The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Maga'zi?ie devoted to Zoology

With which is incorporated

"The Annals of Scottish Natural History"

EDITED BY

WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D., F.R.S.E., Etc.

Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish NLuseum
President, British Ornithologists' Union

WILLIAM EVANS, F.R.S.E., Etc.

Member of the British Ornithologists' Union

PERCY H. GRIMSHAW, F.R.S.E., F.E.S.

Assistant-Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

EVELYN V BAXTER, F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U.
LEONORA J. RINTOUL, F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U
H. S. GLADSTONE, M.A., F.R.S.E., F.Z.S.

ASSISTED BY

JAMES RITCHIE, M.A., D.Sc.

A. LANDSBOROIIGH THOMSON, M.A.,

M.B.O.U.

ANDERSON FERGUSSON, F.E.S.

I9I9

' ' B R A R Vj a^\

'^^'^^^

y.

■/

EDINBURGH: OLIVER & BOYD, Tweeddale Court
LONDON : GURNEY & JACKSON, Zo Paternoster Row

1919

{Authors are responsible for nomenclature used.)

^^ 1. ! r? p A r? Y

i--

The Scottish Naturalist

Nos. 85 AND 86.] 1919 [Jan.-Feb.

ON WHALES LANDED AT THE SCOTTISH
WHALING STATIONS, ESPECIALLY DURING
THE YEARS 1908-1914 — Parts IV. to VI. The

BOTTLENOSE, HUMPBACK, AND FiNNER WHALES.

By D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson.

{Continued ffotn " T/ie Scoff ish Nafittalisf^'' 1918, page 237.)

IV. The Bottlenose-WHALE {Hyperoodon roslmtus, auctt.).

This small whale is probably that of all others which is
oftenest cast ashore on our own coasts. It is without doubt
plentiful on our whaling-grounds ; and in the North Atlantic
it has been the object of a not unimportant Norwegian,^ and
at times Scottish, fishery, especially to the north of Faroe,
north-east of Iceland towards Jan Mayen, and up to the
verge of the Arctic ice-field.- It was hunted partly for its
oil, which is of fine quality and hardly distinguishable (if at
all) from sperm ; for its spermaceti, which substance again it
yields in common with the sperm-whale ; partly also, I have
been told (though I cannot vouch for it), for its skin, which is
said to make good leather, like that of the Beluga ; and partly,
it is also said, for the sake of the ambergris, or a variety

1 In 1886, for instance, the Norwegians took 131 1 Bottlenose-whales
(T. Southwell, Zoologist {i), xii., p. 126, 1888).

- .See Chart in Hjort's Fisken tg fhialfangst., 1902, p. 192.
85 AND 86 A

32502

2 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

thereof, contained in its intestine, and formed, doubtless, as
also in the Cachalot, as a by-product of the digestion of its
cuttlefish food.

But in all the years we are considering, only twenty of
these whales are reported to have been landed at our Scottish
stations. I imagine that while this small whale is remunera-
tive when caught in considerable numbers, and when "tried
out" at sea, it does not pay to tow it ashore, as has to be
done in Scotland, from the often distant fishing-grounds.
The few of which we have record were mostly captured to
the northward of Shetland and of Rona, and we may deal
with them in a word or two.

Of our twenty individuals, ten were landed during the
month of -June, the rest from April to September; eight in
191 2, seven in 191 3, and two, one, two respectively in 1909,
1910, and 191 1. Fourteen out of the twenty were females,
or 70 per cent, of the whole.

The lengths of the males varied from 13 to 22 feet; of
the females from 16 to 25 feet. The median values were,
respectively, iSi and 21 feet, and the arithmetical means
17-8 and 20-7 feet. The mean length, for both sexes together,
was 19-8 feet. From this it would appear that not one of
our Bottlenoses was full grown, for specimens are recorded
up to and a little over 30 feet long.

In girth these Bottlenoses varied froni 7 to 12 feet for the
males, and from 6 to 12 feet for the females, the arithmetical
means being 9-3 and 10-7 feet. The ratio of girth to length
was, for both sexes alike, approximately 52 per cent; but
the ratio varied individually from about 35 per cent, to
70 per cent. Our mean ratio is considerably higher than
we have found for the Finners — the Bottlenose is, in general,
a thicker and a rounder whale. A Finner-whale of 60 feet
long, as we shall see, has an average girth of about 23 feet ;
if we could imagine a Bottlenose of 60 feet long, its girth on
the average would be about 31 feet. Captain David Gray
puts the ratio of girth to length higher still, stating that a
full-grown Bottlenose of 30 feet long would measure 20 feet
in girth ; as a matter of fact, some three or four of our twenty
Bottlenoses show a similarly high ratio: viz., a male of 17

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS J

feet long, with a girth of 12 feet, and three females 19, iS,
and 16 feet long, with girths, respectively, of 12, 12, and
II feet. All four were taken in June 191 2.

The great majority of British specimens, as is well known
(and as William Thompson remarked so long ago as 1840),
have occurred on our coasts in autumn, especially in August
and September, this being the time of their southward
migration. A smaller number have occurred in late winter
and early spring. The Bottlenose occurs on the Norwegian
coasts, according to Collett, at the same seasons as with us ;
at Faroe it is found in autumn, chiefly in September, but
neither in winter nor in spring : the general trend of its
annual migration — to the northward as far as the edge of the
ice in summer, and southward again to warm Atlantic waters
in winter — is simple and plain. Besides cuttlefish, which
would seem to be its chief and favourite diet, it also feeds
largely on herrings; and Collett records (for instance), on
the authority of Captain Lauenborg, an occasion (ist August
1884) when many hundreds of these whales were seen
gathered together off Cape Langenes in Iceland, at a time
when the water was " filled full of herrings."

Bibliographical Notes.

1. Collett, R. ^" Nogle Meddelelser om Naebhvalen {Hyperoodoii),

etc.," Bergcns Mi/s. Aarbog, vi., No. 6, pp. 1-16, 1906.

2. Flower, Sir W. — "Qn the Whales of the genus Hyperoodo?i,''

Proc. Zool. Soc, 1882, pp. 722-726.

3. Gray, Captain David.—" Notes on the Characters and Habits of the

Bottlenose-whale," Proc. Zool. Soc., 1882, pp. 726-731.

4. MUNSTERHJELISI, L. — " Anteckningar om Hyperoodon rosfratus

(Miill.) gjorda under en ishavsresa sommaren 1910," Troms'6
Mus. Aarsheffcr, xxxvii., p. i, 19 14.

5. Thompson, W. — "Note on the Occurrence of the Bottlenosed

Whale on the Coast of Ireland, etc," Attn. Mag. Nat. Hist., iv.,
p. 375, 1840.

6. Turner, Sir W. — " On the Occurrence of the Bottlenosed or

Beaked Whale in the Scottish Seas," Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edin.,
ix'., p. 25, 1885-SS.

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

V. The Humppjack-WIIALE {Megapteva lonoiuiaua,

Rudolph i).

Of the Humpback-whale, only thirty-one specimens were
landed in Scotland during the period 1908-14; in the pre-
ceding years, 1904-07, according to Mr Haldane's account,
five were landed in each of the four years— that is to say,
between 1908 and 19 14 the Humpback constituted less than
I per cent. (31 out of 3969 whales, or 078 per cent.) of the
total catch. This is in strong contrast to the Norwegian

•

.•jJ/T"

— -^ '

A,

1

I

r

j(

i

3

-^

?■*•*

9

\

•*

Y

4

m

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I

\

P

"

r

1

i

\

-~

y

'^1

1

/LI

1 ^ ^H

H

k

\

L

\

Fig. 7.— The Scottish Catch of Humpback-whales, 1908-1914.

figures. In Hjort's Finmark statistics {Hvalfangst, p. 187),
and in Mr Cocks' for Finmark and the Murman coast, we
have the following catches recorded : —

1SS3-1887.

lS90.1ii01.

(Cocks.)

(Hjort.)

Blue-whales .

530

14-9%

246

6-o%

Finners .

• 1794

50-4 %

2448

60-1 %

Sei-whales

931

26-7 %

851

20-9 %

Humpbacks .

287

8-0%

525

12-9%

3562

4070

showing a percentage of Humpbacks from ten to sixteen times
as great as ours. Since the Humpback is a large and valuable
whale, we have no reason to suppose that it is neglected by

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTLSU WHALING STATIONS 5

our whalers, as is the Bottlenose. It is a scarce species on
our coasts, so far as we know, and at least during the
whaling-season.

Of our thirty-one specimens, twenty-three were males, a
proportion of about 74 per cent. The males ranged in size
from 27 to 51 feet long, the females from 30 to 50 feet. The
median size of the former was 41 feet, of the latter 42^ feet;
the arithmetical means were 41-4 and 41-1 feet — in other
words there was no evidence of inequality of size in the two
sexes. The girth varied from 16 feet in a 35-feet whale to
T,8 feet in a 41 -feet whale : i.e. from 44 to 93 per cent, of the
length. The median value was 56 per cent, — a very high
value, but not more, in fact rather less, than we might expect
from the general form and appearance of the animal.

We have nothing particular to say about the region of
capture (Fig. 7) ; about two-thirds of the" specimens were got
to the north of Shetland and Rona, the rest on the St Kilda
grounds. The dates of capture are shown in the following
table :—

Tota/ catch of Humpbacks, 1908- 19 14.

MALES.

FEMALES.

1908. 1909. 1910. 1911. 1912. 1913. 1914. 1908. I;i09. 1910. 1911. 1912. 1913. 1914. Total.

I I
2

... 15
II

2

...

..*

., ...

...

...

...

June

I

I

July

I

4

5

2

I

I

...

Aug.

4

4

I

I

Sept.

I

8

2

9

3

I

I

I

3

2

I

It will be seen that July was the chief month of capture,
and that twenty-six out of the whole thirty-one were got in
July and August. Twenty-two were got in the years 1909
and 1910; none at all in 191 2 ; and only one or two in 1908,
191 3, and 1914. In Finmark this whale occurs early in the
season. Out of 175 caught in a certain year, according to
Hjort, 104 were got before the ist of June; indeed, its
capture in the north of Norway begins as early as February.
In July it is found far north, in the neighbourhood of Bear
Island.

6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

VI. Thf Fin nek or Common Rorqual

{Bnlcenoptera imisailus, auctt. ; B. physalus, Fabr, ; B. rorqjial,

Lacep. ; Physalns antiquorum, Gray).

The Common Rorqual, the " Firmer" of our whalers, the
Finhval, Rorhval or Sildchval {i.e. "herring-whale"), or
sometimes Loddehval, of the Norwegians, forms the greater
part of the catch at all our Scottish whaling-stations.
Between the years 1908-14, 2409 Finners were caught out
of a total catch of 3969 whales ; that is to say, Finners
constituted 63-2 per cent., or nearly two-thirds, of the entire
catch.

The sexes are on the whole equally balanced, 49-3 of the
whole number being males during the period we are con-
sidering, viz. from 1908 to 1914. If we include the four
preceding years, for which we have in this case enough
material to hand in Mr R. C. Haldane's papers,^ the propor-
tion of males works out (for the whole eleven years) at 51-7 —
again a close approximation to equality.

Finner-wha/es captured dui-ing 1904- 1907.

Males
Females

1904.

. 236

. 164

1905.
248
202

1906.
167

1907.1

183

122

Total .
Percentage of Males .

. 400
. 59-0

450

55-1

320
47-8

305

6o-o

The proportion of males to females varies a good deal
from year to year, and its variations seem to be quite
irregular or fortuitous. When we take the proportions of
the sexes not from year to year but from month to month,
over the whole available period (1908-1914), we find a greater
appearance of regularity ; the tendency on the whole being
for the proportion of males to increase as the season advances,
at least until the month of August. The catch during
September tells the other way, but the numbers in that
month are very small.

The table (p. 7) gives a condensed list of all the captures.

' Mr Haldane's figures for 1907 do not include the catch at Olna
station, where the Finners are simply recorded as " many," and those
for 1904 do not include Bunaveneader, where thirty-seven Finners were
caught but the sex was not recorded.

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS

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8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Among the larger sizes, females are much the more
numerous, as we see by the following little table : —

Nu

mber of

Percentage of

Males.

Females.

Males.

Femalfts.

"inners of 50 feet and over

1 107

III4

49.8

50.2

„ of 60 „ „

706

823

46.2

53-8

„ of 70 „

39

181

17-7

82-3

,, of 80 ,, „

0

2

0-0

lOO-O

The largest catches are made during the months of
July and August, but on the whole the season is a prolonged

Fig. 8. — Seasonal Distribution of Finner- and Sei-whales (1908-1914).

one, the catches being large from May to August, and
though very much smaller yet not insignificant during April
and September (Fig. 8). As we shall presently see, and as
our diagram already shows us, this extended season is in
marked contrast to what we have to do with in the case
of the Sei-whale.

