,] 26 : ii : 49. I Rare. v.-c. 93. Lepthyphantes ericoeus Bl. Bristowe (1939). Not yet found by me. Lepthyphantes audax Sor. Bristowe (1939). Not found by me. ' Drapetisca socialis Sund. j Bristowe (1939). Habitat : D, E and F, mostly on tree trunks. Abundant, v.-c. 92 and 93. ^ Centromerus bicolor Bl. Bristowe (1939). Habitat : G, amongst long grass. Common locally — banks of Don, Aberdeen, only. v.-c. 92. * Centromerus concinnus Thor. Not previously recorded in Aberdeenshire. Habitat : D and G, amongst grass and leaves. Common, v.-c. 92 and 93. Centromerus similis Kulcz. Trail (1878). Habitat : G, links near Aberdeen, 20 : v : 49. 1 Rare. v.-c. 92. : Oreonetides vaginatus Thor. Bristowe (1939). Not found by me. i I! ig^i THE SPIDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE 155 Mengea scopigera Grube. I Bristowe (1939). [ Not in my collection. ’ Microneta viaria Bl. I Trail (1878). Habitat : B and D, in greenhouse and amongst grass and ■ leaves. Fairly common, v.-c. 93. i Meioneta rurestris C. L. Koch. I Trail (1878). Habitat : D, amongst dead leaves, Hazlehead, 21 : iv : 50. Rare. v.-c. 92. Meioneta gulosa L. Koch. Bristowe (1939). Not found by me. ! Meioneta nigripes. Bristowe (1939). Not found by me. I Sintula cornigera Bl. ! Trail (1878) — Parkhill, once. v.-c. 92. Not found by me. Not included in Bristowe’s list of Aberdeenshire species. :i Acknowledgements I am greatly indebted to Dr. A. F. Millidge who very kindly consented to check all identifications made by me, and given in the above paper. I am also grateful to Professor V. C. Wynne-Edwards for helpful criticisms of my paper. REFERENCES Bristowe, W. S., 1938. The Classification of Spiders. Proc. ^oot. Soc. Lond., B, 108 : 285. Bristowe, W. S., 1939, 1941. The Comity of Spiders, Vols. I and II. London : Ray Soc. Monographs. Jackson, A. R., 1914. The Spider Fauna of Scotland. Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edin., 19. Savory, T. H., 1945. The Spiders and Allied Orders of the British Isles. London : Warne. Trail, J. W. H., 1878. List of Araneidae (Spiders) of Dee. Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Aberdeen, 1877-78. Trail, J. W. H., if 80. Water-spider, Argyroneta aquatica, Clerck, near Aberdeen. Scot. Nat., 5 ; 261. 56 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 THE HARVESTMEN {PHALANGIDA) OF ABERDEENSHIRE Bruce Forman Marischal College, Aberdeen Twenty-one species of harvestmen {Phalangida) have so far been discovered in the British Isles. Of these sixteen are known to exist in Scotland. This is about twice the number of species which had been recorded as recently as two years ago, while individual records are now much fuller. A great deal of collecting still remains to be done, however, before anything approaching complete distribution records for Scotland can be obtained. The Phalangida form an inconspicuous group of the Arachnida which seems to have little economic significance. With few exceptions they are to be found in any quantity only during a short period of the year, and from the beginning of June till late September seem to be the best months in Aberdeenshire. Most species seem to overwinter as eggs, although some adults do hibernate or persist till the following spring. It is doubtful, however, whether they breed for a second season. Some species are very conspicuous owing to their large size and un- gainly progression, while others (genus Oligolophus notably) exhibit a marked degree of protective coloration and have to be sought carefully. As in the work on spiders, most of the collecting was done in Buchan (v.-c. 93), though a fair amount has been done elsewhere in the county. The specimens were identified with the aid of the key compiled by T. H. Savory (1948). Records of distribution were obtained from Dr. Bristowe’s recent paper (1949)- NEMASTOMATIDAE Nemastoma lugubre Muller. Habitat : B, C, D, E, F and G, amongst grass, leaves and heather. IQ5I THE HARVESTMEN OF ABERDEENSHIRE 157 Abundant everywhere, v.-c. 92 and 93. This species may be discovered at any time of the year. Nemastoma chrysomelas Hermann. Habitat : D, amongst dead leaves. Only one specimen (a female) found by me so far, Pitfour, Old Deer, 5 : xi : 48, v.-c. 93. With one exception, a record from Ben Nevis, this species has only been recorded previously from the southern counties of Scotland. VHALANGllDAE Leiobunum rotundum Latreille Habitat : D, amongst long grass. Only one specimen (a male) captured in Persley Den, Aberdeen, 6 : x : 50, v.-c. 92. This species has not previously been recorded so far north either. Mitopus mono Fabricius Habitat : B, C, D, E and F amongst grass, leaves, on trees, under hedges, amongst flowers, etc. Abundant everywhere, v.-c. 92 and 93. Primarily a summer species. Oligolophus agrestis Meade Habitat : A and D, on walls of buildings and on tree trunks. Very common everywhere, v.-c. 92 and 93. May be found fairly late in the year, e.g. November. Oligolophus tridens C. L. Koch Habitat : D, on beech bark. Fairly common, but only found by me in summer, v.-c. 93. Oligolophus hanseni Kraepelin Habitat : D, on beech trees along with the previous species. Fairly common but apparently not widely distributed. I have found this species only in Buchan, v.-c. 93, and only in the summer months. Three previous records from Scotland (Edinburgh, Haddingtonshire and Lanarkshire) . Megabunus diadema Fabricius Habitat : A, D and E, on walls of houses, amongst grass and leaves. 58 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 Common and widely distributed throughout the county, v.-c. 92 and 93. May be captured occasionally as late as November. Phalangium opilio Linn. Habitat : D, E and G amongst grass and leaves and in open fields. Fairly comm.on, v.-c. 92 and 93. I shall be very pleased to receive specimens of harvestmen or spiders collected in Scotland. They should be preserved in 70 per cent, alcohol and labelled with the name of the locality where found, and date. Once again I should like to express my indebtedness to Dr. A. F. Millidge for verifying my identifications. REFERENCES Bristowe, W. S., 1949. The distribution of harvestmen Phaldngida in Great Britain and Ireland, with notes on their names, enemies and food. Jour. Anim. EcoL, 18, No. i, p. 100. Savory, T. H., 1948. Synopsis of British Fauna^ No. i, Opiliones. London: Linnean Society. THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 159 195^ THE BREEDING DISTRIBUTION, POPULATION AND HISTORY OF THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG J. A. Gibson Paisley {Continued from p. lOo) 3. The Non-breeding Species Regular Visitors Carrion-crow Corvus cor one Two or three birds frequented Ashydoo during the spring and summer of 1948, 1949 and 1950. Single birds have been seen occasionally in past years and one pair formerly bred regularly (Donaldson, 1854). Starling Sturnus vulgaris Regular passage-migrant; also irregular winter visitor; usually after fog. Some birds remain throughout summer but no recent proof of breeding. Nested in the Castle in 1920s (J. Girvan). Greenfinch Chloris chloris Regular winter visitor and passage-migrant in small numbers. Twite Carduelis jiavirostris Regular winter and spring visitor, usually in ones and twos, but numbers vary and some years there are small flocks. Birds occasionally remain throughout the summer; proved to breed on at least three occasions (Kirk, 1914; Paton, 1932; Gibson, 1948). Linne t Carduelis cannabina Regular winter visitor in small numbers. Also occasionally on passage. Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Regular winter visitor and passage-migrant. Some birds remain throughout the summer. i6o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 Yellow Bunting Emberiza citrinella Donaldson (1854) recorded this as a breeding species and added “ but never seen during the winter It is now known i to J. Girvan as a regular winter visitor. j Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Regular winter visitor, often flocks of 50-60. Also some on passage. House-sparrow Passer domesticus Frequent visitor all year round. A small colony of some 1 15 pairs bred from about 1930 to 1942. Skylark Alauda arvensis Regular winter visitor and passage-migrant ; also some in summer. Common after fog. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Frequent winter visitor and occasionally on passage, rarely J in summer. Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba Regular winter visitor and passage-migrant, also some in summer. Blue Tit Parus caeruleus Regular winter visitor in small numbers. Goldgrest Regulus regulus Flocks of 8-12 birds are common in winter; also regular visitor on passage. Willow-warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Extremely common visitor on spring and autumn passage. Song-thrush Turdus ericetorum , The song-thrush formerly bred on Ailsa Graig but is now! known only as a fairly regular passage-migrant. One of the earliest records was by Pennant (1774) who wrote, and what is wonderful, throstles exerted the same melody in this scene of horror as they do in the groves of Hertfordshire It was also recorded as breeding by Donaldson (1854), Grav (1864, ’69, ’71), up to Paton and Pike (1929), but the last definite breeding- record known to J. Girvan was in 1925, and the cause of its extinction as a breeding species is obscure. igSi the birds OF AILSA CRAIG i6i ! Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Extremely common on spring and autumn passage. Some , birds occasionally remain throughout the summer and one pair probably bred in 1950. It seems that the wheatear formerly nested regularly since Gray and Anderson wrote in 1869: : “ On Ailsa Craig it is also numerous, frequenting the summit of the island, where it breeds in crevices and rabbit-holes The Greenland form Oenanthe 0. leiicorhoa has been noted on passage from time to time and may be a regular visitor. Whinghat Saxicola rubetra ' Scarce but regular passage-migrant; also occasionally in summer after storms. Swallow Hirundo rustica Regular passage-migrant. House-martin Delichon urbica and Sand-martin Riparia riparia ‘ Martins ’ are regular passage-migrants although the species cannot always be determined with certainty. Both have occurred, and it is probable that both are regular. Swift Apus apus Regular passage-migrant (flying very high); also some I in summer. I Cuckoo Cuculus canorus Regular summer-visitor (usually late May or early June), remaining about a week. Proved to breed on at least one occasion (Kirk, 1912) and probably breeds every year. Donaldson (1854) recorded the cuckoo as a breeding species. Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus Regular visitor to surrounding seas. In summer flocks may number thousands. James Girvan states he has “ seen more Manx shearwaters between the Craig and Girvan than any other bird ”. The Manx shearwater does not seem to inhabit Ailsa Craig, for during many all-night watches on the shore and above the cliffs I have found no evidence of the birds. The nearest breeding station to Ailsa Craig is on Rathlin Island off the north-east coast of Ireland. Wood-pigeon Columba palumbus Common on passage, and also occasionally all the year round. 21 1 62 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 ‘ Rock-dove Columba livia ! Formerly bred. Gray and Anderson (1869) wrote: ' “ A number of pairs frequent the caverns of Ailsa Craig |; Still seen frequently in summer but no proof of breeding. f Woodcock Scolopax rusticola li Regular winter visitor, usually in ones and twos. In some years there are small flocks on the hill, and in severe winters 1 the birds are found in the neighbourhood of the houses (J. Girvan) . Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Regular visitor on spring and autumn passage, and also sometimes in summer. Black Guillemot Uria grylle One or two pairs of black guillemots are present throughout the breeding season almost every year, and in autumn parties of seven or eight can be seen on the surrounding sea. References i to the black guillemot on Ailsa Craig go back to 1869 but no proof of breeding has ever been found. Service (1894) recorded it as breeding, but this was later shown to be in- | correct (Paterson and Renwick, 1898). I Occasional and Irregular Visitors Rook Corvus frugilegus One seen 7th April 1923 (Baigrie, 1924) and some half- dozen times since then ( J. Girvan). i Jackdaw Corvus monedula Recorded about 12 times (J. Girvan; Baigrie, 1924, ’27). Chough Coracia pyrrhocorox * Lawson (1895), chapter “ Latest Notes from Ailsa ” (p. 88), includes the following passage: “ Any strange ; birds? Yes, . . . W"e also had a number of choughs or red-legged crows This is the only record 1 have been able to trace. Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Donaldson (1854) recorded this species as a winter visitor. The only recent records are single birds seen loth November 1923 (Baigrie, 1924), 3rd May 1925 (Baigrie, 1926) and 6th April 1939 (J. Gii-van). THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 163 ) Siskin Carduelis spinus I One seen ist November 1894 (Tulloch, 1895), another I 17th November 1921 (Baigrie, 1922). 1 ! Redpoll Carduelis flammea I Occasional winter visitor; also on passage. One seen 4th I Pebruary 1896, said to be the mealy redpoll C. /. flammea \ (Tulloch, 1897). I Brambling Fringilla montifringilla j Scarce winter visitor. Corn-bunting Emheriza calandra Occasionally seen on passage. i Reed-bunting Emberiza schoeniclus Occasionally seen on passage. , Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava Occasionally seen on passage. I Great Tit Earns major One seen 5th October 1921 (Baigrie, 1922). I Coal-tit Pams ater \ Three recorded 5th October, 2nd and 6th November 1921 I (Baigrie, 1922). Chief CHAFF Phylloscopus collybita Occasionally seen on passage. May be more common. Wood-warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix Recorded 13th April and 5th October 1895 (Tulloch, 1896), and 5th April 1939 (j. Fisher). Garden-warbler Sylvia borin One recorded 14th Alay 1896 (Tulloch, 1897). Whitethroat Sylvia communis Recorded on three occasions; two pairs bred in 1897 (Tulloch, 1897 and 1898, Baigrie, 1925). Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca One recorded 1897 (Baton and Pike, 1929). Fieldfare Turdus pilaris Recorded 28th October 1894 and 21st September 1896 (Tulloch, 1895 and 1897). VoL 63 164 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Mistle-thrush Turdus viscivorus One seen lothjune 1922 (Baigrie, 1923). Redwing Turdus musicus Scarce winter visitor and passage-migrant. f Ring-ouzel Turdus torquatus ' Recorded on passage some half-dozen times since 1936. Also recorded by Walker (1868). ^ Stonechat Saxicola torquata Occasional visitor on passage. Has nested on two occasions, about 1910 (J. Girvan) and in 1925 (Baigrie, 1926). Redstart Phoeuicurus phoenicurus Occasional visitor on spring and autumn passage. Usually single. Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Regular summxr visitor during 1920s (J. Girvan), No re- » cords since them. Short-eared Owl Asio jiammeus Recorded as a breeding species by Donaldson (1854), and Gray (1864). records since then. Tawny Owl Strix aluco A pair of tawny owls frequented Ailsa Craig during 1946 and 1947. Unfortunately one of the birds was shot during summer 1947, but the other bird remained the rest of the season. The tawny owl has continued to make irregular visits during 1948, 1949 and 1950. Kestrel Falco tinnunculus ■ Recorded as a regular breeding species by Donaldso (1854) and Gray (1864). Now seen occasionally on passage. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetus and White-tailed Eagle " Haliaeetus albicilla \ Considerable confusion has surrounded the status of these two eagles on Ailsa Craig, so it is here convenient to consider :: them together in an attempt to clarify the position. j The first account was by Donaldson (1854) who wrote: |! “ Aquila chrysaetos. — Was regularly in the habit of breeding " there, but has not done so for many years past; he continues, || 1951 THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 165 however, to visit it for about three weeks in the month of October, and appears altogether to subsist during that period upon the entrails of rabbits, which are very plentifully strewn over the Craig, at that season, by men who are employed to kill them He made no mention of the white-tailed eagle. Next, Gray and Sinclair (1862) recorded both species as visitors, followed by Gray (1864) who wrote: “ Among the raptorial birds, the most distinguished visitors (for they no longer breed there) are the golden and white-tailed eagles. These are chiefly seen in the autumn.” Gray and Anderson (1869) and Gray (1871) recorded the white-tailed eagle as a former breeding species and the golden eagle just a visitor, but Gray (1872) recorded Ailsa Craig as a former breeding station of the golden eagle and made no mention of the white- tailed eagle. Paterson (1900 and 1908) mentioned only the white-tailed eagle and had apparently overlooked Donaldson’s paper. It seems, therefore, that both species bred until 1850 and remained fairly regular autumn visitors for about the next twenty-five years. A white-tailed eagle was shot on Ailsa Craig in 1881. The bird had frequented the island for som.e years and had been left in peace by the tenant, who, however, said that one day he “ simply couldn’t resist it ”. Lawson (1895) recorded a visit by a white- tailed eagle which “ only stayed two days ”. This is apparently the last known record of any eagle visiting Ailsa. Sparrow-hawk Accipiter nlsus One recorded (Patou and Pike, 1929). Heron Ardea cinerea Occasional visitor throughout the year, usually after fog. “ Grey Geese ” Anser sp. Small flocks of geese (up to 12 birds) are not uncomnion winter visitors. Occasionally large flocks are seen flying high over the Graig. Pale-breasted Brent Goose Branta bernida hrota One recorded (Paton and Pike, 1929). Sheld-dugk Tadorna tadorna One seen 26th July 1924 (Baigrie, 1925). 1 66 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol 63 Eider Duck Somateria mollissima Occasional winter visitor, usually after storms. Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus It seems definite that the storm-petrel formerly bred | on Ailsa Craig, although probably in very limited numbers. Donaldson (1854) wrote as follows: “ Breeds occasionally here, and one was caught upon her nest, containing one egg, in the month of August 1842; they have since been repeatedly seen in the vicinity of the Craig In 1863, at a meeting of the Glasgow Natural History Society, J. B. Murdoch exhibited a storm-petrel from Ailsa Craig, and Gray “ stated that he had known the storm-petrel as a native of Ailsa for many years, but from its habit of incubating under the large and immovable blocks of stone which lie scattered round the base of the Craig the eggs have been taken in only a few instances. Three years ago he had seen petrels issuing from their retreats under these large boulders in a dull day at the beginning of June ”. g Gray and Anderson in 1869 stated, “ it breeds in limited num- bers on Ailsa Craig ”, and in 1871 Gray wrote: “ The most southerly breeding-station in the west of Scotland is perhaps Ailsa Craig, where an old bird was caught, and a single egg obtained, by the tacksman in the breeding-season of 1842 ; but though I have repeatedly visited the rock within the last twenty years, and seen the birds on several occasions, I found it impossible to procure the eggs on account of the size of the basaltic blocks under which the birds were sitting ”. Paterson in 1901 wrote: “has nested on Ailsa Craig”, and in 1908 Berry made the somewhat ambiguous statement: “ I have handled both old and young and eggs that were taken on Ailsa Craig ”. It is not clear whether these specimens were taken in his time. In fact, the last definite record of eggs or young being taken is 1842. Kearton (1895) has a photograph of a supposed breeding-site of the storm-petrel on Ailsa Craig. The storm-petrel definitely bred up to the middle of the nineteenth century; it probably bred till the end of the nineteenth century; but there is no evidence of breeding since then. It is now known as an occasional spring and autumn visitor to the surrounding seas, especially after storms, and one was seen at the Ailsa lantern about 26th August 1924 (Baigrie, 1925)- THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG i 1951 167 Great (or Mediterranean) Shearwater Procellaria gravis (or P. diomedea) One seen off Craig on 12th April 1940 by L. S. V. Venables. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus One recorded 6th May 1916 (Paton and Pike, 1929). Little Grebe Podiceps rujicollis One shot 1910 (J. Girvan). Great Northern Diver Colymbus immer Irregular winter visitor to the surrounding seas. Red-throaTed Diver Colymbus stellatus Occasionally seen in Clyde near Craig. Mentioned by Campbell (1888). Curlew Numenius arquata Irregular winter visitor and passage-migrant. Occurs commonly after fog. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Recorded very occasionally on spring and autumn passage. Usually single birds but there was a large flock on 7th March 1896 (Tulloch, 1897). Common Snipe Capella gallinago Irregular visitor on spring and autumn passage. Some- times in considerable numbers. Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus One recorded on i6th March 1895 (Tulloch, 1896). Turnstone Arenaria inter pres Irregular winter visitor; also some summer. Dunlin Calidris alpina Irregular passage-migrant Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima Two seen 12th April 1940 at Stranny point by L. S. V. Venables. Redshank Tringa totanus Irregular visitor throughout the year. Common after fog in winter. Some years considerable numbers on migration. Golden Plover Charadrius apricaria Occasional visitor, usually after fog. 1 68 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Irregular visitor throughout the year and almost invariably after fog; usually stays about a week. Common or Arctic Tern Sterna hirundo or macrura ^ Occasionally feeding off the Craig in summer. Oiled I young bird washed ashore in July 1950. Common Gull Lams canus Gray and Anderson (1869) referred to the common gull as “ a very common species, breeding on Ailsa Craig ”. This is not supported by any contemporary account; moreover, the common gull always seems to have been uncommon in Ayrshire (e.g. Paton and Pike, 1929). Rose (1898) wrote, “ The so- called common gull possibly breeds here also, though we saw none of them, and I have never seen any eggs of it that were taken on the Craig. It is not a common bird on our coast during the breeding season, and the eggs so-named that come from Ailsa are usually those of the herring or lesser black- backed gulls.” H. G. Vevers and J. Fisher record seeing several in 1936, but none have been seen since then. Glaucous Gull Lams hyperboreus Occasional winter visitor. PoMATORHiNE Skua Stercorarius pomarinus One recorded (Paton and Pike, 1929). Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus Gray and Anderson (1869) wrote: “ It visits Ailsa Craig early in the season — probably before retiring to its breeding quarters — and delights in molesting the kitti wakes, among whom he is a most unwelcome intruder ”. It is now very rare, however, and has not been seen for many years. Little Auk Plautus alle Thompson (1850) stated that “ Mr. Darragh (of the Belfast Museum), when paying an ornithological visit to the Craig of Ailsa, off the coast of Ayrshire, on the 19th of May 1849, saw four little auks. ‘ One of them remained on the water at the base of the Craig until approached by the boat, within about eighty yards, when it flew off in the direction which its three companions had taken a minute before.’ ” This 1951 THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 169 passage was misquoted by Gray (1871) and many subsequent writers who had not read the original statement. Thompson did not say that the little auks were on the Craig. Lands- borough (1852) stated, “ though rare in Britain, has been seen at Ailsa — this was probably quoted from Thompson. Little auks occur spasmodically in the Firth of Clyde but have never been seen on Ailsa Craig, nor have any been recorded in the surrounding sea since 1849, the date given in the state- ment quoted above. Corncrake Crex crex Recorded as a breeding species by Donaldson (1854) and Gray (1864, 1871). No later records. Water-rail Rallus aquaticus One recorded 22nd November 1894, after a gale from the south-west (Tulloch, 1895). Red Grouse Lagopus scoticus One shot, winter 1915 (J. Girvan). Doubtful Records The following species have been recorded at one time or another, either in error or upon evidence which I regard as insufficient. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix Pennant (1774). Kingfisher Alcedo atthis ? seen in 1936. Barn Owl Tyto alba Gray (1864). Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides Gray (1864, ’69, ’71). Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus Steel ( 1 886) . Obviously misprint for “ black-backed gull Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea Gray (1869, ’71). 22 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 170 4. Comparison with Previous Work One of the earliest notices of Ailsa was by Donald Monro, Dean of the Isles, in 1549. Following this Ailsa was mentioned by Brereton (1635), Abercrummie (1696), Martin Martin (1703) and Pennant (1774); but the first important account was by MacCulloch {1824), ^ho gave a fine and accurate description of Ailsa. MacCulloch was an excellent observer, and since he had travelled widely through the Western Isles he could speak with authority, so his account is worth noting. Unfortunately he did not deal with the birds in detail, but he gave a graphic description of their immense numbers : “As to the feathered population, it is not exceeded even by that of St. Kilda; ... It is no exaggeration whatever to say that the firing of a gun raises clouds of birds which, literally, darken the air; the effect resembling much more nearly a shower of snow than any thing to which it can be compared. The noise, at the first alarm, is almost deafening ; and it is very pleasing to watch the manner in which the several tribes form themselves into distinct clouds; each occupying its own stratum of air, and circulating, without interference, in a perpetually wheeling flight ”. After MacCulloch, Lands- borough (1852) described an interesting visit to Ailsa, but the first accurate account of the birds was given by Donaldson (1854) who dealt with the breeding-birds in some detail andl also gave an account of the more regular visitors. Later Grayl (1864) and Walker (1868) -gave detailed descriptions of thef birds, and there are numerous Ailsa references in the booksj by Gray and Anderson (1869) Gray (1871). The next! contribution came from Lawson (1888) whose excellent littlef book covered the whole ground, although the natural history^ was unfortunately a compilation. Following this we have: accounts by McConnell (1894), Kearton (1898), Rose (1898)^ and Tulloch (1895-98) who added many new Aiisa records. Smith, Paterson and Watt (1900) gave an excellent account and surveyed some of the past literature. For the next twenty years we rely mainly on many notes by Kirk, and then Baigrie (1922-27) added many more new records. Many references to Ailsa birds are to be found in Paton and Pike (1929) and Me William (1927 and 1936). (Downie (1934) gave an account 1951 THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 171 of Ailsa but added nothing of value.) Fisher (in I.ack, 1942) gave a list of the Ailsa breeding birds, although this requires some amending. Next, Vevers (1948) — the observations refer to about 1940— gave an admirable account of the general ecology of Ailsa Craig. His principal contribution was a small bird-map of the island which, although not sufficiently detailed for census work, gave a useful general impression of the bird distribution (a “ popular ” predecessor of this map appeared in Vevers and Fisher (1938)). Finally Gibson (1948) described the breeding-birds in 1947 and noted some changes. These represent the principal general accounts of the birds. There are, of course, many short notes, and one species, the gannet (q.v.), has been studied in considerable detail. From these past accounts we gain information about {a) the total bird population and {b) the individual breeding species. Past information about the bird population is of the slightest. There are some excellent descriptions of the bird flocks and some wild guesses at their numbers, but nothing more. It is possible, however, to get a very approximate idea of the popu- lation in past years. The great change in population has taken place among the auks ; there is no good reason for sup- posing that the rest of the birds have fluctuated greatly. The egg collections give an idea of the razorbill and guillemot populations about 1900, and according to various reports the puffins were as numerous as the razorbills and guillemots added together. Between 1850 and 1900 there would be a decrease due to systematic bird-trapping for feathers (again affecting mainly the auks) and later to the impact of the rats on the birds. Correlating all this we arrive at, very approxi- mately, 50,000 birds in 1950, 450,000 birds in 1900 and rather over half a million in 1850. The great decline in population has been from 1900 to 1950 and can be traced almost entirely to the effects of oiling. Previous accounts of the breeding birds are much more satisfactory. Even casual visitors to Ailsa could make a note of the breeding birds and almost every one did, so a careful search of the literature can give a pretty accurate picture of the breeding birds during the last century. There are certain possible sources of error, resulting from [a) errors in identi- fication or an uncritical acceptance of evidence of breeding. Table’’4 A Century’s Changes in the Breeding Birds of Ailsa Craig 172 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 0 m O) 0 'o' \ ^ ^ ^ ^ 1—4!^ 0 rh' 05 0 CO 05 0 m ^ g5 ^ 0^ 4 1— -1— -t— 0 05 V3 4— 05 H— -J— -J i— 0 05 0 0 05 7; i 4— 4_4_j^4_4_^ 4_4_^ ^ 0 05 CO 1 il' 0 CO CO 4- 4-.- -K- ; 0 CO ^g g^^g ^ 0 CO CO SH 0 lO i| Raven Carrion-crow Starling . Twite Yellow bunting . House-sparrow . Meadow-pipit Rock-pipit Whitethroat . Song-thrush . Blackbird . . Wheatear Stonechat Robin Hedge-sparrow . Wren Cuckoo Short-eared owl . Peregrine falcon . Kestrel Golden eagle White-tailed eagle Cormorant Shag Gannet . . . Storm-petrel Fulmar-petrel Rock-dove Oystercatcher Herring-gull Lesser b-b gull Great b-b gull Kittiwake Razorbill . Guillemot Puffin Corncrake t 1951 THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 173 {b) possibility of some species being overlooked, and (c) some observers visiting too early or too late in the year to gain the true picture; but allowances can be made for these fairly easily. Table 4 gives a list of the breeding birds approxi- mately every ten years from 1850 to 1950. Probable breeders (i.e. strong presumptive evidence) are shown in brackets. Isolated breeding records have the year given in brackets and are included in the nearest group. A total of 37 species breed or have bred on Ailsa Craig. 5. Acknowledgements I should like to record my thanks to the Girvan family for their kind hospitality over many years, and especially to my friend Air. James Girvan, tenant of Ailsa Craig, for all his valuable advice and assistance. Without his help this study could not have been completed. Aly thanks are also due to Air. James Fisher for many private communications, including a copy of his complete notes on the observations made by him- self, H. G. Vevers and L. S. V. Venables in April 1936-1942. These resulted in several new records, which are acknowledged in the text. 6. Summary 1 . A brief account is given of the position and topography of Ailsa Craig. 2. In 1950 a census of all the breeding birds (8 species of land birds and 12 species of sea birds) gave 22,650 pairs (141 pairs of land birds, 22,509 pairs of sea birds), i.e. 45,300 breeding adults. 3. The history and population of the birds in recent years are briefly reviewed, and the causes of the decline in population are considered. 4. A short account is given of the status of all recorded non-breeding species. 5. One hundred and eleven species have been recorded for Ailsa Craig, of which 20 breed regularly (and a further 17 174 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63% I have bred), 29 are regular visitors, and 62 are occasional and ? F irregular visitors of varied status. A further 6 species have • been doubtfully recorded. 7. REFERENCES Abercrummie, W., 1696. Description of Garrick in Original not seen, i Quoted by Paterson (1898. “ An old note on Ailsa Craig ”. Ann. Scot. , Nat. Hist.., 1898: 1 13) and others. Ailsa, The Marquis of, 1907. “ Reply as to quarrying operations at 1 Ailsa Craig.” Bull. B. 0. C., 19: 62. I Anon. (Members of Glasgow Nat, Hist. Soc.), 1895. Discussion on the excessive mortality among the sea-fowl of the Firth of Clyde. Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow, i : 2-3. Baigrie, S., 1922-27. Ailsa Craig records in “ Reports on Scottish I Ornithology ”. See Baxter and Rintoul. Baxter, E. V. and L. J. Rintoul, 1923. “ Report on Scottish Ornithology in 1922, including migration.” Scot. Nat., 1923: 65-84, 101-122. (Sim Baigrie on Ailsa Craig.) 1925. “ Report on Scottish Ornithology in 1924.” Scot. Nat., 1925: 73-88, 1 09- 1 30. (Sim Baigrie on Ailsa Craig.) 1926. “ Report on Scottish Ornithology in 1925.” Scot. Nat., j 1926: 69-84, 99-126. (Sim Baigrie on Ailsa Craig.) I Berrv, C., 1908. “The birds of Lendalfoot.” Glasgow Nat., i: 5-23. ij Best, M. G. S., 1913. “ Scarcity of razorbills and guillemots.” Scot, j! Nat., 1913: 260. ij Brereton, W., 1634-35. Travels in Holland, the United Provinces, England, |j Scotland and Ireland. Ed. E. Hawkins. The Chetham Society, Vol. i, 1844. i Campbell, J. M., 1888. Additional list of birds found on Ailsa Craig, jj In Lawson (1888). | 1892. “ On the appearance of the brown rat {Mus decumanus, Pallas) on Ailsa Craig.” Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1892: 132-134. ,3 Darling, F. F., 1940. Island Tears. London. ;; Donaldson, G., 1854. “ The Graig of Ailsa.” Naturalist {Morrises), ii 4- 119-125. _ II 1854. '' The arrival, nestling, habits and departure of the sea- |j fowl at the Craig of Ailsa.” Naturalist {Morris's), 125-127, | Downie, R. A., 1934. Bute and the Gumhraes . Glasgow. jj Evans, W., 1913. Comment on Kirk’s note (1913) on razorbills and guille- ■: mots. Scot. Nat., 1913: 236. jj Fisher, J. and H. G. Vevers, 1943. “ The breeding distribution, history and population of the North Atlantic gannet {Sula bassana). Part I. A | history of the gannet’s colonies, and the census in 1939.” J. Anim. EcoL, \ 12: 173-213. ^ J: 1944. “ The breeding distribution, history and population j of the North Atlantic gannet {Sula bassana). Part 2. The changes in the [ world numbers of the gannet in a century.” J. Anim. EcoL, 13: 49-62. ■ j I THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG 1951 175 !| FisheRj J. and G. Waterston, 1941. “ The breeding distribution, history and population of the fulmar {Fulmarus glacialis) in the British Isles.” I J. Anim. EcoL, 10: 204-272. I Gibson, J. A., 1948. “ Observations on the breeding birds of Ailsa Graig in 1947.” Trans. Paisley Nat. Soc., 5. I 1950- ‘‘ Methods of determining breeding-cliff populations of guillemots and razorbills.” Brit. Birds, 43: 329-331. 1951. “The northern guillemot on Ailsa Graig.” Brit. Birds, 44: 70-71. ' 1951- The 1950 census of gannets {Sula hassana) on Ailsa Craig.” J. Anim. EcoL, 20: 87. ! Gillespie, J. S., 1947. “Fulmar petrels.” Letter in Glasgow Herald, 14th Jan. 1947. , Gray, R., 1863. Remarks on exhibit of a storm petrel {Thalassidroma pelagica) from Ailsa Craig.” Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow, i : 48. 1864. “ Ailsa Craig and its birds.” Intellectual Observer, 4: 1 14-122. 1871. The Birds of the West of Scotland, including the Outer Hebrides. Glasgow. 1872. “ The birds of Arran.” In Bryce (1872). The Geology of Arran and the other Clyde Islands, with an account of the Botany, Natural History and Antiquities. 4th ed. Glasgow. ■ and T. Anderson, 1869. “ On the birds of Ayrshire and Wigton- shire.” Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow, i : 269-324. 1869. The Birds of Ayrshire and Wigtonshire. Glasgow. • and W. Sinclair, 1862. “ An account of Ailsa Craig and its birds, from personal observation.” Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow, i : 39-40. Gurney, J. H., 1913. The Gannet, A Bird with a History. London. Hinxman, L. W., 1895. “ Report on the movements and occurrence of birds in Scotland during 1894.” Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1895: 207-220. (A. C. W. Tulloch on Ailsa Craig.) 1896. “ Report on the movements and occurrence of birds in Scotland during 1895.” Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1896: 137-148. (A. C. W. Tulloch on Ailsa Craig.) 1897. “ Report on the movements and occurrence of birds in Scotland during 1896.” Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1897: 1 37-151. (A. C. W. Tulloch on Ailsa Craig.) Kearton, R., 1895. British Birds' Nests. How, Where, and When to Bind and Identify them. London. 1898. With Nature and a Camera. London. Kirk, C., 1912. “ Cuckoo reared by rock pipits at Ailsa Craig.” Scot. Nat., 1912: 235. 1913* “Ailsa Craig deserted by guillemots and razorbills.” Scot. Nat., 1913: 235-236. 1914. “Nesting of twites on Ailsa Craig.” Scot. Nat., 1914: 213. Lack, D., 1942. “ Ecological features of the bird faunas of British small islands.” J. Anim. EcoL, ii: 9-36. Laidlaw, T. G., 1898. “ Report on the movements and occurrence of 176 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 birds in Scotland during 1897.” Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1898: 200-2 7. j (A. C. W. Tulloch on Ailsa Craig.) Landsborough, D., 1852. Excursions to Arran, Ailsa Craig and the two Cumbraes, with reference to the natural history of these Islands. 2nd series. Edinburgh. j Lawson, R., 1888. Ailsa Craig, its History and Natural History. Paisley. (2nd edition in 1895.) McConnell, R. F., 1894. “ A visit to Ailsa Craig.” Nat. J., 3: 53-55. McCrindle, j., 1923. “ Black-backed gull and black guillemot in Ayrshire.” Scot. Nat., 1923: 184. MacCulloch, j., 1824.* Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland, containing descriptions of their Scenery and Antiquities, . . . founded on a Series of Annual Journeys between the years i^ii and 1^2.1. Vol. 2. London, [j MacGillivray, W., 1846. Manual of British Birds. 2nd edition. London. McWilliam, j. M., 1927. The Birds of the Island of Bute. London. 1936. The Birds of the Firth of Clyde. London. Martin, M., 1695. ^ Description of the Western Islands of Scotland. London (1703 reprint). Munro, D., 1549. Description of the Western Isles of Scotland called Hebrides. In Miscellanea Scotica, 2: 111-153. Glasgow, 1818. »' Murdoch, J. B., 1863. Exhibit of a storm petrel {Thalassidroma pelagica) I from Ailsa Craig. Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow, i : 48. Nash, J. K., 1914. “Razorbills and guillemots on Ailsa Craig.” Scot. Nat., 1914: 289. Paterson, J., 1901. “Birds”, in “Fauna, Flora and Geology of the Clyde Area.” Brit. Ass. Handbook, 1901. Glasgow. 1908. “ Notes on the eagles of Ayrshire.” Glasgow Nat., i : 28-32. and J. Renwick, 1898. “ Report on a visit to Sanda and Gluni- • more.” Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow, 197-204. Baton, E. R., 1932. “Additions and corrections to The Birds of Ayrshire.'^ Scot. Nat., 1932: 143-145. and O. G. Pike, 1929. The Birds of Ayrshire. London. Pennant, T., 1774. A Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides, 1772. Chester. | Rintoul, L. j. and E. V. Baxter, 1922. “ Report on Scottish ornithology in 1921, including migration.” Scot. Nat., 1922: 69-84, 109- 129. ' (Sim Baigrie on Ailsa Craig.) 1924. “ Report on Scottish ornithology in 1923. Scot. Nat., ' 1924: 1 05- 1 20, 137-161. (Sim Baigrie on Ailsa Craig.) | 1927. “ Report on Scottish ornithology in 1926.” Scot. Nat., 1927: 133-148, 165-187. (Sim Baigrie on Ailsa Craig.) Robertson, D., 1859. Report on the mortality amongst the Clyde sea-fowl during the month of September last.” Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow, 1 : 4-5. Rose, G., 1898. “ Bird-nesting and egg-collecting.” Ann. Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers^ Soc. : 42-5 1 . Rothschild, W., 1907. “ Remarks on the quarrying operations at . Ailsa Craig.” Bull. B. 0. C., 19: 56. i f THE BIRDS OF AILSA CRAIG J951 177 Service, R., 1894. The black guillemot on the Solway Firth.” Zoologist (3), 18: 55. Smith, J., J. Paterson and H. B. Watt, 1900. “ The natural history of Ailsa Craig.” Ann. Andersonian Nat. Soc., 2: 135-154. (Birds by J. Paterson.) Southern, H. N., 1948. Brit. Trust for Orn., Bulletin 28. and E. C. R. Reeve, 1941. “ Quantitative studies in the geo- graphical variation of birds. The Common Guillemot {Uria aalge Pont).” Proc. Z' London, Ser. A., 1 1 1 : 255-276. Steel, J. (1886). “ Report on a visit made to Ailsa Craig on 5th June 1884.” Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow, i N.S.: xxx. Thompson, W., 1849-56. The Natural History of Ireland. Vol. 3. London. Tulloch, a. C. W., 1895-98. Ailsa Craig records in “ Reports on the movements and occurrences of birds in Scotland.” See Hinxman and Laidlaw. Vevers, H. G., 1936. “ The land vegetation of Ailsa Craig.” J. Ecol., 24: 424-445. 1948. “ The natural history of Ailsa Craig.” New Nat. J., i : 1 15- 121. and J. Fisher, 1936. “ A census of gannets on Ailsa Craig, with a new method of estimating breeding-cliff populations.” J. Anim. Ecol., 5: 246-251. 1936. “Bird Island.” Animal and Z^o. Mag., 3: (2) 24-25. 1938. “ The 1938 census of gannets {Sula bassana) on Ailsa Craig.” J. Anim. Ecol., 7: 303-304. C. H. Hartley and A. T. Best, 1937. “ The 1937 census of gannets on Ailsa Craig; with notes on their diurnal activity.” J. Anim. Ecol., 6: 362-365. Walker, T. C., 1868. “ Remarks on the birds of Ailsa Craig.” Zoologist, 26: 1365-1373- 1868. “ Kittiwake — correction of an error.” Additions to Ailsa Craig list in previous article. Zoologist, 26: 1424. WiTHERBY, H. F., and others, 1938-41. The Handbook of British Birds. Vol. 5, London. Wynne-Edwards, V. C., 1939. “ Intermittent breeding of the fulmar {Fulmarus glacialis), with some general observations on non-breeding in sea-birds.” Proc. Z- London, Ser. A., 109: 1 27-1 32. 23 178 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF SANDA ISLAND* f| Jack F. Borland, Frank D. E. Walls, AND Symington Kilmarnock Through the courtesy of Mr. Russell, the owner-farmer of the Island of Sanda, we were able to spend a six-day holiday there from 7th to 12th June 1951 and to visit the adjoining Sheep and Gluniemore Islands. Sanda — perhaps better known as Spoon Island — lies miles off shore at Southend, Kintyre ; it measures i J miles from east to west by | mile from north to south; half-a-mile across the sound to the north lies the smaller Sheep Island, ^ u about 500 yards long by 200 wide; and Gluniemore, appearing.; like a rock-stack and measuring only 150 yards by 50, lies; equidistant from Sanda and Sheep Islands half-a-mile to the>^ east. There are one or two stunted trees on Sanda, a few patches of scrub-willow, whin, bracken and rushes and many clumps and bushes of heather. Ivy grows profusely on many of the smaller cliffs and wild flowers are abundant at the lower levels. , Rough grass, suitable for grazing three hundred sheep, grows on the hill-tops^ — 405 feet to the east and 162 feet to the west — while about eight to ten acres of arable land lie in the valley between these hills. There is some low-lying marshy land along the south side which, with drainage, is providing good i grazing for twelve head of cattle. The grassy top of Sheep! | Island, where the year’s lambs graze until ready for marketing, | j has large tracts of bracken and rushes. Gluniemore, 90 feet J | high and sloping down to the east, has a thick, peaty top-soil, f The shores of the three islands are rocky and broken and! | are fairly precipitous, but there are small stretches of sand and : shingle. The cliffs on Sanda are well over 100 feet on the west side and around 200 feet to the north-east, while on' Sheep Island they rise to around 100 feet. 7 Received 3rd August 1951 1951 THE BIRDS OF SANDA ISLAND 179 Only a few rabbits now remain and they are confined to Sheep Island. During our stay we saw one bat. In the sur- rounding waters are a fair number of grey seals, and the farmer’s creels catch lobster and crab: the only fishing is for lythe. On Sanda there are the farm buildings to the north-west and the lighthouse and its three cottages to the south. There is also a ruined chapel and cemetery and a few dry-stone walls. Our notes on the birds are as follows : — Raven. Two pairs nested earlier this year on the west cliffs of Sanda, but the adults were shot. A disused nest was found at 150 feet on the north-east cliffs. Hooded Crow. An adult was shot on a nest, containing six to seven eggs, in a stunted tree half-way up a steepish grassy cliff a fortnight before our arrival. Starling. At least a hundred pairs breeding in the cliffs on Sanda; one juvenile was ringed. Twite. About fifty birds seen, including some juveniles. One nest found in heather bush on hillside containing five eggs. A pair was seen mating. Linnet. Five pairs seen but no nests found. Sanda seems ideally suited for breeding. Reed Bunting. Three or four pairs on Sanda. Two nests found, each with four eggs. House Sparrow. At least fifty pairs breeding in cliffs amongst ivy. Two nests were lined with feathers; one nest with one nestling which was ringed. Skylark. About a hundred birds seen, including many juveniles. Meadow Pipit. More than fifty pairs. Four nests found in grassy embankments — two with four eggs and two with four young. The eight nestlings were ringed. Rock Pipit. A few pairs seen on west side of Sanda and east side of Sheep; adults seen carrying food. Pied Wagtail. Half-a-dozen odd birds seen but no sign of breeding ; an old nest found in ruins of chapel. i8o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Song Thrush. food. VoL 63 Two pairs on Sanda. Adult seen carrying Blackbird. None seen but an old nest found in ivy on rock-face. Wheatear. Well over one hundred pairs, almost all feeding young. Seven nests found, all in loose stones or stone- work. Seven nestlings ringed. Stonechat. Three pairs and one juvenile seen but no nests found. All were seen towards the centre of the island. Wren. Estimated at ten pairs, males singing strongly. No nests found. Swallow. Two birds seen but not nesting this year, although they have in the past. House Martin. Two birds seen hawking insects over valley. No evidence of breeding. Cuckoo. One heard the day before we arrived but neither seen nor heard by us. Peregrine Falcon. A pair on Sanda; a nest containing three eggs had been deserted shortly before our arrival. One bird seen stooping but no new nest found. Buzzard. One pair on Sanda. Nest found containing one young about seven to ten days old. Adults seen bringing in shrews or mice; will presumably go to Sheep Island for rabbits later on. Sheld-duck. Three or four pairs — one pair with only one duckling. No nests found. Eider. At least ten pairs on Sheep Island. Five nests found — two flown, two with four and two eggs, and one with four nestlings — all in bracken or rushes. Red-breasted Merganser. Two pairs seen — one almost certainly breeding on Sheep Island. The duck was obviously trying to get to the nest while we were present. Cormorant. Two single birds seen but no proof of breeding. Shag. Breeding on all three islands amongst fallen rocks and on ledges. Estimated at over three hundred pairs. 1951 THE BIRDS OF SANDA ISLAND i8i Gannet. Many seen passing. Fulmar. About ten pairs breeding on each of the three islands. We climbed to two nests on Sheep Island and found that each contained an egg, but on returning in half-an-hour with photographic equipment discovered that the eggs had been taken by gulls — presumably herring gulls, as they were the only ones in the vicinity. Rock Dove. Two or three pairs seen but no proof of breeding. Curlew. Three single birds seen feeding on shore. Snipe. At least five pairs on Sanda. One young bird ringed. Sandpiper. Two pairs on Sanda. One young ringed. Redshank. Two pairs on Sanda. One young ringed. Ringed Plover. Six pairs on Sanda. Three nests found containing four, four, and two eggs. Two nestlings ringed. An unusual feature was that the two nests with four eggs were situated in sand under an overhanging embankment. In one case the nest was quite i8 inches from the entrance. Lapwing. About ten pairs on Sanda. One nest with four eggs was found apparently deserted. Two nestlings ringed. Oyster-catcher. Fifteen pairs on Sanda. Three nests, each with three eggs, were found ; one in shingle, one in sand and one on rocks. Two young ringed. Common Tern. Three colonies of eighty, fifty and twenty pairs on Sanda, and one of thirty pairs on Sheep. Nesting on gravel and grass and in bracken. No eggs hatched by 1 2th June. Common Gull. Only one pair on Sanda — nest found amongst thrift and trefoil with four eggs. Herring Gull. About fifteen scattered pairs breeding on Sanda and roughly forty pairs on Gluniemore, but at least two hundred pairs on Sheep with eggs and young. Lesser Black-backed Gull. At least fifty pairs breeding on Sheep Island’s west side along with a few herring gulls. 1 82 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 Great Black-backed Gull. Two pairs breeding on the top of Sheep Island and four pairs on the top of Gluniemore. Kittiwake. Three pairs on Gluniemore. We reached ) two of the nests, each with two eggs, on nth June. ! Common Guillemot. One pair seen off Sheep Island and | one pair off Gluniemore, in company with razorbills. Believed to be breeding. Black Guillemot. Lighthouse-keeper reported that one pair was breeding in rock-face on south side of lighthouse on . Sanda. Razorbill. About fifty pairs breeding on both Sheep and Gluniemore Islands, eggs being found on ledges and in | holes in rocks. j Puffin. Only two pairs breeding on Sanda in cliffs. I Over fifty pairs on Sheep Island, where majority nest in holes amongst fallen rocks. Those on Gluniemore, estimated at one hundred and fifty pairs, appeared all to be breeding in burrows. 