In a scries of charts (Figs. 9-12) I show the place of
capture of all our recorded Finners from the earlier to the

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS 9

Fig. 9. — The Scottish Catch of Finner-whales during April and May (1908-1914).

Fig. 10. — The Scottish Catch of Finner-whales during June (1908-1914).
85 AND 86 B

10

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

later months of the fishing season. It will be seen that
to the northward of Shetland the catches were abundant
during all the months. In the southern part of the field,
on the other hand, to the west of St Kilda, no Finners were
caught during April and May, few in June, but more and
more from July onwards. In the intermediate region,
between the Faroes and the Hebrides, large catches were

Fig. II. — The Scottish Catch of Finner-whales during July (1908-1914).

made in the beginning of the season, fair catches towards
the end, but few in June and very few in July. The
seasonal distribution of the Sei-whale, as we shall presently
see, is very different.

The Finner is generally considered to be a fish-eating
whale, following the shoals of herring and, in Arctic seas
of the "Lodde" or Capelin {Mailotus villosus). But it is
well known to feed also on " kril," and Mr R. C. Haldane
has argued with much force that the latter is really its
chief and favourite food— " that he only takes to herrings

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS ii

when he cannot get his favourite kril and shrimps," and
that in some years the Finner-whales seem to be " entirely
shrimp-fed." Under these circumstances, and with this
double diet in view, it would be very unsafe to speculate
much upon the migrations, and the causes of migration, of
this whale, or to attempt to correlate its movements too
closely and directly with those, for instance, of the herring.

Fig. 12. — The Scottish Catch of Finner-whales during August, September,

and OctoVer (1908-1914).

The problem is a very complicated one, and the interrelations
of kril, herring, and whales are not as yet to be unravelled.

We have much less evidence of extensive and regular
migrations in the case of this whale than, for instance, in
the case of the Blue-whale or the Humpback ; and Guldberg
thinks that its migrations are limited in extent, and are
in the main directly confined to a pursuit of the herring
and the capelin. All that we know for certain is that the
Finner visits the north of Norway and Finmark, in April
and May, together with the Lodde-shoals ; and that it appears
on our own north-western coasts and on the southern coasts
of Norway, together zvith the herring.

13

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The following table gives the recorded lengths of all
our Finners : —

Recorded lengths {in feet) of all Finnej'-ivhales captured at
Scottish Whalings tatioTis, 1 908- 1 9 1 4.

^eet.

Males.

Females.

Feet.

Males.

Females.

Feet.

Males.

Females.

35

I

51

II

S

67

43

54

36

.. >

.. *

52

23

16

68

45

69

37

I

53

19

16

69

17

52

38

I

I

54

28

10

70

20

76

39

2

2

55

51

62

71

I

32

40

7

9

56

45

36

72

9

31

41

6

7

57

27

28

73

2

16

42

II

5

58

86

38

74

3

II

43

3

7

59

49

25

75

2

7

44

6

9

60

185

117

76

2

4

45

18

28

61

44

30

77

I

46

5

10

62

78

55

78

I

47

4

9

63

68

45

79

...

48

12

10

64

57

57

80

I

49

6

9

65

94

103

81

...

...

50

62

55

66

36

60

82

...

I

We may summarise this table as follows, using the
statistical method of medians, quartiles, etc. : ^ —

B.

Di.

Qi.

M.

Q;).

Dfl.

E.

ales .

• 34

50

56

60

64

68

76 feet

;males

• 37

50

57

63

67

70

82 feet

The difference in size between the two sexes is not
great, but the females are perceptibly the larger (Fig. 13).
The median size of the males is 60 feet, that of the females
63 feet; the arithmetical means are, respectively, 595 feet
and 61-4 feet. The two largest males were ^6 feet long, the
longest female 82 feet; 3-3 per cent, of the males and 14-8
per cent, of the females measured 70 feet or over. One-half

1 I may explain once again the simple statistical method here
employed. We give, firstly, the " extreme " lengths — the lengths of
the smallest and largest individual fish. Then, supposing the whole
series to be arranged in order of magnitude, from the least to the
greatest, the " median " size is that of the fish half-way up the list ;
the two "quartiles" are those of the individual fish one-quarter and
three-quarters up the list. We might similarly include a full series
of "deciles" ; but those given are only the first and last, i.e. the sizes
of the fish which stand one-tenth of the way, and nine-tenths of the
way, up the list in order of magnitude.

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS

13

of all the males lay between 56 and 64 feet ; one-half of the
females between 57 and 6~ feet. The smallest male was
34 feet, the smallest female 37 feet long.

^5 30

Length in Feet
50 60

FlG._i3.— The comparative Lengths of all Sei- and Finner-whales, male and
female (1908-1914). (Smoothed curves, the recorded lengths being
averaged, consecutively, in groups of 5 feet.)

In the following table I set forth, similarly, the median,
quartile, and other data for our male and female Finners,
arranged this time in groups, according to the months in
which they were captured.

Abbreviated List of the Sizes of all Finner-ivhales, accordiiig
to the Sex and Season of Capture.

E.

D.

Q.

M.

Q-

D.

E.

Males — April

34

53

56

60

64

65

72

May

40

50

55

60

64

67

74

June

39

50

54

60

63

67

76

July .

38

50

56

60

64

67

75

August .

40

55

58

60

65

67

76

September

45

50

56

60

63

65

69

Females — April

37

49

53

61

65

70

73

May

39

50

57

62

67

70

76

June

38

47

55

62

68

71

78

July . .

39

49

56

62

67

70

77

August .

40

55

60

65

68

71

82

September

45

50

59

60

65

67

72

14 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

It will be seen (i) that there is very little difference in
size from month to month, and that (for instance), the median
sizes are remarkably constant throughout the season ; (2)
only in regard to the size of the smallest whales do we see
signs of a gradual increase as the season goes on — in other
words there is some little indication that the youngest
whales, of about 35 feet long or thereby, are growing per-
ceptibly bigger, by several feet, during the six months of
the fishing season.

When we examine the full statistics of sizes of all the
2400 Finners, we easily see that the recorded measurements
are only approximate, for there is a marked predominance
of records at the even or round numbers, 50, 55, 60,
65 feet, etc. We do not find in these series of figures (or in
Fig. 13) any indication of "age-groups," that is to say of
a breaking up of the whole series into separate "cusps,"
indicative of successive annual increments of growth. To
begin with, the measurements are not accurate enough for
this purpose, and it may well be also that the natural
inequalities and irregularities of individual growth soon
smooth over and obscure the differences of size due to the
mixture of the several batches or " broods," each one year
older than another.

It is obvious that the recorded girths vary very greatly —
that is to say, for a given length the statements as to girth
vary immensely in individual whales. I find, for instance,
that among the male Finner-whales taken during the month of
August, fifty-seven whales, all of 60 feet long, are said to have
measured in girth from 19 to 32 feet (with a median of 23
feet) ; and twenty-five whales, with a girth of 23 feet, are said
to have varied in length from 56 to 6'j feet (with a median
of 61 feet). To correlate the whole series of measurements
in our 2400 Finners would be a very heavy task, and I shall
only attempt to set it forth in the simplest of ways —
namely, by determining the median and quartile values both
for length and for girth, and by taking the ratio between these.

The following is the result, taking the whole catch firstly
according to months or seasons, all years together ; and
secondly according to the several years of our whole period : —

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS 15

00

[£4

6

1

0 <0 M Op M w

0 cooo »-< Tj- vo
•^ rh to -^ If Tt-

op « Y* T f T*" *?

A rt r<i 0 rn ^ hi
■♦ I*- ■<^ I*- Tj- -1- .^

CO

CNI

d

vO OnvO 00 0 0

CJ M tS C4 to to

:

oo O O t^OO 00 00
PJ to CO P< P« PI P)

i-j

vr> t^oo t^oo to
NO vO *0 NO nO no

:

t>.00 On r^ tOND 00

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

en

•3

23

1^ I^ M t^ >J-> l^

v6 00 t-»00 M v£>
CV1 to to rO T^ -^

ON

to

On to o t->. r>. CO »-i

to 1-1 6 oo t^oo 00
"to-^-^totototo

1^ .

ob
to

d

N Th to T^ r^oo

N N « N « M

:

tOVO NO rj- to to ■*

P« PI PI PI M P) p«

:

F^

0 N M N "^ 0

vO vO »0 *«0 0 ^

'

■<J- to to PI ►- o to

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

1

3

0

p3

0^ « wi '^ '^ T"
>r> vo Tj- lYiob 0
to to to to to T^

to

T* ?* T* T*" ■* ■* o
to r^ r^ NO NO NO to
to CO to to to to to

NO

to

6

00 0^ 0 to ■!*-
" M ►-■ N M C^

1 0 rj pj 0 0 0 •-"

N « « N N N N

:

►4

to f^ lONO 0 cy>
to vn to toO to

;

NO 00 On to to to o

•^ to to to to tONO

:

03

in

3

0

25

On to t^ tj •-< •^
to to On M to -^
to Ti- to Tt Th -^

6

►-MM t~.vD -"i-NO
On CO to M CO 4h 4h

CO Tl- -^ Tj- Tl- Tj- rf

00

d

to CTi vr» r^oo 00

N t^ W t^ « f*

: 1000 00 10 t>.oo On
N M P) M N P) M

;

J

-J- -(- to Tl- vo to

vj3 vO 'O 0 0 0

; -+- to to 0 P) to to

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

:

09

a
a

-3

i~« 0 ^~ <;p 0 «p

^ 0 vo 00 6 00

CO -^ to to r:}- to

to

00

to

CO o to Oi r«« to M

oo 6 Oi ^~nO oo t~»
CO -^ CO CO CO CO to

PI

oo
to

d

'

N rj- M to Ti- to
M N PI M N W

_

CO t}- Th PI N CO CO
PJ N PJ M P» PI PI

:

H-j

000000

NO NO NO NO NO NO

:

O O M oo O O PI

NO NO NO tONO NO VO

3

0

ON -^ N t^ M to
too ^i^ lOVO ON

to to to to to to

to

M t^ PI O PI to O
to lovo t^ iX Tt- ir>

to to to to to to CO

to

to
to

d

0> 0 0^ 0 >-> ^^
►1 M i-H M M n

■

O O M o On ON M
PI PJ PJ PJ 1-1 i-i PI

:

i4

w^ to to vo u^ xrt

:

t^NO 00 ■* Th to O

to to to to to tONO

1

3

•
c

c

April .
May .
June .
July .
August
September .

Ci

is

-r
pj

oo On O M CS) CO -^

O O M M M M M

ON On On ON 0^ On ON

11 M M M M M M

i6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

We see from all this (i) that the mean ratio of girth to
length is about 38 to 40 per cent. ; or (taking the figures as
they stand) the mean girth of a 60-feet whale would be about
23 feet for the males, and 23.9 feet for the females ; (2) the
difference in relative girth between males and females is
not very great, but constant, or very nearly so, throughout
our tables ; (3) the values tend to increase from the lower
quartiles to the medians, and again to the upper quartiles :
in other words, the larger whales have the greater relative
girth — the girth tends to increase somewhat faster than the
length of the whale ; (4) on the whole there is a tendency,
not very regular but yet apparently unmistakable, for the
relative girth to increase month by month during the course
of the season; (5) the annual values are irregular, and there
is a considerable difference between the relative girths in
the different years ; as far as we can judge the whales of
1909 and 1910 seem to have been fatter than usual, and
those of 191 2 unusually lean.

{^To be concluded.^

THE BIRDS OF NORTH UIST 17

THE BIRDS OF NORTH UIST.
By Fred. S. Beveridge, Lieut. 3rd Bn. The Royal Scots.

{Concluded from " The Scottish Natitmlist" 1918, page 254.)

Cygniis mnsictis, Bech. \V'hooper Swan. — Fairly common
winter visitor. Found on all suitable lochs on the island — seldom
more than seven or eight birds are seen together. Often in company
with the Bewicks.

Cygnus bewickii, Yar. Bewick's Swan. — Common winter
visitor. Large flocks of a hundred or more are often observed —
they seem most partial to salt water and are found in immense
flocks between Newton and Lochmaddy and at Loch Eport.

Tadorna cornuta, Gmel. Sheldrake. (B.) — Common, but a
decreasing resident. Throughout the winter they become compara-
tively scarce.

Anas boscas, Linn. Mallard. (B.) — Common resident species.
Scattered throughout the island — never found in large flocks except
during hard winters. Their numbers are increased considerably
during the autumn migration. Sir Arthur Orde, Bart., so I am
informed, introduced the smaller foreign Mallard to the North Uist
group, turning down several birds at Langass and Newton. Several
specimens of the above have fallen to my own gun in these islands —
the weight of these birds seldom exceeding i lb. 14 oz.

Anas sfrepera^lAnu. Gadwall. — Fairly common. An increasing
winter visitant. Mr M'Elfrish has obtained this species at Newton
and Loch Blashaval, but only seems to have observed single birds
or odd pairs. At Scolpaig and Griminish small flocks of between
twenty and thirty birds are not uncommon. Common at Balranald
in winter. My brother has observed paired birds during the summer.

Spatula clypcata, Linn. Shoveller. (B.) — Rare. Very local,
but there is an odd pair now nesting at Balranald — Mr M'Elfrish has
found nests there of recent years. At Langass and Griminish a pair
are seen nearly every winter.

Dafila acuta, Linn. Pintail. — Fairly common, but very local.
A winter visitor, though odd pairs have been seen during the summer
months. Supposed to breed at Balranald, but I have never seen
nest or eggs from any part of North Uist. A young $ shot at
Vallay Island, 21st November 191 1, seems to have been bred
in the vicinity, but, as I have already stated, no further proof is
forthcoming.

NettioH crecca, Linn. Teal. (B.)— Common. Breeding
85 AND 86 C

i8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

extensively at Balranald, where it is more in evidence than A?ias
boscas. Flocks visit the islands during winter but seldom leave the
coast.

Mareca penelope, Linn. Wigeon. — A common winter visitor.
As a likely breeding species I quote the following: — August 1912,
five observed till middle of month (three young birds) ; 20th August
19 1 2, adult $ killed at Griminish; Sth August 1913, seven seen on
loch ; 25th August 19 14, five seen on loch. Other records of young
birds killed during September are not infrequent. Considering
these examples its nesting in North Uist seems probable.

Fuiigitla feri/ia, Linn. Pochard. — Common winter visitor. A
supposed breeding species. Undoubtedly examples remain through-
out the summer. On Sth August 19 11, I observed a pair at
Balranald, and these behaved as if they had young hard by.

Fuligula crislata, Linn. Tufted. (B.) — An increasing species.
Now reported breeding at Balranald. Mr J. G. Millais, in his
admirable work, British Diving Ducks, states that it did so some
years ago. This I now confirm, though not until recently.

Fuligula marila, Linn. Scaup. — Rare winter visitor. Mr
M'Elfrish obtained a pair near West-ford some six years ago. Has
been seen at Loch Blashaval. An example from Loch Olavat,
obtained 29th October 1903, is now in my collection. This last
mentioned was in a very exhausted condition.

Clangula glaucion, Linn. Goldeneye. — Fairly common winter
visitor. Adult $, seldom met with.

Harelda glacialis, Linn. Long - tailed Duck. — Common.
Winter visitor arriving in October and remaining till May. These
birds practically assume full summer plumage before departing.

Somateria mollissima, Linn. Eider. (B.) — Common ; resident
in large numbers. Not, however, on the increase.

[Oidetnia fusca, Linn. Velvet Scoter. — Reported now and then
from the Sound of Harris, but have seen no specimens.]

Mergus merganser, Linn. Goosander. A rare winter visitor.
Seen occasionally, but have only one record of a bird being actually
obtained — this was z. $ \n December 1903. Peel also observed
this species in North Uist.

Mergus serrator, Linn. Merganser. (B.) — A common resident,
increasing in numbers. Breeds freely throughout the island. Large
flocks are often seen during the winter.

Mergus albellus, Linn. Smew. — Rare. Observed in North
Uist by Mr C. V. H. Peel. An odd pair may be seen during
severe frost.

Cohimba falumbus, Linn. Wood-pigeon. — An example from

THE BIRDS OF NORTH UIST 19

near Lochmaddy many years ago, recorded by the late Dr Harvie-
Brown.

Columba livia, Gm. Rock-dove. (B.) — Common resident. A
great many crosses between the true wild bird and tame pigeons —
which have been kept from time to time at Paible and Claddach.
These birds are usually of a light sandy colour or of a darker hue
than the wild bird. Albinos are not uncommon. Rock-pigeons
seem to change their haunts very unaccountably : from the beginning
of the century till 1910 they were most plentiful on the western
coast, whilst after that date they changed to the vicinity of Newton
and Cheese Bay. I see no reason for this local migration, as the
tillage around their new abode is far scantier than on the west side.
On the other hand the invasion of Starlings may have been the
cause of this movement.

Turtur communis^ Selby. Turtle-dove. — One reported to have
been seen at Lochmaddy on 6th July 1912.

Lagopus scoticus, Lath. Red Grouse. (B.) — Fairly common
resident species. Owing to numbers of Hoodies and other vermin,
is slowly disappearing.

Phasianus colchiciis, Linn. Pheasant. — A few brace were
turned down by Sir Arthur Orde, but, as was expected, never throve
and very soon died out.

\Coh(rnix commiaiis, Bonn. Quail. — No authentic occurrence.
Recently supposed to have been observed at Varlish. On 8th May
191 7 Peel records the Quail from Barra, in which island it is not
infrequent.]

Crex pratensis, Bech. Land-rail. (B.) — Common summer
visitor, breeding freely, but fluctuates considerably. Have noticed
that this species is very ready to seek safety in flight in North
Uist. It does not seem to do so on the mainland of Scotland.

Ralliis aqnaftci/s, Linn. Water-rail. (B.) — Fairly common ;
resident in small numbers.

Gallinula chloropus, Linn. Moorhen. (B.) — A very common
resident species.

Fnlica atra, Linn. Coot. (B.) — Common, breeding in all
suitable localities. A steadily increasing species.

^gialitis hiaticula, Linn. Ringed Plover. (B.). — Common,
resident. Immense flocks to be seen on the strands which abound
in North Uist. Usually in company with the Sanderling and
Dunlin.

[^giaittis curofika, Gm. Little Ringed Plover. — A supposed
example was recorded from Vallay in 1909.]

Charadrius pluvialis, Linn. Golden Plover. (B.) — Common,

20 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

and resident in small numbers. Large flocks visit the island in
winter. These are especially plentiful in April, after which month
they migrate.

Squatarola helvetica^ Linn. Grey Plover. — Rare. Visits the
island occasionally during winter.

Vanellus vulgaris, Bech. Lapwing. (B.) — A common and,
happily, a greatly increasing resident.

Sfrepsilas ififerpres, Linn. Turnstone. — A common migrant
and winter visitor. Arriving in large numbers about the
middle of August — small flocks often remaining till the end of
April.

HcEmatopus ostralegus,\J\xvci. Oystercatcher. (B.)— Common
breeding species. During the winter months this bird is not at all
plentiful.

Phalaropus fiilicarius, Linn. Grey Phalarope. — An example
recorded for September 1900.

Phalaropus hyperboreus, Linn. Red-necked Phalarope. (B.)—
A summer visitor. Most birds arrive by the middle of May and
seldom remain longer than the 5th of August ; though I have noted
single birds as late as 22nd August 1914. The number of nests in
North Uist has sadly diminished, and in localities where a dozen
or more pairs nested up till 191 1, one would have to search in vain
for more than three nests to-day.

Scolopax rusticolay Linn. Woodcock. — An autumn migrant,
fairly common locally, especially on Eaval. Few birds remain
throughout the winter, and stragglers may be seen during the spring
months.

Gallinago ccelestis, Fren. Common Snipe. (B.) — A common
resident, increasing as a breeding species. Large numbers arrive
in the autumn. During the months of December and January it
is not so numerous.

Gallinago gallinula, Linn. Jack Snipe. — Fairly common
autumn migrant. Arrives in the early part of September. Have
seen single birds in the first week of May.

Tringa alpina, Linn. Dunlin. — Fairly common spring migrant
— in the autumn it is not so common.

Tringa ininuta, Leisler. Little Stint. — First came to my
notice in 1907. Since then this species has been observed
nearly every year between August and beginning of October.

\Tringa stibarquata, Giild. Curlew Sandpiper. — Described as
having been seen in September 1909. However, no authentic
record is forthcoming.]

Tringa striata, Linn. Purple Sandpiper. — A comnion' winter

THE BIRDS OF NORTH UIST 31

visitor. Small flocks often remain till June, but these arc
exceptional.

Trifiga canutus, Linn. Knot. — Rare. Odd birds in partial
summer plumage are seen at the beginning of August, usually
between 8th and 12 th. Small flocks of a dozen or so are
extremely rare, and when found are very shy.

Calidris arenaria, Linn. Sanderling. — Large flocks arrive
during August and September — to be seen over the many strands on
the island in company with the Ringed Plover. Very scarce as a
spring migrant.

Machetes pug/iax, Linn. Ruff. — Observed at Griminish in
September 19 10. Others occasionally reported. One killed at
Langass reported in The Scottish Naturalist, 19 14.

Totanus hypoleucus, Linn. Common Sandpiper. (B.) — Fairly
common summer visitor. Breeds sparingly throughout the island.

Totanus calidris, Linn. Redshank. (B.) — A common resident.

\_Totauus fuscus, Linn. Spotted Redshank. — Twice recorded
as seen nth September 1909 and 25th December 1910. As I
have not handled a specimen from the island this still remains in
brackets.]

Totanus canescens, Gm. Greenshank. — Fairly common, remain-
ing throughout the year. Have never had sufficient evidence of
its nesting, though I have seen birds of the year at the beginning of
August. The late Wm. Macgillivray records this as a nesting species.

Limosa lapponica, Linn. Bar-tailed Godwit. — Common winter
visitor. Immense flocks seen during spring and autumn migration.

Limosa belgica, Gm. Black-tailed Godwit. — Rare. Single birds
and occasionally pairs are observed every year. These are reported
mostly during September.

JVumenius arquata, Linn. Common Curlew. (B.) — Common.
Breeds very sparingly. Large flights arrive about the middle of-
August.

JVumenius phceopus, Linn. Whimbrel. — Common visitor. Odd
birds may be seen nearly every month in the year. In September
1 914 there were immense numbers.

Sterna fluviatilis,^2:<i. Common Tern. (B.) — Fairly common ;
an increasing summer visitor, breeding with the Arctic Terns, but
never so numerous as they.

Sterna macrura, Nau. Arctic Tern. (B.) — Common summer
visitor. Breeds in large colonies throughout the island. This
species suffers considerably at the hands of the inhabitants, who,
under guise of picking shell-fish, search all the islands and fore-
shore for nests.

22 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Sterna minula, Linn. Little Tern. (B.) — Fairly common; a
few pairs breeding in the more secluded localities. This Tern
never seems to nest in company with the Arctic or Common
Terns, Small colonies of about half a dozen pairs are occasionally
found.

Larus miuidus, Pall. Little Gull. — Has not been recorded
since obtained in 1883 by Mr John Macdonald at Newton.

Larus ridibundiis, Linn. Black-headed Gull. (B.) — A common
resident ; breeding on the increase. There are no very large gulleries,
but small colonies consisting of from 80-120 nests are to be found
scattered throughout the island.

Larus camis^ Linn. Common Gull. (B.) — A common resident.

Larus argentatus,GvL\.. Herring-gull. (B.) — Common. Breed-
ing in considerable numbers. Colonies of these birds may be found
on the islands in Loch Scadavay.

Larus fuscus, Linn. Lesser Black-backed Gull. (B.) — Fairly
common ; resident in increasing numbers. This species fluctuates
considerably, some seasons being as abundant as the larger Larus
marinus.

Larus marinus., Linn. Great Black-backed Gull. (B.) —
Common; resident in considerable numbers.

Larus glaiuus, Fab. Glaucous Gull. — Fairly common winter
visitor. Most specimens obtained have been immature birds —
adults being rare.

Larus leucopterus, Fab. Iceland Gull. — Rare. Seldom observed
save in very hard weather. Dr Mackenzie has a fine example
taken at Scolpaig towards the end of last century. One killed at
Vallay 12th October 191 7.

Rissa fridacfyla, Linn. Kittiwake. (B.) — Common, especially
during autumn and winter. A few pairs breed in the more suitable
localities.

Megalestris catarrhacfes, Linn. Great Skua. — Rare. Examples
seen usually in September, but these seldom remain for any length
of time. Though between 17th August and 8th September 19 12
I had a single bird under observation. Also one observed from
30th July to 19th August 1 9 10.

Stercorarius pomatorhinus, Tem. Pomatorhine Skua. — Only
know of one example, killed at Scolpaig 17th October 1912. This
specimen is now in my collection.

Stercorarius crepidatus, Gm. Richardson's Skua. (B.) — Fairly
common resident. Breeds at Newton and Loch Eport. Scarce
during the winter. The dark or sooty form of plumage is rarely
met with.

THE BIRDS OF NORTH UIST 23

Stercorarius parasiticus, Linn. Buffon's Skua. — An example
procured at the same place as the Pomatorhine Skua on 1 7th
October 1912. Also in my collection.

Alca torda, Linn. Razorbill. — Uncommon, but not infrequent
in Lochmaddy Bay, Loch Eport, and near Weaver's Point. Does
not nest in North Uist to my knowledge.

Uria troile, Linn. Common Guillemot. (B.) — Resident and
fairly common. Breeds sparingly. The bridled variety is not
uncommon.

Uria gry lie, Linn. Black Guillemot. — Fairly common, but keeps
well out to sea, and is seldom seen save in small flocks.

Merguhis alle, Linn. Little Auk. — Fairly common winter visitor,
in rough weather only. Most noticeable around Lochs Eport and
Blashaval.