1951 BOTANICAL NOTE 183 BOTANICAL NOTE Alien Plant Invaders at Dundee. — To the botanist, not the least interesting part of a city is the city dump. On the outskirts of Dundee there is a piece of waste ground adjoining the rubbish tip which is a fruitful hunting-ground for plants that are otherwise rare in the north. Most of the area is composed of ashes which become consolidated and overlaid with soil as the years go by. The vegetation is for the most part composed of waving plumes of yellow and white melilot (an occasional plant of MeUlotus indica has been found), Sisymbrium altissimum, S. orientate, Descaur ainia Sophia and Linaria purpurea. Other tall and conspicuous plants that are well established and occur again year after year are Brassica nigra, Artemisia absinthium and Papaver somniferum. Odd plants of Medicago satiua may always be found but M. falcata, seen in 1 946 and 1947, has not been noted since. Other casuals that have been found once or twice only are Silene anglica, S. rubella. Antirrhinum majus and Onopordum acanthium. The fact that the last-named has been seen only once is unexpected, considering how tenacious this big thistle is when it gets a hold in farm-yards, etc.; the depreda- tions of botanists perhaps account for some other plants becoming extinct but surely not this one. One plant that seems well established though in small quantity is Potentilla norvegica. There is also a variety of weeds common in waste ground in England but worthy of note when they occur in the northern half of Scotland. These include Daucus carota, Apium graveolens, Pastinaca sativa and Matricaria chamomilla. But perhaps it is the grasses that are most interesting of all. There are a few plants of Puccinellia distans that seed themselves every year (specimens from this locality can be seen in the Corstorphine herbarium), but Bromus madritensis, Gastridium lendigerum and Brachypodium distachyum, all seen in 1950, may be mere casuals. Plants in the Corstorphine herbarium that are probably from this locality are Barb area verna. Trifolium hybridum var. elegans, Potentilla argentea. Polygonum heterophyllum var. litorale, Chenopodium ficifolium and Apera spica-venti. — Ursula K. Duncan, Arbroath. 184 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES Insects Collected on the Isle of Gigha. — I am indebted to Miss E. V. Baxter and Miss L. J. Rintoul for the opportunity of examining a small collection of insects taken on Gigha during their visit from nth to 23rd June 1949. In the Scottish Naturalist, 62 : 97 they have already mentioned the butterflies and the one species of dragonfly that they noticed. The following additional species (named in conformity with Kloet and Hincks “ Check-List ”, 1945) were collected : Orthoptera Omocestus viridulus Lepidoptera Hada dentina Euphyia bilineata Xanthorhoe montanata Hymenoptera Vespula rufa Vespula austriaca Vespula sylvestris Andrena haemorrhoa Bombus lucorum Bombus hortorum ' Bombus agrorum Psithyrus barbutellus Diptera Haematopota pluvialis Haematopota crassicornis Dolichopus ungulatus Tubifera horticola Zelima segnis Rhingia macrocephala Scaeva pyrastri Syrphidis ribesii The only matter worthy of note in the above list is the occurrence on this small island of two inquiline or ‘‘ cuckoo ” species Vespula austriaca and Psithyrus barbutellus along with their hosts V. rufa and B. hortorum. One would imagine that an inquiline species in an 1951 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 185 I isolated island has a remarkably poor chance of survival, and indeed II the whole genus Psithyrus of inquiline bees seems to be absent from il most of the Scottish islands. I The grasshopper Omocestus viridulus is probably the most widely ; spread species in Scotland, but does not appear to have been recorded in the Inner Hebrides before ; at least it is not recorded thence in Burr’s British Grasshoppers, 1936. — Arthur B. Duncan, Tynron, Dumfries. Miller’s Thumb Cottus gobio in Renfrewshire. — I caught a specimen of the miller’s thumb (bull-head) in the Earn Water near Loganswell, Renfrewshire, at a pool about 200 yards above the Bridge at the old farmhouse of Muirshield, on 4th September 1951. The Earn Water is a tributary of the River Cart. Books I have consulted state that the miller’s thumb is not found in Scotland, but there are previous records for it recorded in the 1901 Handbook of the British Association, Flora, Fauna and Geology of the Clyde Area, p. 174, as under: — Upper Kelvin and tributaries; Carmel Water, Ayrshire (H. A. Woodburn) ; Dobbs Burn, near Paisley (J. M. B. Taylor). — Donald Patton, Glasgow. Red-headed Bunting at Fair Isle. — On the morning of 8th August 1951, and again later in the day, Mrs. J. Anderson of Setter saw an unusual bunting close to their croft. It was seen again the same evening by James Anderson and his sons, who watched it through a telescope as it sat on a wire fence near the yard. They gave me a detailed description which left no doubt that the unusual visitor was a male red-headed bunting Emberiza bruniceps. My wife and I, together with James Anderson, junr., spent a considerable time watching the bird on the following afternoon. This is the second time within a year that an adult male of this eastern species has occurred at Fair Isle, the previous occurrence of I9th-22nd September 1950 being fully documented in Brit. Birds, 44: 118-19 (see also Scot. Nat., 63 : 128). The present example was not in such splendid plumage as the last, many of the feathers appearing very worn and faded — an observation which was later confirmed with the bird in the hand. The wings were grey-brown, the primaries uniform, but the secondaries, tertials and major coverts variegated with whitish fringes, and the median coverts tipped white. The tail was a darker brown with a slight reddish tinge. The upper mantle and scapulars were greenish-brown streaked with dark brown. The nape was yellow, and the lower mantle and rump were of the same colour — a striking feature when 24 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 1 86 Vol. 63 the bird flew, and visible as a narrow band between the closed wings when it was at rest. The lores, throat and ear-coverts were chocolate-brown, the crown and forehead being a paler golden- brown, due to the feathers having yellow bases. The chocolate expended downwards to cover the sides of neck and breast, but the ‘‘ bib ” had an irregular outline and was very patchy on the left side, though well defined on the right. The belly and under tail- coverts were bright yellow, the flanks paler and tinged with greenish. The tarsi were flesh-colour and the bill was steel-grey, darker on the culmen : it was unusually massive for a bunting, the lower mandible appearing disproportionately long and wide. The bird spent the afternoon and evening in an area of pasture at Setter, feeding almost continuously on the seeds of various grasses, including Anthoxanthum odoratum. These it procured by reaching up and biting the seeds off the heads of the short stems. It took comparatively little food off the ground, and displayed no interest in corn-baited Potter traps which were set on its favourite feeding- area. Its gait was a hop, and the flight was swift and direct. If one approached slowly and carefully it was possible to get within 30 ft. of the bird without much difficulty. The only call-note heard when the bird was disturbed was a quiet, sometimes barely audible, pwip. There is reason to believe that the bird had been present on the island since 4th August, and it is still here at the time of writing. James and William Anderson succeeded in taking it in the Vaadal trap on the evening of 12th August. It weighed 24-8 g. and was ringed M.2228. The primaries, of which the 3rd-5th were emarginate, measured only 85 mm. but were very abraded and broken at the tips. Bill 13-5 mm. to skull; tarsus 20 mm.; iris dark brown. — Kenneth Williamson, Fair Isle Bird Observatory. Yellow-breasted Bunting at Fair Isle. — In view of the occurrences of adult male red-headed buntings at Stonehaven in May and Fair Isle in August, recorded above, it seems worth while noting the appearance of another eastern bunting at Fair Isle in July | 1951. This was an adult male yellow-breasted bunting Emberiza aureola, collected by George Stout of Field on the evening of 13th July. It is the fourth record for Fair Isle and the sixth for Scotland, | and the first occurrence of an adult male in this country. The bird, | which was in good condition, with a fair amount of orange- ! coloured subcutaneous fat, was skinned and sent to the Royal | Scottish Museum. It weighed 25 g. and had a wing-length of ; 75 mm. Bill 13 mm. to skull, upper mandible dark horn, under 1 mandible flesh-colour with a purplish tip. Tarsus 21 mm., 1951 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 187 brownish-flesh. Dr. Guy Morison (North of Scotland College of Agriculture) kindly determined the stomach contents, which were as follows: 20 larvae of the click-beetle, Athous sp. (Elateridae) ; fragments of two small beetles; i larva, probably Serica brunnea (Lamellicornia) ; i Coleopterous pupa and i Dipterous larva. Miss Theresa Clay (British Museum, Nat. Hist.) has determined the bird-lice obtained from this bird as Philopterus citrinellae (Schrank). — Kenneth Williamson, Fair Isle Bird Observatory. Chififchaflf in East Inverness. — On 21st May 1949 I saw and heard a chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita in song in elder and bramble scrub at Bruichnain near Clachnaharry. This record, together with those of J. W. Campbell already published {Scot. Nat., 62 : 125 and 63: 130), means that chiffchaffs in song have been in this vicinity in May for three consecutive years, and suggests the possibility of a regular passage. — D. Emslie-Smith, Edinburgh. Yellow-browed and Grasshopper Warblers at Little Ross Lighthouse, Kirkcudbright. — On the morning of 4th October 1951, at about 5 a.m., I caught a yellow-browed warbler Phylloscopus inornatus at the lantern. Wing length was 57 mm., ist primary was 5 mm. longer than nearest primary covert. The 4th primary was longest with the 3rd and 5th about 0-5 mm. shorter, 6th was 3 mm. shorter. I omitted to measure the 2nd primary. The faint crown stripe with the prominent eye stripe and the double wing bars made the bird unmistakable. After ringing, the bird was released. On the same morning, 4th October 1951, I caught a grasshopper warbler Locustella naevia. This bird was ringed and released. On the 3rd I found a dead bird which I presumed to have been killed on the ist. Both birds were particularly late migrants, the former according to the Handbook of British Birds, being two days later than the latest Scottish record. — Ian Walker, Little Ross Lighthouse. The yellow-browed warbler has been recorded once previously in Kirkcudbright. — Editors. Attempted breeding of Pied Flycatcher in North Argyll. — On 25th May 1951, a pied flycatcher Muscicapa hypoleuca started to nest in a wooden nesting-box near Loch Sunart, North Argyll. We were able to keep a close watch on the box, and it was the hen that did all the nesting, the cock only being seen once with her. On 9th June I looked in the box for the first time and found that THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 1 88 Vol 63 there were six eggs. On 23rd June the eggs were not hatched, but the bird was sitting. On 30th June I looked again ; the eggs were cold and the bird had evidently deserted. Although the cock was only seen once at the nest, I frequently heard the notes of a song, strange to me, coming generally from the tree tops. — Ronald Campbell, Acharacle, Argyll. For a previous record of the pied flycatcher at Loch Sunart see ' Scot. Nat., 62: 180. — Editors. i Pied Flycatcher in Angus. — A pied flycatcher flew into a ' room of the house occupied by the Rev. E. W. Millar of Montrose on 7th May 1951, and was identifled by him. The bird was I released after examination. — P. E. D. Cooper, Carluke. The Geographical Distribution and Status of Birds in Scotland gives no record for Angus. — Editors. :| Pied Flycatcher in North Perth. — The pied flycatcher would appear to be spreading northwards and there have been recent records of its occurrence in North Perth {Scot. Nat., 61 ; 1 19; 62: 180, and 63: 130). It is, therefore, worth recording that on I 17th May 1947 I saw a hen on the edge of a small swampy area |! of felled trees about two miles south of Crieff, Perthshire. There was no sign of a cock, and the hen was not observed again on subsequent visits. — Alexander Cross, Dundee. Hoopoe in Argyll. — A hoopoe Upupa epops was seen on the beach at Skipness, Argyll, with starlings on 27th September 1950, i; and remained in the vicinity for three weeks. It was seen in various fields, feeding on insects in cow droppings, and was identified by ^ Mr. Peter Cameron, head gamekeeper at Skipness estate. It was very easily approached, and could be watched without glasses. — P. E. D. Cooper, Carluke. i The hoopoe is an occasional visitor to Scotland, and has ! i previously been reported from South Argyll. — Editors. \ Green Woodpecker in Edinburgh. — On 31st August and ' I St September of this year a green woodpecker Picus viridis was seen ; several times on the south slopes of Blackford Hill, Edinburgh. It 1 was feeding among the elder bushes and allowed me to approach I quite close to it. When disturbed, it retreated to the neighbouring j high trees of the Hermitage, but soon returned. In view of the j East Lothian records published {Scot. Nat., 63: 66) it is to be 1; hoped that this handsome