Fratercula arctica, Linn. Puffin. — A rare winter visitor ; though
commonly washed up dead — a victim of the north-west gales.

Colymbiis glacialis, Linn. Great Northern Diver. — A fairly
common spring migrant ; a few pairs being seen during the
summer months. Rare during the winter.

Colymbus arcticus, Linn. Black-throated Diver. (B.) — Fairly
common, though a decreasing resident. The nesting sites of this
bird are more or less local— though I will not mention the precise
district for obvious reasons.

Colymbus septentrionalis, Linn. Red-throated Diver. (B.) — A
fairly common breeding species — seldom met with in winter. This
is our commonest member of the Colymbidse.

Podicipes anriti/s, Linn. Slavonian Grebe. — Uncommon, but
not infrequent in some localities during late autumn and winter.
Met with a pair on a reedy loch at Griminish on 14th August 1912 —
which date seems very exceptional. Peel also obtained this grebe
in North Uist.

Podicipes fluviatilis, Tun. Little Grebe. (B.) — A fairly
common resident ; has increased considerably of late years. The
fact that frost drives this bird to the coast is generally accepted,
but I may add that frost or no frost this species is always more
abundant on the coast during December and January. As the
lochs in North Uist are seldom frozen, this trait can hardly be
accounted for.

Procellaria pelagica, Linn. Storm Petrel. — Fairly common
winter visitant ; considerable numbers are seen off the coast.
Occasionally washed up dead.

Procellaria leiicorrkoa, Vieillot. Leach's Petrel. — Rare ; though
occasionally seen off shore. An example obtained between

a4 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Griminish Point and Haskier, in 1902, is now in my brother's
possession.

[Pujffifius anglonim, Tern. Manx Shearwater. — Reported now
and again off the coast — but have never seen an example from North
Uist. Seen near Haskier on 13th September rgog.]

Fubnarus glacialis^ Linn. Fulmar. — Specimens are washed up
every year from St Kilda. But the live bird is very rarely met with.

A Note on the Identification of Ducks' Eggs. — In cases
where the identification of a Duck has not been determined at the
nest, it has been customary to seek the aid of the down and feathers
formincr the lining of the nest as means of establishing the identity
of the eggs. Miss Jackson, who has made a special study of the
nest down of a number of British Ducks, in recently expressing her
views on this interesting subject, has remarked {Briiish Birds,
October 1918), "I should like, however, to point out that it is,
I consider, impossible to identify a nest-lining of any of the above
species by the examination of the down alone, and that the feathers
are by far the most important means of identification." The Ducks
specified by Miss Jackson are the Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Garganey,
Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Scaup, and a few
others which do not breed in Britain.

The object of this note is not to take exception to, or criticise,
Miss Jackson's conclusions, but merely to relate a little experience
of my own regarding the feathers which may be found in a Duck's
nest. A few years ago I examined the lining of a Pintail's nest
obtained at Loch Leven and found that it contained, in addition to
Ducks' feathers, several of those of the Red Grouse. This raises
an important point, namely, if a Duck gathers feathers to supple-
ment her own, for the purpose of forming a bed for her eggs, it is
quite possible, indeed probable, that she may pick up the feathers of
other species of Duck and introduce them into her nest. Such alien
ducks' feathers would certainly be more readily obtained at Loch
Leven than those of the Red Grouse — a bird which nests in the
district but not in the immediate vicinity of the loch.

The incident described may, perhaps, be regarded as exceptional,
but nevertheless it clearly indicates that the feathers found in a
Duck's nest are not all of them necessarily those of the real owner ;
some, possibly the most diagnostic ones, may belong to another
species. — Wm. Eaiu.k Clarkk, Edinburgh.

AN OLD-TIME RECORD OF THE WHITE STORK 25

AN OLD-TIME RECORD OF THE BREEDING OF
THE WHITE STORK IN SCOTLAND.

By William Eagle Clarke.

Although the Stork is a regular summer visitor to the
counties bordering the North Sea opposite to our own
shores, yet it does not seem, even in the long past, to have
been other than a more or less irregular visitor to the
British Islands. Probably it was more frequent in its
appearances in the eastern counties in former years, when
it was more numerous in its continental haunts than at
the present time, but the North Sea seems always to have
formed the western limit of its range.

. Professor Newton, whose knowledge of ornithological
literature was in many respects unequalled, remarks {Diction-
ary of Birds) that " though often visiting Britain, it has
never been a native or even an inhabitant of the country."

M)' attention, however, was recently drawn to a remark-
able record — one which has apparently been overlooked
by the numerous ornithologists interested in all that concerns
our British birds — relating to the nesting of a pair of Storks
in Scotland in the early years of the fifteenth century.
This notable event is recorded in Goodall's edition of the
Scotichronicon (vol. ii., book xv., chap, xxiv., p. 449) published
in 1759.

This great historical work was commenced by John
Fordum, who died about the year 1384, under the title
of Chronica Gentis Scofonun, and was edited and continued
by Walter Bower, the Abbot of Inchcolm, as the Scoti-
chronicon, the latter author being responsible for all the
records subsequent to the 1383. In Bovver's chronicles for
the year 1416 it is related that : —

" An. D. millesimo quadringentesimo decimo sexto, obiit

dominus Jacobus Biset, Prior Sancti Andreae, in crastino

nafivitatis Sancti Johannis Baptistae. Hoc etiam anno par

avium ciconiarum venerunt in Scotiam, et super ecclesiam S.

85 AND 86 D

26 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

/EgicJii de Edinburgh nidificabant, et per unam ratam anni
ibi morabantur ; sed quo postea avolaverunt, nescitur.
Maxima est illis, ut dicit Plinius, cura foetus, adeo ut, dum
nidus perpensius fovent, assiduo accubitu plumas exuunt.
Sed et pullis non minus eximia pietas exstat erga matres :
nam quantum temporis matres impenderint foetibus
educandis, tanto tempore et ipsae a pullis aluntur. Unde
et pia avis dicitur."

Translated in English, it runs as follows : —

In the year of our Lord, fourteen hundred and sixteen,
there died, on the morrow of the birth of Saint John the
Baptist, Master James Biset, Prior of Saint Andrews. In
this same year a pair of storks came to Scotland, and nested
on the top of the church of S. Giles of Edinburgh, and dwelt
there throughout a season of the year ; but to what place
they flew away thereafter no one knows. So very great is
their solicitude for their young, that as Pliny tells, while
they are tending their nest most closely, with constant
sitting they wear off their feathers. But not less extra-
ordinary parental duty is evinced by the chicks to their
mothers ; for at such time as the mother birds are burdened
with the rearing of their progeny, the old ones are even
fed by their young. Whence it is called "pia avis" — the
dutiful bird.

The learned Abbot's quotation from Pliny clearly
indicates that he was interested in bird-life, and also that
he had some knowledge of the literature relating to
that subject.

The church of St Giles on which the Storks nested was
a new stone edifice commenced in 1387 to replace a former
church destroyed by fire in 1385, and some of it doubtless
forms part of the Cathedral of to-day.

THE LATE CAPTAIN SYDNEY E. BROCK 27

The Late Captain SYDNEY E. BROCK.

Bv the death of Capt. Sydney E. Brock, lOth Batt. Royal
Scots, another Scottish naturalist has fallen in the war for
right and freedom. Wounded on the field of battle at
Courtrai, France, on i6th October last, Capt, Brock was
brought to Aberdeen where he died at a military hospital,
as the direct result of his wounds, on nth November, the
very day on which hostilities ceased. Strange that he who
wrote the simple, heartfelt tribute to the memory of his
friend, J. C. Adam, which appeared in the October number
of this magazine, should so soon have shared his fate.

Sydney Edward Brock, who came of an old line of West
Lothian farmers, was born at Overton, near Kirkliston, in
that county, on 6th October 1883, and about fifteen years
ago succeeded his father as tenant of the farm. Educated
at Kirkliston and Edinburgh, his school-days too were mainly
spent in the same surroundings. Thus Linlithgowshire was
the chief field of his observations, and there is reason to
believe that he had the preparation of a "F'auna" of the
county in his mind.

Capt. Brock was a naturalist in the best sense of the
word : from his boyhood he loved Nature for its own sake,
and the main pleasure of his life was derived from its
investigation. In his studies he brought to bear a happy
blend of originality and that sense of proportion so essential
for the avoidance of the not uncommon tendency to push
ideas to extremes. Except in a very limited way, he was
not a collector of specimens : what appealed to him was
the living creature — its habits and all that these signify.
Bird-life was his chief study; but with his broad outlook he
could not fail to be interested in other branches of natural
history, and already he had acquired considerable knowledge
of our native Aculeata and Hemiptera.

For a number of years prior to the outbreak of the war
S. E. Brock was a regular contributor to the pages of this

38 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

magazine, his first two communications being notes on the
" Tree-Sparrow in West Lothian," printed in the 1906 volume
of the Annrr/s of Scottish Natural History. In all nineteen
notes and papers have appeared under his name. The
most important are: — "The 'Display' of the Goosander"
{Scot. Nat., 191 -); "The Tufted- Duck {Fnligula cristata) in
the Nesting Season " {ibid.) ; " Notes on a Carrion-Crow
Roost" (Jlu'd., 1913); "Display of the Mallard in Relation to
Pairing" {ibid., 1914). And, as showing his interest in other
groups, his notes on " Insect Visitors to Funiaria officinalis,
L." {Ajin. Scot. A^at. Hist., 1910), and "Linlithgowshire
Heteroptera" (Scot. iVat., 1912) may also be mentioned.
To the Zoologist for 19 10, and British Birds for 19 14, he
contributed respectively the two following papers, perhaps
his most important productions, viz. : — " The Willow-Wrens
of a Lothian Wood," and " Ecological Relations of Bird-
Distribution." While on active service in France he made
notes on the birds that came under his observation, and has
left in MS. a paper on the "Bird-life of Peronne District,"
in which the subject is considered from the ecological point
of view.

From Capt. Brock Scottish natural history had every
reason to expect in the near future much important work,
especially in the development of the ecological problems
which had begun to engage his attention, and his early
death is undoubtedly a very real loss to the cause. Quiet
and unobtrusive, if not actually shy, he was, it should be
said, less widely known among naturalists than his ability'
and devotion to his hobby merited ; while his capacity for
true friendship could only be appreciated by those who had
come to know him intimately. W. E,

Common Guillemot inland in Southern Scotland. — On

5th October 19 18, a very stormy day here, my son found a Common
Guillemot in the farmyard of Weston Dunsyre (near Carstairs
Junction). We kept the bird for eleven days, when it died. We
think the occurrence of a Guillemot so far inland may be worth
recording. — Williaim Wilson, Dunsjre.

NOTES 29

Late Nesting of Wood-pigeon. — Though it is well known
that the \\'ood-pigeon frequently nests as late as October, it may
be of interest to put on record that young were found in the nest
on 13th October. From the middle of September I paid frequent
visits to two small fir plantations near Darvel to ascertain if many
Wood-pigeons nested late in our locality. During my visit on
22nd September I located no fewer than eight nests— five of them
with two young each, two with two eggs each, and one with one egg.
All the eggs were quite fresh.

I also flushed a bird off another nest which contained nothing.
The last visit I was able to make was on 13th October when three
nests containing two, two and one young respectively, were noted. —
NicoL Hopkins, Darvel.

Bird Notes from Lauderdale. — An example of the Great
Northern Diver was captured after some difficulty by two young
men on Earnscleugh Water, a tributary of the Leader. It was
forwarded to Edinburgh and identified by Mr Eagle Clarke, who
had the bird sent to the Zoological Park. At the time of its
capture (20th November) the weather was calm and frosty.

A pair of Pied Flycatchers nested last June by a small wooded
stream near Lauder. Notwithstanding the wide destruction of their
nesting-woods. Great Spotted Woodpeckers successfully reared their
young by the Leader this past summer.

Woodcock have increased largely as a nesting species in
Lauderdale within the past few years, and a number of nests were
found during the spring and summer in Thirlestane Castle Woods.
A Rough-legged Buzzard is frequenting the Lauderdale glens this
winter. Redwings and Fieldfares were later than usual in arriving,
but are now in great numbers. Bramblings again are rather scarce.

When at Longcroft, five miles up towards the hills, one of our
keenest and most intelligent bird observers, a young shepherd, told
me that for three weeks or more past he had seen a party of Gold-
finches, once as many as five, among the thistles and other seeds by
Longcroft Water. This is interesting in view of one or two other
Border records, and a suggestion that they may be increasing.
Near the same place some years ago I saw two feeding by the
roadside. — Wm. M'Conachie, Lauder.

Recovery of a Marked Gull. — Can any of the readers
of The Scottish Naturalist throw any light on the history of a
Gull that I picked up in my grounds at Harecraig, Broughty Ferry ?
It had been dead for some time, and on its leg I found a spiral
pink ring without any markings or name. — William Mackenzii;.

h:.

30 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Starlings and Sparrow-hawk. — On the 201I1 September,
while removing a binder from one field to another, a large flock
of Starlings, from 200 to 300, swooped over my head, landed
practically among my feet, and crept into two stooks of oats, then
a Sparrow-hawk swooped down among them just about fifteen yards
from me. I rushed round the stook, when he rose straight in the
air to a great height and disappeared baulked of his dinner. Then
the Starlings began to come out of the stooks in a steady flow for
about three minutes' duration, a most exciting three minutes for me.
— William Wilson.

Alosterna tabacicolor, De G., in Lanarkshire. This
longicorn is rare in Scotland, and it may therefore be of interest
to mention that a few specimens were taken near Lanark during
the summers of 191 7 and 191 8. This is the second recorded
station for the species in the county, as Mr King has already noted
the capture of a single specimen from the Gorge of Avon {Glasgoiv
Naturalist, i., 138). Records of the beetle from the Forth area
are given by Mr Evans in this magazine (1916, p. 308). My
captures were made upon the blossoms of Spircea and umbelliferous
plants. — A. Fkrgusson, Glasgow.

Liopus nebulosus, L., in Lanarkshire. — Liopus jiebulosus is
not at all a common beetle in Scotland, and even when found it
does not seem to occur in numbers like some other local species
of the Longicornia. In the Clyde area it has hitherto only been
recorded from one locality in Dumbarton and two localities in
Stirling {Trans. Glasgozv Nat. Hist. Soc, \in., N.S. 305; Glasgozv
Naturalist, i., 138), and the records from these counties are based
upon the capture of single specimens. I am glad to be able to
report it from Lanarkshire upon the capture of one example by
sweeping the herbage below some oak trees near Lanark in June
1 9 18. Although I beat the trees and swept under them again no
more specimens were seen. — A. Fergusson, Glasgow.

Rhagium mordax, De G. (inquisitor, Brit. Cat.), and
R. bifasciatum, L., in Clyde.— With reference to Mr Evans'
notes upon the occurrence of these longicorns in the Forth area
{Scottish Naturalist, 191 6, pp. 307, 308), it may be of interest
to detail their ascertained distribution in the Clyde area. As
elsewhere, R. bifasciatum is here our only common longicorn, and
I have it noted from the counties of Ayr, Lanark, Stirling, Main
Argyle, and Dumbarton, while it probably occurs in the remaining
counties within the area. i?. 7>iordax is a much scarcer insect.

CURRENT LITERATURE 31

although, in my experience, when it is found to be present in a
locality it usually occurs in fair numbers. In the list of Clyde
Coleoptera it was noted from Lanark, Main Argyle, and Cantire.
The Lanarkshire record was from Douglas, where Mr Evans found
many in rotten birch in November 1900, but unfortunately in the
list this record, through error, was credited to the Rev. J. E.
Sonierville. Since the publication of the Clyde list, I have found
the species in Ayrshire at West Kilbride, and in Arran, where it
occurred plentifully in the stumps of old birch trees near Machrie
Bay in September 19 14, thus giving the insect a status in Clyde
Isles. I may add that it has been taken in a second Lanarkshire
locality near Lanark on flowers of Spiraea in company with IL
bifasciatum. — A. Fergusson, Glasgow.

CURRENT LITERATURE.

Whales Stranded on British Coasts. — During the years
1913-1917 systematic reports were made by Receivers of Wrecks
and H.M. Coastguard, of all Cetacea known to have been stranded
on British coasts. These records have been analysed annually by
Dr S. F. Harnier, who now publishes a general summary of the
information gained during the five years in question. Of some
twenty species of cetaceans generally regarded as British, fifteen
have been recognised during these years, and of these the following
have been represented on the coast of Scotland — Lesser Rorqual,
Rudolphi's Rorqual or Sei Whale, Common Rorqual, Sperm Whale,
Bottle-nosed Whale, Sowerby's ^^■hale, Killer or Grampus (the
only specimen recorded was from the Solway Firth), White-beaked,
White-sided, and Common Dolphins, and the Common Porpoise.
A valuable fund of information is supplied by these statistics
collected by the British Museum {Froc. Zool. Soc, 1918, p. 147).

Birds in Shetland. — Mr Edmund Selous continues in the
October number of T/ie JVafura/tsfh\s "Ornithological Observations
and Reflections in Shetland."

Scottish Mollusca. — Records of land and freshwater mollusca
from the following Scottish counties are contained in W. Denison
Roebuck's "Census authentications" {/ourpi. Conch., May 1918) —
Wigtown, Stirling, Dumbarton, Argyll, Kincardine, South Aberdeen,
Banff, East Inverness, East Ross, Inner and Outer Hebrides. The

3a THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

most interesting of the many records are perhaps those of Helix
nemoralis from St Cyrus, which further defines the northern Hmit
of the species in Britain, and of Mi/ax sowerbyi from Argyll, the
most northerly record along the western side of Scotland.

Parasitic Beetles in Scottish Homoptera. — Mr F. Muir
records that amongst Delphacidse collected by him in Scotland by
sweeping over a small patch of grass, about thirty per cent, bore
Stylops parasites {E7it. Mo. Mag., vol. 54, 1918, p. 137).

Ant-dwelling Moth {Myrmecozella) at Rannoch. — In a
short account of that curious guest of the ants — Myrmecozella
ochraceella — Rev. J. W. Metcalfe describes the large numbers of
Ant-dwelling Moths in all stages of freshness found in a particular
ants' nest near Rannoch. The ant turned out to be a distinct
variety — Formica nifa var. alpina ; and the abundance of the moth
in this nest, contrasted with its scarcity in true rufa nests in the
district, leads the author to speculate that the rare variety may be
preferred as a host by the Ant-dwelling Moth {E?itom., October
1918, p. 222).

BOOK NOTICE.

An Ornithologist's Field Note Book. By Hugh S. Gladstone.
London: Bickers i!^ Son, Ltd., 1918. Price 2d.

Under the above title Captain Gladstone has prepared and published
a very neat little list (4I x 3 ins.) of the British birds which are either
breeding species in or regular visitors to our islands. Its main object
is to furnish, in a convenient form, a note book in which to enter for
future use, or for pleasure, the various birds observed on a visit to a new
locality or during a country walk. The list is printed in single column
and on one side of the paper only, in order to afford space for the
addition of any of the rare species, or for further information relating to
the others. It has also an educational value to beginners, since the
faunal status of each species is indicated. The nomenclature is that of
the British Ornithologists' Union's List. The list fulfils its object, and
supplies what has long been a want.

/

{Authors are responsible for nomenclaiure used).

^X

The Scottish Naturalist

Nos. 87 AND 88.] 1919 [March-April.

ANIMALS AND MAN.

The distinctive feature of scientific development in modern
times has been the tendency to decentralisation. Not only
have the great sciences become more independent and more
self-centred, but round each nucleus have clustered secondary
centres of development, which are constantly increasing in
number, and each of which tends to become more and more
independent of the parent science. Like other sciences, that
concerned with animal life has both benefited and suffered
from this phase of specialisation. It has benefited in having
been enabled to probe more intensively the manifestations
of life ; it has suffered in so far as each new development,
laying stress on its independence, has lost touch with the
wider knowledge of which it is a branch. Of the latter-day
developments of zoology, that which has most attracted
popular interest and attention is the phase of Economic
Zoology, which selects from the wider field of animal lore
only such facts as have some immediate bearing on the
welfare of man, and claims these for its province. It is well
to remember, however, that Economic Zoology is not and
cannot be a self-centred and self-sustaining science, inde-
pendent of the zoology of the schools; it is a mistake, as
Mr M. A. C. Hinton has pointed out, to suppose that there
are " two kinds of science — one called ' applied,' essential,
it extracts gold ; the other called ' pure,' quite unimportant,
87 AND Z*^ E

34 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

it extracts nothing but facts." The interest and value of
Economic Zoology lies in that it focusses attention upon
the facts of animal life which have been found to be
intimately connected with the progress of humanity.

In the desire to stimulate the new appreciation of the
value of the naturalist's labours and to spread the benefits
derived from them, the trustees of the British Museum are
issuing an " Economic Series " of pamphlets, in which various
aspects of the relationship of animals to man are discussed
by experts on the staff of the Natural History Museum.
In view of the great developments which have taken place
in recognising the links between the life-histories of certain
creatures and the health of their human neighbours, it is
not surprising to find that a large proportion of the
pamphlets deals with the relationship between insects and
disease. In this connection the characteristic features, life-
histories, and habits of House-flies, Lice, Fleas, Mosquitoes,
and Bed-bugs are described in separate pamphlets (price
id. each), their influence and importance as disease-carriers
are discussed, and the best available advice is given
for their destruction and control. The practical value of
these popular memoirs can be readily imagined when it is
recollected that House-flies 'are to some extent responsible
for the spread of cholera and typhoid fever, dysentery and
infantile diarrhoea ; that Lice act as carriers of typhus,
relapsing fever, and trench fever ; that Fleas are responsible
for the transmission of bubonic plague, which between 1896
and 191 1 accounted for upwards of 7,000,000 deaths in India
alone ; that, without the agency of Mosquitoes, malaria,
once common in Britain, and a present-day scourge of
Southern Europe, as well as the yellow fever of South and
Central America, would disappear ; and that the Bed-bug,
apart from its own disagreeableness, is thought to share
in the guilt of spreading relapsing fever and many other
diseases.

The responsibility of animals in the prevalence of
disease among men is, however, by no means confined to
insects, and a pamphlet by Mr S. Hirst (No. 6, price 6d.)
deals with the economic importance of Scorpions, Spiders,

ANIMALS AND MAN 35

Mites, Ticks, and Centipedes. Not only do some of these
transfer to man the organisms causing diseases, such as
African relapsing fever, the river fever of Japan, and
probably the Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but others
create distempers on their own account : itch, caused by
the burrowing of the itch-mite in the skin, is by no means
a rare complaint in this country, and many must have
suffered in hot summer fields from the attentions of the
tiny scarlet " harvest-bug." Furthermore, many are parasitic
upon and harmful to domestic animals, including horses,
cattle, sheep, and poultry.

Of the larger disease-carriers none more deserves
attention than the Rat, which shares in the spread of
plague, trichinosis, rat-bite fever, dysentery, foot-and-mouth
disease, and influenza among horses. Mr Martin Hinton,
in a valuable booklet on Rats and Mice as Enemies of
Mankind (No. 8, price is.), shows that the account against
the Rat and its relatives does not end here, but that the
monetary loss caused yearly by their damage of food and
property demands a united effort to exterminate the pests.
He suggests various measures for the city and for the
country, whereby the ravages of Rats may be checked and
a welcome reduction made in their overbearing numbers.

One of the series is an interesting variant from the
records of the more familiar types of relationship between
animals and man, namely, Dr R. Kirkpatrick's The Biology
of Waterworks (price is.). Here the unwelcome visitors
introduced to unsuspecting householders by way of water-
pipes pass under review ; an account is given of the well-
known assemblages of fresh-water plants and animals (and
they include eels and sticklebacks) which have been found
inhabiting the water-systems of towns in Britain or the
Continent, as well as of the part played by lesser organisms
in the purifying action of modern sand-filters.

This "Economic Series" is an admirable expression of
an excellent idea. To the naturalist, it affords interesting
and dependable summaries of information ; it ought to
convince the ignorant and the doubter that the study of
natural history is neither a fad nor an interesting (but

36 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

useless) accomplishment — that, on the other hand, upon the
thoroughness of our knowledge of animal life not only
depends the health of man, but that, besides, a fair proportion
of his wealth, represented by the health of his stock and of
his crops and by the preservation of his stores and property,
lies in the keeping of the science of nature-study.

James Ritchie.

Albino Otter. — On i6th February 1 9 1 9 my keeper, Mr Charles
Aitken, trapped a bitch Otter in a young plantation here ; two days
later in the same wood he caught a young one alive. He heard it
calling, and traced it to a patch of bracken where he captured it.
On 19th February he was on the shore below the wood and saw
something of a light colour moving among the rocks. He got to
within about fifteen yards of it before it took any notice of him, then
it heard his feet on the shingle, looked up and ran towards him, and
he was able to catch it. It turned out to be a young Otter about
the size of the first, i.e., about 18 inches long, but it has pink eyes
and is the colour of a yellow white ferret, or perhaps I should say
its colour resembles a light sandy cairn terrier. At present both are
feeding and doing well. I don't know whether this is common or
not, but I have not heard of one before. — John H. P. Leschallas,
Glenfinart, Ardentinny.

A Creche of House-mice. — We have just heard of a curious
occurrence in the economy of House-mice (Mus musculus). A
rick of wheat was being thrashed out in February 191 9, and in it
was discovered a regular creche of House-mice. In a space among
the straw, about 7 ins. in diameter, were no fewer than sixty-one
young mice, a good many just a day or two old, and others slightly
larger, all huddled together in this small space — probably for the
sake of warmth.