bird is extending its range northwards. — Ij J. E. Smyth, Edinburgh. K ZOOLOGICAL NOTES ;I i 1951 189 Breeding of the Cuckoo on Ailsa Craig. — At the south end I of the Castle Well flat on Ailsa Craig there is a bracken-covered j hollow known as the kail yard (r.500 feet), and on 25th June 1951 I observed a young cuckoo perched on a boulder amongst the bracken. The bird was obviously very young, probably not long out of the nest, and was being fed by rock pipits. The cuckoo is a regular visitor to Ailsa and almost certainly breeds every year, although proof of breeding has been obtained only once before, when Charles Kirk {Scot. JVat., 1912: 235) saw a young cuckoo on Ailsa on 14th July 1912. Strangely enough, Kirk’s description leaves no doubt that both these young cuckoos were observed in almost exactly the same situation. — J. A. Gibson, Ralston, Paisley. Little Owl in East Lothian. — Following the notes on the occurrence of the little owl Athene noctua near Duns, Berwickshire {Scot. Nat., 62: 125-6) it is of interest to record that a male was found dead in a gin trap in a rabbit burrow at Oswald Dean near Dunbar on 26th October 1951. The specimen is now in the collection at the Royal Scottish Museum. — George Waterston, Edinburgh. Little Owl in Dumfriesshire. — In November 1950 I received a little owl Athene noctua from Mr. James Straiton, gamekeeper on the Duke of Norfolk’s Carlaverock Estate. The bird was trapped on 2nd November in a stoat tunnel trap and on dissection proved to be an adult hen. This is the first record in the county. — Arthur B. Duncan, Tynron, Dumfries. Occurrences in Berwickshire in 1949 and 1950 were reported in the Scottish Naturalist 62 : 125-126. — Editors. Diet of Golden Eagle . — A recent note {Scot. Nat., 63: 67) on the diet of an eagle pair, Aquila chrysaetus, in South-West Scotland, indicated that a local scarcity of rabbits and an apparent disregard for any domestic animals had caused the birds to seek other prey. At the site of an occupied eyrie in the same district, the following prey was found on i8th June 1949: foot and tarsus of a domestic fowl, hindquarters of a rabbit, and an intact adult stoat, — D. A. Ratgliffe, Carlisle. The Breeding of the Heron in the Outer Hebrides. — During the breeding season of 1950 further information w^as received concerning Outer Hebridean heronries, and I am indebted to the correspondents mentioned below for the following particulars : THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 190 {a) New colonies, not previously reported — VoL 63 1 i South Uist. — (i) Loch Snathaid, near Loch Carnan. In ; June 1950 Mr. Frank Hamilton and Mr. R. W. J. Smith found 8-12 nests on an island in the loch. On 23rd August 1950 Mr. Donald Watson saw one old bird at a nest on an islet in this loch where there were also several more nests. | (2) Hartavagh, south of the entrance to Loch Boisdale. In June 1950 Mr. Frank Hamilton and Mr. R. W. J. Smith I i found a small colony in a cliff on the north-west corner oL; ' Hartavagh. This heronry contained one nest with three j fully fledged young, two nests with two fully-fledged young, ;• j one nest with four eggs, and two empty nests which had been recently used. Harris. — (i) Liana Horgabost, south-west of Seilabost, South Harris. In August 1950 Mr. Geoffrey Turner heard that herons — “ quite a lot of them ” — bred regularly in the . ji conifers on the east side of this plantation. His informant, j Mr. John MacKay of Horgabost, stated that they had nested 1 annually ‘‘ever since we’ve been here” (fourteen years). Mr. Turner had no opportunity for investigating this site, but before receiving Mr. MacKay’s report Mr. Cooke of the Department of Agriculture for Scotland had described to Mr. Turner peculiar noises which had puzzled him when in the vicinity of the plantation earlier in the year; this description in Mr. Turner’s opinion was characteristic of the “ cacklings and rumpus of breeding herons ”. I visited Liana Horgabost on 14th July 1938, but found no signs then of breeding herons. Further information on this site will be welcomed. Lewis. — (i) Loch Shell, in Park, south-west of Kebock Head. | Mr. Duncan Macrae, head keeper at Eishken, informs me | that herons started to nest on the south side of the loch at the same time as Loch Claidh was colonised — after the 1922 gale that destroyed the trees at Dunvegan, in Skye. The colony fluctuates in numbers, but in 1950 there were about fifteen nests. A colony of grey crows roost at the same place and “ they see to it that few of the eggs reach the hatching stage ”. {b) Additional information on colonies previously reported. South Uist. — (i) Loch Coragrimsaig. Mr. Donald Watson found over ten pairs with nests on 4th July 1950, but only one young bird could be seen from the shore. ; ZOOLOGICAL NOTES i 1951 191 Benbecula. — (i) Loch Dubh Fhalasgaidh. The heronry was visited by Mr. Donald Watson on i8th July 1950; the nesting islets were not visited owing to there being no boat, but there were only a few young still in the nests. There were certainly at least twenty-five nests visible from the shore on the islet at the south end of the loch. North- UiST. — (i) Loch losal an Duin. On 14th May 1950 Mr. John MacAskill counted twenty-one nests with young, fifteen with eggs, and seven empty nests. When visited by Mr. Robert Atkinson on 24th June 1950 forty-one nests were in use — two had clutches of three and five eggs, one had newly hatched young and the rest held young at various stages or had recently been vacated. Lewis. — (i) Loch Claidh. Mr. Duncan MacRae has sent the following interesting notes on the Park Forest heronry. The herons came to breed at Loch Claidh “ after that gale in 1922 which felled the trees at Dunvegan. I have seen about forty nests there, but we tried to keep them down.” Mr. MacRae has not been near the Loch Claidh heronry for many years at nesting-time, but they are still breeding there. Previous accounts of Outer Hebridean heronries were published in The Scottish Naturalist, 61: 73-100, and 62: 57. I am particu- larly anxious to keep the breeding status of the heron in the Outer Isles under review and up-to-date, not only on account of its own faunistic value, but also because there is still very little information available on heron populations north of the border. — James W. Campbell, Strath tay, Perthshire. American Blue-winged Teal in South Uist, Outer Hebrides. — One hears from time to time of American blue-winged teal Anas discors occurring on the west coast of Scotland, but few are put on record. It is a matter of interest that they should be. One such occurrence came to notice recently when a specimen arrived at the Natural History Museum, London, through the kindness of Mr. Preston-Donaldson, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and Major Tufton Beamish, M.P. Major Beamish was shooting in South LFist, Outer Hebrides, on 1 8th October 1950, when he flushed two duck which he re- cognised by their flight were not common teal. The next gun to him, Mr. Charles Cameron of Lochiel, shot them both with a right and left. One specimen, a female, was brought to London where it is now preserved; the other, probably a young bird, according to Major Beamish, was disposed of in the normal way. 192 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 It is, of course, impossible to state categorically that these i particular birds were born and bred in North America. Several alternative explanations can be considered; they may have been escapes from ornamental waters, or the progeny of escapes, or they may have been the progeny of a pair which occurred naturally I at an earlier date and which had bred. — D. Macdonald, British Museum (Nat. Hist.), London. We are indebted to Major Finlay Mackenzie, Loch Boisdale, for the first report of the shooting of the blue-winged teal. Mr. Edward Bird, to whom we wrote at Mr. Macdonald’s suggestion, informs us that he has a specimen, which he shot himself, from a I pair in Benbecula on 6th September 1940. Mr. Bird is of the opinion that the duck shot in Benbecula on loth November 1927, l| and recorded as a garganey {Brit. Birds, 21: 284-285), was also a blue-winged teal. This bird was stuffed and presented to the late Andrew Mackinnon, who was then keeper in Benbecula. The mounted specimen, a female, was seen the next year by Mr. Bird | ;; who writes — “while I am quite satisfied as to the correctness | of my identification of this bird, if it is a question of challenging | an official record I had better say that this was purely my own personal diagnosis, but I still remember quite distinctly the very | characteristic bluish tinge in the wings, quite distinct to my mind \, from the grey of the garganey ”. | While in Benbecula in May 1951 we tried to see this specimen, but were informed by Mr. Donald Mackinnon, son of the late 4 Andrew Mackinnon, that the case, which had been damaged some I years ago, had been sent away for repair, and the bird had ap- ^ parently been lost or damaged, and was no longer in existence. j In addition to this bird there is only one other record of the t ■ garganey in the Outer Hebrides, a pair having been seen in South | ! Uist on 3rd June 1950 by Messrs. F. Hamilton, R. J. W. Smith and ' I C. Walker {Scot. Nat., 62: 183). Mr. Hamilton informed us’; recently in conversation that he was quite satisfied that the identi- | , fication of this pair was correct. Before his visit to the Outer Isles | . he had had breeding garganey under observation in another area, | i and his view of the Uist birds was an excellent one. | ! It is worth noting here that a pair of blue- winged teal is included ^ in the 1 886 list of ornamental wildfowl on the loch at Rodel, Harris i 1 {A Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides, p. fix). f It is relevant also to draw attention to the note concerning | blue-winged teal in Lincolnshire {Brit. Birds, 40 (1947): 281), | in which it is suggested that this species might be breeding in a feral 1 state in that county. See also Brit. Birds, 41 (1948): 121-22, ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 193 i ! 1951 j for further Lincolnshire records, and p. 350 for a Northumberland occurrence. j Previous records of the blue-winged teal in Scotland are a I female in Upper Nithsdale, Dumfries, in 1858, and at the Isle of j May. — Editors. I Gannets Inland. — On the morning of 5th May 1951 a party of 4 adult gannets Sula bassana were watched for half an hour at j GladhouSe Reservoir, Midlothian, 13 miles from the sea and 900 ft. up. A strong north-east wind probably accounted for their appearance here, and the birds spent most of the time under observa- tion flying into the wind, without making much headway. They came down to rest on the water for a few minutes and then rose again, eventually to make good their course to the north-east. Although storm-driven individuals appear inland from time to time, it must be very unusual for a party of gannets to allow themselves to be blown off the sea, especially when the wind never approached gale force. — D. G. Andrew. Edinburgh. Freak Nesting Materials utilised by Gannets on Ailsa Craig. — Jackdaws and magpies are notorious as thieves and col- lectors of all kinds of rubbish, but it is perhaps not generally realised, because of their comparative inaccessible nesting sites, that gannets also collect strange articles of many kinds. In 1951, during my annual stay on Ailsa Craig, I discovered a coloured paper streamer, such as is used at weddings, entwined round a gannet’s nest. The nest was in a situation inaccessible to anyone without an extensive knowledge of Ailsa, so human interference can be ruled out. In past years I have found a rubber sole from a shoe, part of an old tennis ball and various lengths of rope, and during the last fifty years Jimmy Girvan, tenant of Ailsa Craig, has also found many freak articles in gannets’ nests. These include a child’s seaside spade and pail, a fountain pen, golf balls, a gold watch and false teeth. — ;J. A. Gibson, Ralston, Paisley. Leach’s Fork-Tailed Petrel in Dumfriesshire. — On 8th November 1950 I received a Leach’s fork-tailed petrel Oceanodroma leucorrhoa newly dead, that had been picked up at Drumlanrig Castle near Thornhill that day. The bird was an adult male. It is curious how much more frequently this petrel is found inland in this area than the storm petrel. — Arthur B. Duncan, Tynron, Dumfries. Black-throated Diver in Midlothian. — On 2nd July 1951 a black-throated diver Colymbus arcticus was present on Gladhouse 25 194 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 Reservoir, Midlothian. The bird was in apparently full breeding plumage, and excellent views were obtained at ranges down to 80 yards. It was diving continuously and on one occasion was seen to bring up a perch Perea jiuviatilis^ which it shook vigorously before || swallowing. Its stay was evidently short, as other observers saw no signs of it on either the ist or 3rd July. — D. G. Andrew, Edinburgh. Turtle Doves in Argyll. — A turtle dove Streptopelia turtur \ was seen in a stubble field at Skipness, Argyll, on ist November j 1950. It was identified by Mr. Peter Cameron, head gamekeeper. ; | It remained for about a fortnight and spent most of its time feeding | on the ground in stubble fields. Mr. Cameron noticed it first on j account of its small size, and remarked that it was shy and difficult jj to approach.