It would be interesting to know whether other readers of the
Scottish Naturalist have had parallel experiences. — Evelyn V.
Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul.

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTLSII WHALING STATIONS 37

ON WHALES LANDED AT THE SCOTTISH
WHALING STATIONS, ESPECIALLY DURING
THE YEARS 1908-1914— Part VII. The Sei-whale.

By D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson.
{Concluded from " The Scottish Naturalists^ igig, page i6.)

VII. The Sei-whale {Balcenoptera borealis, Lesson;
BalcBna rostrata, Rudolphi).

The Sei-whale {i.e. the Saithe-whale), or Rudolphi's
Rorqual, is distinguished from the Common Rorqual or
" Finner " by a number of characters — by its smaller size,
its shorter flippers, its narrow plates of baleen, its much
higher and more falcate dorsal fin. Naturalists were long
of recognising it ; and our exact knowledge of the species
only dates from Collett's well-known paper of 1886, in which
the first-fruits were given us of the results of the modern
Norwegian whale-fishery. The two species are perfectly
well known to the whale-fishers ; they differ considerably
in their commercial value, and (for one thing) the baleen of
the Sei-whald" is very much the more valuable, and commands
several times the price of that of the Finner in the Paris
market.^

The Sei-whale is a " plankton-whale," living chiefly on
Calanus and other forms of " kril," but not upon herrings.
The difference in diet, however, between it and the Finner
is not so complete and sharp as it has often been said to be ;
for, as we have already seen, the Finner's diet of fish is not
his only one, and perhaps not his chief one.

During the seven years with which we are mainly dealing,
1 291 Sei-whales were landed at our Scottish stations, of which
number 714 were males — that is to say, 55-3 per cent. An
excess of males seems to be the general rule, at least in
our waters, and in some years the excess is considerable.

The following is a complete list of our captures from
year to year and from month to month : —

^ Cf. Haldane, A7W. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1906, p 136 ; 1907, p. 13.

38

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

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WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS 39

The Sei-whale has but a short season on our coasts (^/
Fig. 8). Very few indeed are captured in April and again
very few in September, during both of which months the
Finners are fairly plentiful. There is a well-marked and
high maximum in June, when (as we have already seen) the
Nordcaper and the Bottlenose have also, apparently, their
maxima. In Finmark, according to Hjort, the Sei-whale
comes at the same time as the Blue-whale, namely from
June to September ; but Cocks speaks of it as coming early
in June and departing early in August.

Harmer {Brit. Mus. Report, No. 5, 191 8) tells us that
a specimen was stranded on the Scilly Islands, on 13th
October 191 7, that is to say immediately after the season
during which the species frequents our fishing-grounds.

We may illustrate the marked difference in season between
the Sei and the Finner by the following table, which shows
the relative numbers of the two species captured from month
to month : —

April. May. June. July. August. Sept. October.
Sei-whales . 6 188 698 313 76 9 i

Finners . . 180 404 472 644 583 123 4

No. of Sei per

100 Finners . 4 47 148 49 13 7

The catch of Sei-whales varies very greatly from year to
year — very much more than does the catch of Finners.
Amplifying part of our former table by including Mr R. C.
Haldane's data for the years 1904- 1907, and again comparing
(as we have just done for the months) the yearly numbers of
Sei and of Finners, we have the following results : —

1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910. 1911. 1912. 1913. 1914.
Sei . . 9 34 326 151 232 224 190 130 108 159 248
Finner . . 400 450 320 305* 379 432 381 344 282 259 322

No. of Sei per

100 Finners 2 8 102 (50) 61 52 50 38 37 61 77
^ Not including the large catch at Olna station.

The catch was extremely small in 1904, and again small
in 1905 ; indeed in the former year Sei-whales were practically
absent from our whaling-grounds. All of a sudden, in 1906
there was a very great influx, and the catch of that year
remains the largest on record. This was also the year of

40

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

our largest catch of Blue-whales, and there appears to be a
considerable amount of correlation between the two species
in regard to their local abundance, but this correlation is not
so close as that which I have already pointed out between
the Blue-whale and the Nordcaper. As to the Sei-whale,
Hjort, Guldberg, and Cocks tell us that in the north of
Norway, from the North Cape to the Murman coast, only
six Sei were taken in 1884, but the extraordinary number

Fig. 14.— The Scottish Catoh of Sei-whales during April and Maj' (i9o8-l9r4).

of 659 were got in 1885. Mr Cocks' figures for the Finmark
coast are slightly different, but to the same effect: —

Finner.

Sei.

No. of Sei per
100 Finuers.

1885

473

771

163

1886

608

62

10

1887

301

113

37

We can only wish that we had a longer series of these
Norwegian statistics, for all that Guldberg (1904) tells us
besides is that after 1885 the Sei were met with on the same
coast in some vears but were never seen in others. However,

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS 41

the record of 1885 is important in itself, and seems to indicate
a phenomenal immigration of precisely the same kind as that
which occurred in our Scottish waters just eleven years later.
From our Charts (Figs. 14-17) we see that, while the
general distribution of the Sei- and Finner-whales upon our
north-western coasts is much the same, there are yet certain
remarkable seasonal differences. In the early part of the
season (Figs. 9, 14), the areas occupied by the two species
are very much the same. In June (Fig. 15) we have

Fig. 15. — The Scottish Catch of Sei-whales during June (1908-1914).

numerous captures of Sei-whales in the neighbourhood of
St Kilda and southward thereof, while in the case of the
Finner our Chart (Fig. 10) was blank or nearly so in these
regions. In July (Fig. 16) there are still a number of Sei-
whales south of St Kilda, about half-way to Ireland, while on
the corresponding Chart of the Finners none are seen so far
to the south. On the other hand, during the later months
(Figs. 12, 17), that is to say in August and September, when
the Finners are abundant around and to the westward of
St Kilda, the Sei have almost completely disappeared from
%'] AND 88 ' F

42

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Fig. i6.— The Scottish Catch of Sei-whales during July (1908-1914).

F[r>. 17. — The Scottish Catch of Sei-whales during August, September,
und October (1908-1914).

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS

43

this portion of the Chart, and what captures are made are
mostly to the northward of the Shetlands.

The following table gives the recorded lengths of all our
Sei-whales : —

Recorded Lengths {in feet) of all Sei-iv hales captured at
Scottish J Vhali)ig-stations, 1 908 - 1 9 1 4.

Feot.

Males.

Females.

Feet.

Males.

Females.

Feet.

Males.

Females

26

• • •

39

13

14

52

5

15

27

I

I

40

78

65

53

3

14

28

...

41

40

36

54

3

8

29

I

...

42

73

29

55

4

6

30

3

43

47

29

56

4

3

31

...

2

44

68

28

57

I

32

I

I

45

lOI

70

58

2

33

4

4

46

60

41

59

I

...

34

4

5

47

47

33

60

3

35

6

12

48

56

49

61

...

36

6

9

49

17

23

62

I

...

37

12

8

50

27

44

63

...

38

18

14

51

3

10

64

I

(Also one female, recorded as measuring 72 feet.)

Summarising this table in our usual way, by determining
the median, the two quartiles, and the first and last deciles,
and at the same time giving these values for the catches of
the several months, we have as follows : —

Epitome of Sizes
landed at

{median, qnartile, etc.) of Sei-ivhales
Scottish Stations., 1 908-1914,

E.

D,.

Qi-

M.

Q:>

D,,.

E.

Males — April

(43)

(43-5)

...

(44)

May

34

40

42

44

46

48

64

June

36

39

41

44

47

49

62

July .

27

39

41

44

46

49

60

August .

29

37

40

45

46

49

50

September

37

...

44

...

50

Females — April

33

...

..*

45

May

31

37

40

44

48

49

53

June

28

39

41

45

49

50

58

July .

33

40

41

45

48

51

(72?)

August .

33

38

44

45

48

50

54

7"t)/,?/— Males .

27

40

41

44

46i

49

64

Females

28

39

41

45

48

51

61 (72)

The median size, then, is found to be 44 feet for the
males, and 45 feet for the females ; the arithmetic means

44 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

are, respectively, 44-1 and 447 feet. The females are thus
but a trifle the larger {cf. Fig. 13). There is, however, a
notable difference in some parts of the scale, and especially
between 50 and 55 feet, where the females markedly pre-
dominate ; in the still larger sizes this predominance is not
maintained so far as our present data go. This we see in
the following short table : —

Number.

Percentage of Total

Males.

Females.

Males. Females.

Sei-whales of 45 feet and over

341

320

48 56

11 of 50 ,, „

58

104

8 18

» of 55 „ „

17

13

2.4 2-3

,, of 60 ,, ,,

5

2

•7 -3

One female is recorded as measuring 72 feet in length,
the next largest being only 61 feet. The former is said
to have, been caught fifty miles north-west of St Kilda, in
July 1911 ; but 72 feet is so exceptional, or rather so un-
precedented, a length for a Sei-whale that one cannot help
suspecting a possible mistake in the record. The largest
Sei-whales recorded by Mr Haldane during the years 1904-
1907 were 59 feet for a male, and 57 feet for a female. We
must note, however, in regard to our alleged 72-feet specimen,
that several other Sei-whales are recorded from the same
locality and the same month, nearly all of them being very
much over the average size. Their lengths are recorded as
follows: — Males, 58, 60, 60 feet; females, 43, 48, 50, 56, 61,
72 feet. We are hardly entitled to reject the last of these,
unless we are prepared at the same time to cast doubt on
the measurements or the identification of the whole batch.
The size of Rudolphi's whale has been generally understated.
For instance, we are told in the British Museum " Guide to
the Whales, Porpoises, etc. " (1909) that it "never exceeds
50 feet in length," and Mr Southwell says it " seldom exceeds
48 feet."

The largest that I can find in Mr Haldane's notes are
a male of 56 feet and a female of 57 feet, both caught in
1906; but of Sei-whales of 50 feet and over he has a fair
number.

It is noteworthy that in the case of the Sei-whale, the
ratio of girth to length is practically identical with what we

WHALES LANDED AT SCOTTISH WHALING STATIONS

45

have found in the case of the Finner ; only that in this
case there is no difference to be discovered between the
male and female fish. The median ratio is about 38-5 per
cent, for males and 38-2 per cent, for females, giving, for
a 45-feet fish, a girth of 17-3 feet in the male and 17-2
feet in the female — in other words, a wholly insignificant and
negligible difference. There is here, as in the case of the
Finner, a perceptible tendency for the girth to increase
in a greater ratio than the length. On the other hand, there
is much less sign, and probably no real evidence, of a
tendency for the girth to increase from month to month
during the fishing season.

Ratio of Lejigik to Girt/i in the Sei-ivhale
{median and qnartile values).

MALES.

FEMALES.

Quartile.

Median.

Quartile.

Quartile.

Median.

Quartile.

May .
June.
July .
i August
September

L. G.

42 14

41 154

39 14

40 14

L. G.
4t 16
44 17i

44 17

45 16
44 18^

L. G.

46 18

47 194
49 20
46 18

L. G.

40 14

41 16

41 16

42 16

L. G.
43 16
45 17
45 17
45 172

L. G.

48 19

49 19

48 19

49 19

Per

centage Ra

tios of Girt

1 to Length

.

May .
June.
July . .
August
September

33-3

37-S

1 35-9

35-0

36-4
39-8
38-6

35-6
42-0

39-1

41-5
40-8

39-1

35 -o
39-0
39-0
38-1

37-2
38-4
38-4
38-9

39-6
38-8

39-6
38-8

Year .

35-5

38-5

40-1

37-8

38-2

39-2

The corresponding values for the several years are very
irregular. In some years the relative girth is apparently
much less than in others ; but there is no close correspond-
ence in this respect between the males and the females, and
this is enough in itself to throw doubt on the value or
trustworthiness of our results. Thus the smallest average

46 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

girths, or the leanest whales, appear to have occurred in 1910
in the case of the males, and in 1911 in the case of the
females. I have given a good deal of time to the problem,
but I cannot draw a clear and intelligible story out of it ;
and I see no such prospect of useful results as to lead me to
carry it further.

A Summary of the Seasonal Abundance of the several Species.

It might perhaps be useful, but it would take too much
space, to bring together in tabular form our chief results for
all the several species of whales. I will rest content with a
single small table, showing the differences between the
species in regard to their season of abundance — that is to
say, the percentage proportion of the whole catch obtained
during the several calendar months : —

April.

May.

June.

July.

August.

Sept.

October.

Total.

Blue-whale

. . .

12-8

27-5

28.4

29-4

1-8

99.9

Sperm-whale

2.4

19.0

21.4

57-1

...

99.9

Humpback

...

3-2

6.4

48-4

35-5

6.4

...

99.9

Finner .

7-5

i6-8

19-6

26-7

24.2-

5-1

•2

lOO-I

Sei-whale

■5

14-6

54-1

24-2

5-9

•7

•I

lOO'I

Nordcaper

...

4-5

65-7

28.4

1-5

...

lOO-I

Bottlenose

15-0

lO-O

500

I5-0

lO-O

...