^ — P. E. D. Cooper, Carluke. | On 26th September 1951 about midday, driving along the f Tarbert-Kilberry-Ardrishaig road near Kilberry village, beside a wood (the only considerable woodland for miles), I saw a turtle \ dove Streptopelia turtur feeding on the road. Although I have not » previously seen this species it was unmistakable in its shape, light f brown back, pale fawn underparts (no pink flush was visible) , long dark tail, short legs and typical dove-like movements. It flew into a tree as I approached, and displayed its tail, which appeared a metallic blue-black, with white tips to the feathers. Next day I saw another about a mile away near cornfields, and a farm worker (who used to keep ornamental pigeons) told me he had seen a turtle dove at the same place some days before. On the evening of 27th September, about 6-45 p.m., he and I saw a flock of 15 turtle doves rise from a corn field midway between the first two points mentioned, and fly towards the wood, in a southerly direction. Bird lists have been kept here since 1916 with very few breaks, and during this time there is no previous record of the species here. Kilberry is on the west coast of Argyll on the Sound of Jura, immediately north of West Loch Tarbert. — M. Campbell, Kilberry, Argyll. The turtle dove has been reported as an occasional visitor to many west coast areas, including Ardnamurchan, North Argyll^ but curiously there are very few records for South Argyll. None are given in The Geographical Distribution and Status of Birds in Scotland, and only one, at Carradale, Kintyre, on i ith June 1923, is mentioned in McWilliam’s The Birds of the Firth of Clyde. Skipness is on the east side of Kintyre, 1 1 miles south of Tarbert, and is in the faunal area of South Argyll; Kilberry, 16 miles south-west of Tarbert, lies just within North Argyll. — Editors. 1951 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 195 Green Sandpiper in Winter. — It is, I think, worth recording that I saw a green sandpiper Tringa ocrophus in Berwickshire on gth January 1951. This bird is normally seen in Scotland as an autumn passage migrant, but its occurrence during the winter months appears to be less common. The Handbook gives “ very rarely recorded winter in Scotland The bird rose from a small muddy burn near my house. I was only 20 yards from it, and had a very good view of its distinctive black and white appearance in the bright sunshine. It rose to a height of about 100 feet and flew away towards the Whiteadder. I did not see it again. The only other green sandpiper I have seen in Berwickshire was close to the same spot in October 1935. — W. M. Logan Home, Edrom, Berwickshire. Spotted Redshank in Dumfriesshire in March. It is perhaps worth recording that we saw and heard a spotted redshank Tringa erythropus on East Park Merse between the mouths of the rivers Nith and Lochar on 17th March 1951, a somewhat unusual date. The bird rose in company with a small lot of common redshanks and after flying off silently most obligingly flew back over our heads calling. — M. F. M. Meiklejohn, Glasgow, and Arthur B. Duncan, Tynron, Dumfries. Iceland Gulls at Fair Isle. — Up to three Iceland gulls {Lams glaucoides) are said to have been present at Fair Isle during February and March, 1950, and two birds in ist- winter plumage visited the South Haven daily until they departed, one on 24th April and the other as late as 31st May. Both had a characteristic nervous dipping action of the head, the bill often touching the water, as they swam about, perhaps flnding small organisms brought in by the tide. I have not noticed this habit among the glaucous gulls L. hyperboreus and the medium-sized species, but the black-headed gull L. ridibundus shows it to a marked degree. Sometimes they fed on the grassland near the Bird Observatory and at other times on Buness, and once the two birds were seen drinking from a small runnel. Both were very pale birds with dark eyes and short bills, and the pale brownish marks on the wing-coverts were visible only at close range. The birds were readily distinguishable as one of them was lacking two innermost primaries in one wing. This bird stationed itself in the South Haven from early morning until evening each day, going off to roost among the herring gulls L. argentatus on an offshore stack at the north end of the isle. The other, though visiting the South Haven for some period of each day, had its main 196 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 , station in the bay at Furse some 500 yards distant. When the j first bird left the island the full-winged one immediately took over , the South Haven station and kept it until the end of May, — : Kenneth Williamson, Fair Isle Observatory. I Inland Breeding of Herring Gull. — On 23rd June 1951 we I visited the breeding colony of lesser black-backed gulls Lams fuscus * on the eastern portion of Flanders Moss, about 8 miles west of ! Stirling. Amongst the 150 odd pairs of lesser black-backs breeding | there we found at least two, and probably three, pairs of herring- ! gulls Larus argentatus, and were able to prove breeding by watching i| one pair back to their nest with three eggs. Miss Rintoul and Miss j Baxter {A Vertebrate Fauna of Forth, 1935) give no inland breeding records for this species in the Forth area. It may also be mentioned | that G. L. S. saw a pair of herring gulls in this locality in the ; summer of 1950, although on that occasion breeding could not be definitely established. This, taken along with other records recently appearing in i British Birds (vols. 41: 277; 43: 94 and 44: 36), rather suggests that the herring gull may be starting a significant extension of its breeding habitat, and a watch on moors and bogs where other species of gulls are already known to breed might well produce further evidence of this spread. — G. L. Sandeman and D. G. Andrew, Edinburgh. Birds in the Wick Museum. — The Carnegie Museum, Wick, contains a good collection of birds, among which are several specimens of more than passing interest. We have recently had the opportunity of handling the whole collection, which it appears has not been critically examined for many years, if at all, and we . feel that attention should be drawn to some of the specimens for which full data are available. In the general collection are the following: — Northern Bullfinch Pyrrhulap. pyrrhula. In addition to the one previously recorded {Scot. Nat., 1915: 68) from Shurrery and referred to in the Handbook (vol. i : 85) are a male with wing 92 mm. and a female with wing 91 mm., both shot on iith February 1922 at Stirkoke, Caithness, by Mr. Stewart, gamekeeper, and hitherto unrecorded. The Shurrery bird is a female with wing 92 mm. Grey Plover Charadrius squatarola. Male and female shot at Ackergill, Caithness, in October 1915 by Ronald McNicol. The Handbook states that the grey plover has not been re- corded in extreme north Scottish mainland. 1951 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 197 j Ruddy Sheld-Duck Casarca ferruginea. Two females, both shot I at Thrumster, Caithness, on ist July 1909. The “ Mackay Collection ”, which was presented to the museum I in 1916, consists mainly of ducks collected in the north and west of Scotland by Eric Sinclair Mackay, who carried on business as a I barrel manufacturer in Wick, and later as manager of a curing station in Lochboisdale, South Uist, and as a fishcurer in Shetland until 1886. In the Carnegie Library, Wick, is a bound manuscript volume of Mackay’s notes entitled Notes on Caithness Bird Life^ which were originally published as a series of articles in the John 0’ Groat Journal. We have verified from his notes the correctness of the labels of the following specimens in his collection, and there is no reason to doubt that they are all genuine Scottish-taken birds. Ruddy Sheld-Duck Casarca ferruginea. Adult male, shot at Lochboisdale, South Uist, in June 1868. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca. Adult male, shot at Kyleakin, Skye, in May 1898. Buffel-headed Duck Bucephala albeola. Adult male, shot on the island of Eriskay, South Uist, in June 1870. King Eider Somateria spectabilis. Adult male, shot on Whalsay Skerries, Shetland, in August 1869. Smew Mergus albellus. Adult male, shot in Colgrave Sound, at the north end of the island of Hascosay, Shetland, in August 1885. Hooded Merganser Mergus cucullatus. Adult male, shot in Whale Firth, island of Yell, Shetland, in July 1884. The existence of this collection appears to have been overlooked as the records were never published other than in the John 0’ Groat Journal., and the examples of the buffel-headed duck and the hooded merganser may therefore be accepted as the first and only specimens obtained in Scotland. — Ian D. Pennie, Tongue, and James M. Gunn, Reay. These notes are of much interest. There is no other record of the ruddy sheld-duck in the Outer Hebrides, or of the ferruginous duck in Skye. Both species are sometimes kept in captivity so that records of occurrence are always open to the suspicion that they refer to “ escapes ” rather than genuine visitors. Harvie-Brown, on pages lix and lx of A Vertebrate Fawia of the Outer Hebrides gives lists for 1885 and 1886 of the ornamental wildfowl introduced by Lord Dunmore to the loch at Rodel, Harris; the latter list includes a pair of ruddy sheld-duck, but we have so far failed to trace details of any earlier introduction. Editors. 1 98 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 Brief Notes from N. W. Sutherland. — In a visit to the Durness district of Sutherland during 4th-! 6th June 1951 I was too late to see any migration, except for two white wagtails Motacilla alba alba on the shore at Balnakiel Bay on 5th June, and a few sanderling Crocethia alba, which are scarce in Sutherland at any time. There was one in Balnakiel Bay on 5th June, six in the same place on 12th June, and three in the Kyle of Durness on gth June. Six dunlin Calidris alpina on the shore at Sandwood Bay on Gth June were probably also migrants. Only two really unusual birds Vv^ere seen. One was a garden- warbler Sylvia borin, singing strongly in a birchwood at the head of L. Eriboll on 8th June and again on 14th June. There was no evidence of a second bird, or of a nest, nor was there any cover of the kind which this bird prefers to nest in in the south. Ac- cording to P. O. Swanberg [Fauna och Flora, 1951 : 133), the garden warbler is not uncommon in the birch zone in Swedish. Lapland. The other unusual bird was a pink-footed goose Anser arvensis brachyrhynchus, seen on the shore at Balnakiel on 5th June. It was evidently sick or wounded, but could fly. It was seen the follow- ing week by other guests in my hotel. I ascertained that it did not come from the flock of a local farmer who sometimes has semi-feral grey-lags. — R. S. R. Fitter, Burford, Oxford. Lesser Black-backed Gull nesting in Aberdeenshire. — Though the lesser black-back Lams fuscus graellsii occurs regularly in small numbers in this county as a passage migrant, there does not appear to be any published record of nesting. On 28th May 1949 I saw four adults among the herring gulls at a colony on the coast, half a mile north of Collieston in the parish of Slains. A week later, on 5th June, I saw one sitting on a nest at the same place; while I was watching it obligingly stood up and revealed two eggs. On the same day an adult was seen flying with herring gulls about two miles further up the coast near Bruce’s Haven, between Old Slains Castle and Whinny- fold. In 1950 I was away from home, but in 1951, when I visited the Collieston cliffs on loth June, there was a lesser black-back sitting on a nest within a few feet of the same spot, and a second bird flying round. It is interesting to note that Sim records in The Vertebrate Fauna of '"Dee'' (1903, p. 184) that on 29th June 1873 " a specimen of this bird flying about beside a breeding-place of the Herring Gull about two miles south of Whinnyfold ”. It 1951 ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 199 appears that no other breeding-season occurrences were known to him. — V. C, Wynne-Edwards, Aberdeen. Water Shrew in Isle of Skye. — A melanic specimen of the water shrew JVeomys fodiens was caugh t by my dog in a corn field here in September 1951. I do not know if it has been recorded before in Skye, as it is absent from most of the western isles. The only water near where it was caught is in a deep artificial ditch with running water from an overflow tank and surface drainage water. This year there have been many common shrews in our fields and a complete absence of voles and field-mice. — Audrey Gordon, Duntuilm, Skye. Hedgehog in Skye. — Some years ago Mr. A. D. Middleton informed me that Mrs. MacDonald of Dunach told him that in 1890 she had liberated a pair of hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus in Skye, and another pair later. There is no reference to the hedgehog occurring in Skye made in A Fauna of the Northwest Highlands and Skye (1904), but Mr. Seton Gordon informs me that “ it is very numerous in this district ” (Upper Duntuilm) now. — James Bartholemew, Torrance. GORRESPONDENGE The Editors The Scottish Naturalist Dear Sir, It seems almost unnecessary to point out, that in my short article on the plants of Knoydart {Scot. Nat.., 63: 50), I was not attempting “ to include the human element ” in an “ ecological survey ”, as Mr. J. L. Gampbell infers in his letter published on p. 136. In spite of the clearances it would seem very improbable that so mountainous a tract as Knoydart could ever support, or have supported, a really large population. Even in Norway or Iceland most of the intensive settlement is confined to the coastal strip. Perhaps to obtain precision my statement would be better corrected to “ . . . account, in part, for the very low population ”. Yours truly, G. D. PIGOTT. 