...

lOO-O

Bibliographical Notes.

The following are a few more papers, in addition to those already
cited : —

1. Andrews, R. C. — "Monographs of the Pacific Cetacea, II. The

Sei-whale," Mem. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. (N.S.), I., Pt. vi., 2,
289, 1916.

2. Cocks, A. H.— "The Finwhale Fishery off the North European

Coasts" (1884-88), Zoologist (3), ix., pp. 134-143 5 x., pp. 121-136 ;
xi., pp. 207-222 ; xii., pp. 201-208 ; xiii., pp. 281-290, 1885-1889.

3. COLLETT, R.— " On the External Characters of Rudolphi's Rorqual,"

Proc. Zool. Soc, 1886, 243-265.

4. GULDBERG, G. A. — " On the Existence of a Fourth Species of the

G&nns Balcenoptera" J. Anat. and Pliysiol.., xix., 1885.

5. RUDOLPHI, K. A. — "Einige anatomische Bemerkungen vHo&x Balana

rostrata^' Abh. Berlin. Akad., 1822, p. 27.

6. Southwell, T.— " On the Whale-fishery from Scotland, with some

account of the Changes in that Industry, and of the Species
Hunted," Ann. Scot. Nat Hist., 1904, pp. 77-9°-

THE GOLDEN EAGLE IN GALLOWAV 47

THE GOLDEN EAGLE IN GALLOWAY.

By Sir HERBERT MAXWELL, Bart.

The following note about the Merrick, 2750 feet, the highest
hill in the Scottish Lowlands, occurs in the topographical
MSS. of Walter Macfarlane (died 1767), preserved in the
Advocates' Library : —

" In the remote parts of this great mountain are very large
Red deer, and about the top thereof that fine bird called the
Mountain Partridge, or, by the commonalty, the Tarmachan, about
the size of a Red cock [grouse], and in flesh much of the same
nature; feeds, as that bird doth, on the seeds of the bullrush
[an error], and makes its protection in the chinks and hollow
places of thick stones from the insults of the eagles, which are
in plenty, both the large gray and the black, about that mountain."

A month or two ago I must have written of all these
animals as being extinct in this fine wild district. The last
Red Stag in the Forest of Buchan was shot, it is said,
by the minister of Kirkinner about the year 1747, fifty
years or so before MacOueen of Pall-a-chrocain killed the
last Wolf on the Monadhlialh among the headwaters of
the Findhorn.^ A shepherd in Glen Trool told me long
ago that the Ptarmigan disappeared from the Southern
Uplands in "the year o' the short corn" — 1827 (or was
it 1828?), and the efforts of the Duke of Bedford to
re-establish this species have not proved successful so far.

The Golden Eagle last reared its brood in this district
in 1835, and the Erne or White-tailed Eagle in 1866.
In 1905 a pair of Golden Eagles returned to Cairnsmore
and built an eyrie, but failed to hatch the solitary egg
that was laid therein. One at least of this pair was shot
near Kirkcudbright in the following winter. I have not
since heard of a Golden Eagle being seen hereabouts

' Lays of the Deer Forest, hy John .Sobieski and Charles Edward
Stuart, vol. ii., pp. 244-247.

48 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

until I received the following note from Mr Charles Stark,
a competent observer in Glen Trool : —

"On 2nd December [1918] I was looking at some rabbit snares
in Buchan, and, happening to look up, I saw what I thought was
a buzzard. I went on, when, to my surprise, a golden eagle
swooped down and took a rabbit from a snare about ten yards
from me, leaving only the head in the snare. This morning
[4th December] a similar occurrence took place, only this time
from a trap instead of a snare. The trap pin had got loose in the
ground, which was soaked with heavy rain, and the bird carried
off the trap with the rabbit. On the first occasion the eagle
took his prey to a precipice on Glenhead Farm, overlooking the
Gairland Burn ; but this morning he went off in the direction
of the Dungeon, so far as I could see in the blinding rain.
Shortly after coming here on 4th March last I saw an eagle
on two occasions. A shepherd on the farm of Palgown informed
me that a pair of eagles used to frequent that part of the Merrick
known as the Lum o' the Gutter, and always came and went
by Loch Doon."

Shepherds and game preservers may view with scant
favour the return of these formidable birds of raven to
our Galloway Hills ; but for the artist and the field naturalist
a soaring eagle is the one feature necessary to make perfect
the savage grandeur of Glen Trool.

Benyellary, the peak adjoining the Merrick and its
rival in height, bears in modern spelling the ancient Gaelic
name beinn iolaire — the eagle's hill. It stands on the
border of the Forest of Buchan, treeless now, of yore the
hunting-ground of the Comyns, Earls of Buchan, wherein
survive several names commemorative of the chase, such
as Shalloch o' Minnoch, which gives the sound of the
Gaelic sealg, hunting-ground, and Mulwharker = maol adhairce
(pron. " aharky "), bare hill of the hunting-horn.

Bank Voles in Clyde. — As I have only seen the Bank
Vole recorded from four or five places in the Clyde faunal area,
it may be worth recording that I obtained several here in February
1919. — James Bartholomew, Glenorchard, near Glasgow.

THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE IN FORTH 49

THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE IN FORTH.

By William Evans, F.R.S.E,, M.B.O.U.

It is now thirty-four years ago (June 1885) since, to my
surprise, I observed a pair of Great Crested Grebes on Loch
Gelly, Fife, under circumstances which left little doubt in
my mind that they were breeding there (see Ann. Scot. Nat.
Hist., 1894, p. 181). My surmise was borne out by their return
in subsequent years, the appearance of a brood in 1896, and
nestbuilding witnessed in 1898 by Mr R. Godfrey. On the
same page of the Annals as mine there is a note by
Mr Harry Gumming stating that he had received eggs taken
in Stirlingshire in April 1890, the locality being, I under-
stand, Carron Dam. Then we have Mr Oswin Lee's account
of a nest with eggs at Lake of Menteith, south-west Perth-
shire, in the end of April 1896 {Ajznah, 1897, p. 161). In
the same locality another nest with two fresh eggs was
found by myself on 21st May 1896, and I have seen others
in more recent years when several pairs have frequented
this sheet of water. I have a jotting to the effect that a
Great Crested Grebe was observed on Lake of Menteith in
1887, but cannot trace the origin of the note.

In the course of the last twenty years one locality after
another has revealed the presence of the species in the
breeding season, and in several of them eggs have been
obtained or young seen. On i8th August 1906 there were
two pairs with broods of four and two respectively on
Camilla Loch, near Auchtertool, Fife, the young birds being,
so far as I could judge, scarcely half-grown. Such late
broods can only be accounted for by the loss of earlier ones.
At Loch Leven, where in July 1906 I had no less than
fourteen birds (mostly in pairs) in sight at the same time,
six nests were found on 5th July 1908 by Mr H. Raeburn,
who brought me an egg from one of them ; while on 14th
June 1 9 10 I saw two nests there. Loch Lubnaig, too, has
for some years been known to me as a breeding haunt ; in
191 2 a nest with eggs was found there as I was informed at
the time by Mr G. Blackwood. Coming to Midlothian, I
^y AND 88 G

50 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

have seen eggs from two localities, namely Cobbinshaw
Reservoir in 1907 (three nests), and reservoir near Balerno
in 1916. In both localities I had noticed single birds before
these years. A pair also nested, I believe, on Gladhouse
Reservoir in 1911, but in this instance I have no positive
evidence to adduce ; while in the neighbouring Portmore
Loch, Peeblesshire, I saw a pair in April 191 2 {cf. the vol. of
this Magazine for the latter year, p. 186). In the summer of
1916 Misses Baxter and Rintoul observed two pairs and
their young on Kilconquhar Loch in the east of Fife i^Scot. Nat.,
1916, p. 264). Birds in full nuptial dress have been seen on
a number of other lochs in the area, e.g., Ballo Reservoir,
Lomonds, April 1904, and two lochs near Doune ; but I
have no evidence of nesting at any of them, though that is
not always to be accounted for by the absence of reeds or
other sheltering vegetation — there is the angler, a by no
means imaginary foe, to be reckoned with. Looking to
all the circumstances I am inclined to doubt if there are
as many now nesting in the area as was the case ten to
fifteen years ago.

As a winter visitor to the Firth of Forth the Great
Crested Grebe has, of course, long been on record ; and there
is scarcely an inland piece of water of any extent on which
it has not at one time or another been known to occur
during the non-breeding season. Were it necessary I could
give many instances, drawn from every county falling within
the boundaries of " Forth."

Waxwing on Deeside and Goosanders on the Deveron.

— I was up Deeside on the 24th December 1918, and when passing
the entrance to Cairntoun it may be of interest to state that I saw a
Waxwing feeding on the hips about five yards away from me. I
could see the wax on the wing, and when it flew, the wax on the
tail. I have taken the greatest interest in birds all my life, and this
is the first time I have seen one outside.

The day before I was on the Deveron, at Duff House, walking up
the river. I saw no end of Goosanders and Golden-eye. If something
is not done to reduce the number of Goosanders our salmon will
all disappear. — P. D. Malloch, Perth.

WOODCOCK AND THE SAFETY OF THEIR YOUNG 51,

WOODCOCK AND THE SAFETY OF ft; ^ " "^

THEIR YOUNG. " "^ ' ,

By William Evans, F.R.S.E., M.B.O.U. X^ ^ _^

In this magazine for the months of October and December
last, Sir Herbert Maxwell and Mr Abel Chapman record
instances which had recently come under their observation
of Woodcock carrying their young. While the subject is
one the discussion of which I have no intention of entering
upon — we are all familiar with it as a periodical topic of
correspondence in the newspapers — the occasion seems
opportune for a statement of my own experiences in
connection with the matter. To avoid misunderstanding, let
me say at the outset that I am not criticising the above-
mentioned records, but merely narrating what I have myself
seen. That Woodcock occasionally lift and bear away their
young when danger threatens them I do not dispute, but I
feel sure " feigning " is a far more common habit, and the
occasion of much misapprehension.

Setting aside some early and now rather hazy incidents,
I shall confine myself to observations made in recent years,
and regarding which the note-book can be consulted in order
to refresh the memory.

On 22nd April 191 1 I was passing through a wood on
Saltoun Estate, East Lothian, when a Woodcock suddenly
got up within two or three yards of me. She rose on my left,
and as if to attract attention to herself, flew off in front of
me, gradually crossing to my right. Her flight, which was
only a few feet above the ground, seemed very laboured, and
her whole aspect suggested that she was carrying something
underneath her body. Her tail was spread out and deflexed,
while immediately in front of it she had a distinctly bulky
appearance. Her bill was pointing downwards, but not to
the extent of being perpendicular, and I thought I could see
her toes. When she had proceeded about thirty yards she
dropped to the ground, still, however, continuing to flap her

52 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

wings, and began moving her legs in an agitated manner.
This lasted for only four or five seconds, when she rose, and
in the same laboured fashion flew on another thirty or so
yards, again dropping to the ground and repeating the same
manoeuvres. On rising this time she flew off in ordinary
Woodcock style, and was soon out of sight among the trees.
I had glasses with me, but there was no time to get them
into use, and in any case I could not risk taking my eyes
off the bird even for a second. Immediately she had
disappeared I hastened to the spots where she had alighted,
taking the farther one first, to ascertain if a young bird had
been dropped, but no trace of one could be found. Returning
to the place where she originally got up, I soon discovered a
few-days-old youngster squatting on the ground. The thought
at once occurred to me that perhaps its mother would return
and bear it away if I were out of sight. I therefore con-
cealed myself beneath a shelter of fir branches from which a
not too distant watch could be kept on the place ; but again,
though I remained in hiding for over half an hour, I had no
success.

The impression conveyed to my mind by this bird's
appearance and actions was such that at the time I felt sure
she must be carrying a young one. But when I came to
think the matter over, I realised that there was no proof;
I could not say that I had seen the young one, though
appearances suggested its presence. Perhaps this was only
one of those cases in which the observer is deceived by the
parent bird's "antics" (a "ruse" some would call it) to draw
off his attention from her chicks. Naturally one would have
welcomed an early opportunity of testing the point, but none
presented itself that year.

In the beginning of May 191 2 (a visit to Saltoun in April
had been unproductive), and again in May 191 3, I visited
the Tyninghame woods, also in East Lothian, and under the
guidance of Mr Thomson, the headkeeper, succeeded in
finding four Woodcocks with broods. What happened in
each instance is told below. A further case on 2nd May
1914 presented no new features.