200 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Vol. 63 PROTECTION OF RARE SCOTTISH BIRDS The Council of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club have pleasure in intimating that a new “ Rare Birds Protection Committee ” has now been formed to work in close conjunction with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the following have kindly consented to constitute the Committee: Dr. John Berry, Dr. James Campbell, Dr. Robert Carrick, Mr. J. Stainton Crosthwaite, and ■ Dr. Bruce Campbell. Dr. Bruce Campbell provides a link with the British Trust for Ornithology of which he is the Secretary, and he is . the representative of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds as well as a member of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club. Mr. P. W. Sandeman will act as Honorary Secretary, and will welcome any information concerning rare birds which will be treated in strict confidence. It is thus hoped that the general status of such rarities can be ascertained, and any practical steps taken to protect the species. We particularly appeal to landed proprietors and gamekeepers to give us information of any rare birds in their area which are in danger of being molested, and to co-operate with us in attempting to preserve rare birds in Scotland. All communications should be addressed to Mr. P. W. Sandeman, 23 Corstorphine Hill Road, Edinburgh 12. CORRECTION It seems certain that a mistake was made in the identification of three ferruginous ducks Aythya nyroca on Loch Bowie, Dumbarton, in the winter of 1948-49, and that the record {Scot. Nat., 61 : 124) should therefore be withdrawn. — Editors. INDEX j Ailsa Craig, The breeding distribution, |l population and history of the birds j! of, 73-100, 1 59- 1 77; cuckoo breed- ing, 189; gannets’ freak nesting I materials, 193 Alien Plant invaders at Dundee, 183 Anarta cordigera, a new and unusual ji| locality for, 33-36 I Anderson, J. A., 65 ANDREW, D. G., 1 93- 1 94, 196 [1 Ants, the distribution of, in North- jl west Scotland, 45-49 [! Arachnida, 137-155? 156-158 I Auk, Little, 168 Balfour-Browne, F., British Water Beetles, Vol. II, reviewed, 69 Balmain, K. H.,andJ. D. Brayshaw, 64 Bartholemew, James, 199 Beetles, see Coleoptera 1 Bird-ringing, recoveries, etc., 60, 63 Birds, see entries for each species; also under Bird-ringing, Food, Migration, Weights Blackbird, 42, 61, 79, 172, 180 Blackcap, 62 Black Game, blackcock-caper hybrids, 1 2 Bluethroat, 60, 130 Book reviews, 69 Borland, Jack F., and Frank D. E. Walls, Notes on the birds of Sanda Island, 178-182 Botanical Notes, 49, 183 Brambling, 58, 62, 163 Brayshaw, J. D., and K. H. Balmain, 64 Bryson, A. G. S., Isle of May Bird Observatory Report, 1950, 56-63 Bullfinch, Northern, 196 Bunting, Corn, 37, 163 Ortolan, 59 Red-headed, 128, 185 Reed, 163, 179 Snow, 62 Yellow, 160, 172 Yellow-breasted, 186 Butterfly, see Lepidoptera, and also under English names of species Buzzard, 21, 32, 180 Campbell, J. L., Letter to Editors, 136 Campbell, J. W., 130, 189-191 Campbell, Miss M., 194 Campbell, Miss M. S., 49, 70 Campbell, Ronald, 188 Capercaillie, The History and Distri- bution of, in Scotland (Part 3), 4-1 7; supplement, 135 Chaffinch, 57, 62, 63, 159 Chiffchaff, 130, 163, 187 Chough, 162 Christie, Iain C., 66 Clouded Yellow, 65, 122 ff. Coleoptera, 67, 70, 187; The aquatic Coleoptera of the county of Elgin, lOI-I 2 1 CoLLiNGWOOD, C. A., The distribution of Ants in North-west Scotland, 45-49 Cooper, P. E. D., 188, 194 Cormorant, 28, 81, 172, 180 Corncrake, 37, 169, 172 Cross, Alexander, 188 Crow, Carrion, 67, 159, 172 Hooded, 19, 29, 30, 31, 32, 56, 169, 179 Cuckoo, Black-billed, 131 Common, 161, 172, 180, 189 Cunningham, David, 64, 65 Curlew, 23, 40, 167, 181 Danish Vertebrates, List of, reviewed, 69 Dannreuther, T., Insect Immigration in 1950, 122-127 Deer, Fallow, 8 Red, 54 Diptera, 184 Diver, Black-throated, 193 Great Northern, 167 Red-throated, 39, 167 Dove, Rock, 22, 162, 172, 181 Turtle, 61, 194 Duck, Ferruginous, 197, 200 Buffel-headed, 197 Duncan, Miss Ursula K., 183 Duncan, Arthur B., 184, 189, 193, 195 Dunlin, 40, 167, 198 Eagle, Golden, 20, 67, 164, 172, 189 White-tailed, 164, 172 Edinburgh Bird Bidletin, The, reviewed, 69 Editorial, i Eider, Common, 21, 32, 38, 166, 180 King, 133, 197 Elgin, the aquatic Coleoptera of the county of, i o i - 1 2 1 Emslie-Smith, D., 187 Ephemera danica in North Scotland, 64 201 202 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST VoL 63 Fair Isle, 128, 185-187, 195 Falcon, Peregrine, 30, 32, 80, 172, 180 Fieldfare, 61, 65, 163 Fishes, 70, 185 Fitter, R. S. R., 198 Flycatcher, Pied, 59, 130, 187, 188 Food of birds: buzzard, 21; golden eagle, 67, 189; great black-backed gull, 30-32 ; herring gull and lesser black-backed gull, 89 ; hooded crow, 29 ff.; oyster-catcher, 23, 38; raven, 29 ff.; red-headed bunting, 186 F ORMAN, Bruce, The S piders of Aberdeen- shire, 1 37- 1 55; The Harvestmen of Aberdeenshire, 156-158 Fox, 30, 32, 67 Fulmar, 22, 28, 43, 86-89, I34-I35. U2, 181 Gannet, 22, 81, 82-86, 133, 172, 181, 193 Garganey, 192 Gibson, J. A., The breeding distribution, population and history of the birds of Ailsa Craig, 73-100, 159- 177; 189, 193 Gigha, Insects collected on the isle of, 1 84 Goldcrest, 62, 160 Goldfinch, 162 Gordon, Audrey, 199 Greenfinch, 159 Goose, “ Grey ”, 165 Pale-breasted Brent, 165 Pink-footed, 198 Grebe, Great crested, 167 Little, 167 Grouse, Red, 169 Guillemot, Common, 23, 30, 67, 92-98, 172, 182 Black, 25, 31, 162, 182 Gull, Black-headed, 38, 41, 169 Common, 29, 38, 41, 168, 181 Glaucous, 168 Great Black-backed, 23, 29, 30, 32, 90, 172, 181 Herring, 23, 29, 75, 89, 172, 181, 196 (inland breeding), 198 Iceland, 169, 195 Ivory, 169 Kittiwake. See Kittiwake Lesser Black-backed, 23, 29, 41, 7r, 89-90, 172, 181, 196, 198 Gunn, James M., 196-197 Hairstreak, Green, 35 Hare, Mountain, 67 Harrier, 61 Hen, 134 Montagu’s, 132 Harvestmen of Aberdeenshire, The, 156-158 Hawkmoth, Convolvulus, 65, 122 ff. Death’s head, 65, 123 Humming-bird, 1 22-1 23 Hay, Ian, 66 Hedgehog, 199 Heron, 32, 165, 189-191 (Outer Hebrides) Holly Blue, 64 Home, W. M. Logan, 195 Hoopoe, 1 31, 188 Hymenoptera, Ants, 45-49 Bees and Wasps, 184 Isle of May Bird Observatory Report, | 1950, 56-63 j Jackdaw, 162 Kennedy, A. C., 133 Kestrel, 32, 164, 172 | Kingfisher, 1 69 Kittiwake, 23, 29, 9^-94, ^35, 02, 182 | Knoydart, Some notes on the Vegetation and Flora of, 50-55. Lapwing, 37, 40, 62, 168, 181 Lepidoptera, 33-36 (A. cordigera), 35 (green hairstreak), 64 (holly blue), 65 (clouded yellow, etc.), 70, 122-127, 184 Linnet, 159, 179 Longstaff, Tom G., 129 Macdonald, J. D., 191 Mackenzie, J. M. D., 132 Mallophaga, 187 Mammals, 8 (fallow deer), 30 (fox), 32 (shrew, fox, marten, stoat, weasel), 54 (red deer), 67 (fox, mountain hare), 77 (rat), 179 (grey seal), 199 (hedgehog, water- shrew) Marten, Pine, 32 Martin, House, 161, 180 Sand, 161 Meiklejohn, M. F. M., 195 Merganser, Hooded, 197 Red-breasted, 180 Migration of Birds, 56, 57, 61-62 of Insects, 70, 122-127 Miller’s Thumb, 185 Mingulay, Birds on, in the summer of 1949, 18-25 Moth. See Lepidoptera Myxine, 70 Neuroptera, 64 Nightjar, 164 1951 INDEX i Orthoptera, 1 84 I Osprey, 61 Owen, John A., 66, 136 jj Owl, Barn, 169 jl Little, 189 Short-eared, 164, 172 Tawny, 164 i Oyster-catcher, 22, 32, 38, 88, 134, 172, 181 Ij Painted Lady, 65, 122 ff. I’ Palmar, C. Eric, and Thomas Robert- j SON, 131 I Patton, Donald, 185 j Pennie, Ian D., The History and jj Distribution of the Capercaillie in i! Scotland (Part 3), 4-17, 135; The , Clo Mor Bird Cliffs, 26-32; Birds in the Wick Museum, 196-197 i Petrel, Storm, 22, 134, 166, 172 i Leach’s Fork- tailed, 193 Pheasant, 67 PiGOTT, Donald, Some notes on the Vegetation and Flora of Knoydart, 50-55 ; letter to Editors, 199 I Pipit, Meadow, 20, 42, 79, 172, 179 ^ Rock, 20, 32, 79, 172, 179, 189 I Platt, Margery L, 67 I Plover, Golden, 38, 41, 167 Green, see Lapwing I Grey, 1 96 , Ringed, 38, 40, 134, 1 81 I Poore, Thomas, 67 I Protection of rare Scottish birds, 200 Puffin, 25, 29, 98-99, 172, 182 Rat, 77 Ratcliffe, D. a., 189 Raven, 19, 29, 30, 31, 32, 78, 172, 179 Razorbill, 24, 30, 91-96, 1 71-172, 182 Red Admiral, 65, 122 ff. Redpoll, 163 Redshank, Common, 42, 167, 18 1 Spotted, 195 Redstart, Black, 60, 62 Common, 164 Redwing, 62, 65, 164 Richter, R., The aquatic Coleoptera of the county of Elgin, 101-121 Riley, N. D., Notice on Protection of British Insects, 72 Ring-ouzel, 164 Robertson, Thomas, and C. Eric Palmar, 131 Robin, 60 (returning to winter territories on Isle of May), 79, 172 Rook, 162 Rooke, K. B., 61 203 Sanda Island, Notes on the birds of, 178-182 Sandeman, G. I.., 196 Sanderling, 198 Sandpiper, Common, 41, 162, 181 Green, 61, 195 Purple, 167 Wood, 61 Seal, Grey, 179 Sergeant, David E,, and Richard F. Whidborne, Birds on Mingulay in the summer of 1949, 18-25 Shag, 21, 28, 82, 172, 180 Shearwater, Manx, 22, 161 Great (or Mediterranean), 167 Sheld-duck, 165, 180 Ruddy, 197 Shrew, 32 Water, 199 Shrike, Great Grey, 59 Isabelline, 59 Red-backed, 59, 129 Silver-Y, 65, 122 ff. Siskin, 57, 163 Skua, Arctic, 39, 168 Great, 39, 133 Pomatorhine, 168 Skylark, 20, 37, 42, 62, 160, 179 Smew, 197 Smyth, J. E., 188 Snipe, Common, 40, 41, 167, 181 Jack, 167 Sparrow, Hedge, 80, 172 House, 42, 160, 172, 179 Sparrow-hawk, 165 Spiders of Aberdeenshire, The, 13 7- 155 Starling, 19, 38, 61, 159, 172, 179 Stirling, W. T., i 33-1 35 Stoat, 32 Stonechat, 60, 164, 172, 180 Stuart, Lord David, 131 Swallow, 16 1, 180 Swift, 1 61 Teal, American Blue- winged, 1 91-193 Common, 41, 67 Tern, Arctic, 41, 168 Common, 181 Thomson, Ian M., 129 Thrush, Mistle, 164 Song, 20, 62, 160, 172, 180 Tit, Blue, 160 Goal, 163 Great, 163 Tod, Kenneth, A new and unusual locality for Anarta cordigera (Thun- berg) (Lepidoptera), 33-36 Turnstone, 167 Twite, 20, 32, 37, 42, 159, 172, 179 204 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST Unst, Shetland, the moorland birds of, '37-44 Wagtail, Grey, i6o Pied, i6o, 179 White, 198 Yellow, 59, 163 Walker, Ian, 187 Walls, Frank D. E., see Borland Warbler, Barred, 59 Garden, 163, 198 Grasshopper, 59, 66, 187 Icterine, 59 Willow, 160 Wood, 163 Yellow-browed, 59, 187 Water-rail, 169 Waterston, George, 189 Waxwing, 59 Weasel, 32 Weights of birds, chaffinch, 57 VoL 63, igji Weir, R. S., 130 I Wheatear, 20, 42, 1 61, 172, 180 Whidborne, Richard F., see Sergeant, I David E. Whimbrel, 39, 167 j Whinchat, 161 j White, Large, 125-126 ; Whitethroat, Common, 163, 172 ; Lesser, 59, 62, 163 Williamson, Kenneth, The moorland birds of Unst, Shetland, 37-44; 185-187, 195 WiLMOTT, Alfred James, obituary, 71 Woodcock, 62, 162 Wood-lark, 59, 62 Woodpecker, Great Spotted, 66 Green, 66-67, Wood-pigeon, 161 Wren, 20, 32, 80, 172, 180 Wryneck, 61 Wynne- Edwards, V. C., 198 NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS The SCOTTISH naturalist is devoted to the study of Scottish Natural History, and is therefore concerned with all the many aspects, zoological, botanical, geographical, topographical and climatic embraced by this title. Contributions in the form of articles and short notes, and papers and books for review, should be addressed to the Editor of The Scottish Naturalist^ Department of Natural History, Marischal College, Aberdeen. 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