On 4th May 191 2 Thomson took me to investigate two

WOODCOCK AND THE SAFETY OF THEIR YOUNG 53

Woodcocks' nests which had been discovered about a fort-
night before. The first nest visited contained an addled
egg and the remains of others that had hatched. Not far
from it a Woodcock, probably the parent bird, got up, but
not near enough, nor in a sufficiently clear space, for us to
observe her actions distinctly, and in the circumstances a
search for the young seemed hardly worth while. Proceeding
to the second nest we found the eggs (it was known there
were four) had all hatched, and in the expectation that the
bird and her family would still be in the neighbourhood a
search for them was instituted. Before we had gone far, a
Woodcock rose on our right within about three yards of our
feet, and flew diagonally across our path in the same
laboured fashion, and repeating the same manoeuvres, as I
had witnessed at Saltoun the previous spring. The feet
seemed, however, to be drooping more. On the spot from
which the bird rose, four chicks, apparently not more than
three or four days old, were found sitting together. If, as
seems highly probable, this was the brood from the nest
we had just inspected, then the mother had not carried away
a young one, for as above stated the nest was known to
contain only the usual set of four eggs. And even if she
were a different bird, the chance that she had a brood of five
is very remote.

In 191 3 I had another day at Tyninghame in search of
young Woodcock on loth May. Seven nests were seen.
On four of them the birds were still sitting, while the other
three contained the remains of hatched eggs (in one of them
there was also an addled egg). Two broods were all we
could discover. One consisted of four well-grown youngsters,
which fluttered off, one after another, immediately the old
bird got up. While the young birds fled away from us, the
old one, going in the opposite direction, passed nearly over
our heads and alighted for a few seconds a short distance
behind me. When on the ground she flopped about in a
very agitated manner, clearly an expression of anxiety for
the safety of her brood. That no young one was carried in
this instance I am quite certain. With regard to the other
brood, nothing of a definite nature could be made out.

54 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Owing to the thick cover we only got a glimpse of the old
bird as she rose, and two youngsters, which shortly after-
wards crept away from under the bushes, were apparently
left to take care of themselves.

The fact that I had now seen two Woodcocks that had
left the full complement of four young behind act nevertheless
in the same way as the Saltoun bird, convinced me that she
too was merely endeavouring to draw me away from her
little ones. When young are carried it is probably a much
more deliberate act, not to be expected of a bird suddenly
flushed from her brood.

In his " Rough Notes " Booth gives a most interesting
account of his observations when endeavouring to ascertain
how the juvenile is carried, which is well worthy of perusal.
The following quotation will suffice to show that he not only
failed to discover how the young were carried, but even to
make certain that they were carried at all : —

" In the wooded ravine on the hill of Tarlogie, near Tain, a
woodcock (as far as I was able to judge) was twice seen in the act
of conveying its young. The following extracts from my notes of
June i86g may afford some explanation as to the difficulty of
ascertaining accurately the manner in which the young one is
carried, or (as some observers are inclined to believe) whether the
whole idea does not arise from misapprehension caused by the
excited actions of the bird while endeavouring to draw the attention
of intruders from the brood."

For recent evidence that the young are occasionally
carried, reference should be made to the Irish Naturalist
of 1899 and 191 3, and Mr Sword's paper read to the Stirling
Natural History Society in 191 2.

Whooper Swans at Duddingston Locli. — On the forenoon
of 19th January 1919 a flock of thirteen wild swans — Cygiius niusicus
— calling loudly, came up from the Firth to the loch ; they flew low
down over the water, but as it was ice-bound they rose again and
made for the sea : they were all adult birds. This is the first time
I have seen the Whooper at the loch. —William Sekle, M.B.O.U.

THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF DIPTERA 55

THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION^^ I B R A .• Y '

DIPTERA. V'^V -^^-^

By Percy H. Grimshaw, F.R.S.E., F.E.S. \C ilT^ vS>7

The approach of a new collecting season, which promises
to the entomologist something like a return to pre-war
conditions, has suggested to the writer the desirability of
penning a short series of hints on the capture and preservation
of Diptera — if only to show with what facility a good collec-
tion of these interesting insects can be acquired, and how
extremely simple are the methods of preparing for the
cabinet as compared with those employed for beetles, bugs,
or butterflies. Although, of course, a collection of Diptera
can never vie with one of Lepidoptera in beauty of general
appearance, yet it can fairly be claimed that when the two-
winged insects are examined under the lens the more popular
group must yield in the matter of interest and variety.
The very simplicity, too, of the operations by which flies
are rendered available for examination may be used as an
argument in favour of their study, for the time occupied
in relaxing, setting, carding, and the like, so desirable (if
not necessary) in the case of other insects is entirely saved
in the case of Diptera, and specimens are ready for examina-
tion and identification in the majority of cases after the
simple expedient of pinning. Another factor which tells
in their favour is that flies of some sort or other may be
found anywhere and everywhere, practically all the year
round, and at any time of day, while, as a rule, their capture
is a comparatively simple process. Moreover, since they
are very susceptible ,to the fumes of the cyanide bottle, they
die quickly without damaging themselves, and it is not
difficult, therefore, to acquire a series of specimens in excellent
condition.

Since flies are ubiquitous it is unlikely that the collector
will fail in the acquisition of useful material, provided he
choose a suitable day and a good localit}' for work. Consider-

56 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

ing the seasons first, it may be pointed out that specimens
may be obtained on sunny days from January onwards, but
that naturally as the spring and summer advance the number
of species to be had increases, reaching the climax about
the end of June. July and August are both good collecting
months, but later than this the species as well as the
individuals fall off gradually in numbers, although certain
kinds may be obtained as long as there is favourable weather.
The most suitable time for collecting is the forenoon of
a calm, sunny day, especially after rain, while, since the
habits of flies in general are so various, the kind of locality
to be worked naturally depends largely upon the particular
group or groups desired. For example, the Hover-flies
or Syrphidse, which are the most attractive to the beginner,
are habitual frequenters of flowers, especially those of
composite and umbelliferous plants. A large patch of
flowering-heads of such plants as Cow-Parsnip {Heradeuni),
Angelica, Rag- wort, and the like is sure to yield a plentiful
supply of specimens, not only of Syrphidae but also of
Muscidae, Tachinidae, Anthomyiidae, and Empidae. When
such a favourable mass of bloom is met with, and the sun
is shining brightly, it is best to remain there for an hour
or two, capturing the flies as they settle on the flowers.
Such a method of collecting — waiting for the flies to
appear — is not only an easier but often a much more profit-
able one, than the covering of miles of ground by toilsome
tramping.

In the spring primroses, marsh marigolds, and sallows
are fruitful sources of interesting species, such as the
members of the genus Chilosia, while later on even buttercups,
daisies, and dandelions afford an astonishing variety of
Diptera, and should not be despised. As it is next to
impossible to identify at sight the numerous species of
Anthomyiidae, etc., which haunt wayside flowers, it is a
wise plan to capture the flies wholesale without any attempt
at discrimination, leaving the task of discarding undesirable
specimens until the time for pinning arrives. Only then
does one really discover the value of a day's captures, and
what appears in the field to be an ordinary black proletarian

THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF DIPTEKA 57

may often turn out on examination to be a specimen of
considerable interest.

A great wealth of species may often be obtained by the
simple expedient oi siveeping a mass of luxuriant weeds, such
as those which clothe the banks of a roadside ditch, or the
undergrowth of a damp wood. In such habitats one finds
an astonishing variety of Acalyptrate Muscidae, Empidae,
Dolichopodidae, and various families of Nematocera (Crane-
flies, Gnats, Midges, etc.). A sunny glade in a wood, or even
a small opening in the trees which allows a gleam of direct
sunlight to penetrate and illuminate the foliage of low shrubs
or large weeds, is always worthy of attention, for many flies
(e.g., Syrphus, Lucilia, and many genera of Anthomyiidae)
are very fond of sunning themselves on leaves warmed and
illuminated in this way, while if such a fly is disturbed it will
return again and again to precisely the same leaf. Hence if
it is missed by the first stroke of the net let the collector
wait a few moments and the fly will return and offer a
second, third, or even many chances.

Certain Syrphidse {Eristalis, Volucella, Syrphus) may be
seen (and heard !) hovering in the air high above one's head
and apparently stationary. To approach by careful stalking
and capture one of these handsome insects by a rapid and
skilful stroke of the net, under a hot sun and in the dangerous
vicinity of strong, trailing bramble-shoots, whose recurved
prickles are waiting to rend to shreds the delicate gauze of
the net if carelessly allowed within their sphere of action,
offers a degree of sport and excitement which may hardly be
credited by those who have not tried the experiment. If the
fly be missed, and it is missed more often than not, it darts
away to a considerable distance like a stroke of lightning,
returning again after a second or two to the same spot to
tempt once more the panting and perspiring pursuer.

A change of scene may be recommended after sufficient
sport (and let us hope, a fair spoil) has been obtained in this
way, and a cooler spot may now be chosen. The neighbour-
hood of water offers to the collector many chances of
acquiring a variety of interesting species. The low vegeta-
tion of a marsh may be swept with good results in the way
87 AND 88 II

58 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

of Cordyluridae, Ephydridas, Limnobiidae, and DoHchopodidae,
while the foliage of the trees overhanging the margins of a
pond or stream often harbours a number of Empidae,
Simuliidre, and other groups. The hour of sunset is par
excellence the time for the appearance of the tiny but
interesting and beautiful midges of the family Chironomidae,
Large swarms, each as a rule made up of a single species,
may be commonly seen disporting over a damp spot on
the margin of a ditch or stream on a calm, clear afternoon
when the sun is disappearing, and in a few minutes more
specimens can be obtained than it is possible to pin and
preserve — to say nothing of the task of identification.
Lastly, Dung-flies {Scatophaga, Borborus^ etc.), Carrion- and
Flesh-flies {SarcopJiaga and its relatives), and Fungus-gnats
(Mycetophilidae) are to be sought for in the habitats
suggested by their names, while obviously Gad-flies, Bot-flies
and other parasitic forms are seldom met with except in the
vicinity of their hosts.

Apparatus Required.

The outfit of a collector of Diptera is comparatively
simple and inexpensive. The first item to be considered is
the net. The material of which the bag is made should be
much softer and finer meshed than those usually employed
by the lepidopterist, should be either green or white, while in
shape it should taper backwards from its mouth almost to
a point. The writer uses a soft green silk gauze, but some
collectors prefer a white material for the sake of greater
facility in detecting the minuter specimens. The ring should
be of strong wire (about one-eighth of an inch in diameter)
and nickel-silver may be strongly recommended as not liable
to rust, while the ring should by means of loops or rivets be
divided into four segments so that when not in use it can,
without removing the bag, be folded up and carried in a bag
or even in the pocket. The stick to which it is screwed
should not be longer than 2 feet, and must be light but
strong, preferably of bamboo. A spare bag should invariably
accompany the collector, in case of accident to the first one.
The butterfly-nets (small model) supplied by De}'rolle & Co.,

THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF DIPTERA S9

of Paris, are admirably suited in every way (material, ring,
and stick) for the collection of Diptera.

Either one or two killing-bottles (preferably the latter)
must be taken into the field, and these should have a wide
mouth and be made of good strong glass. They should be
about 3 inches in total height, and the bottoms should be
charged to a depth of a half to three-quarters of an inch with
a mixture of plaster of Paris and cyanide of potassium. It is
advisable to put the preparation of such a bottle in the hands
of a chemist — it is safer and the cost is trifling. Ether and
chloroform are sometimes used, but as these are extremely
volatile it is necessary to charge the bottles several times
during the course of the day, the liquid being dropped upon
a piece of cotton-wool or upon small pieces of blotting-paper
which may be carried in any ordinary wide-mouthed bottle.
This is a troublesome process in the field, and although
specimens killed with ether are usually in beautiful condition,
the carrying of a supply of the fluid for replenishing purposes
is somewhat of a nuisance, while its presence is constantly
felt through its penetrating (and to some people sickly)
odour. A decided objection to the use of chloroform lies in
the fact that flies killed by this medium usually expire in
distorted and unnatural positions, with a very undesirable
stiffening of the legs and other appendages. It is a great
advantage to carry two killing-bottles and to use them
alternately, for when the collector is kept busy such a plan
ensures a longer closure of each bottle before it is reopened,
thus making death certain and avoiding the escape of speci-
mens. A number of circular glass-topped boxes should be
carried in the pocket or collecting-bag, and it is convenient to
have these of the same diameter as the mouths of the killing-
bottles, thus facilitating the safe transference of the specimens
(especially if there is any wind), which operation should be
performed periodically, say every half-hour or so. A
third killing-bottle may even be carried for the reception
of solitary specimens of more than ordinary interest,
and from this extra bottle each specimen should be trans-
ferred, as soon as dead, to a separate box. This plan
should be followed whenever it is desired to isolate any

6o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

particular specimen for the purpose of recording any
observations which may have been made regarding habits
or other points of interest, which records should be jotted
down, at the time, in a note-book. The boxes should be
numbered in ink on the bottom previous to starting from
home, a plan which will prevent mistakes being made in the
field, where the collector has usually plenty of other work to
do. So long as the observation recorded in the book bears
the number of the box containing the fly concerned, the
sequence of the numbers used is of no consequence whatever.
For Crane-flies (Tipulidae) which, if mixed with other flies in
the killing-bottles invariably lose most of their legs, it is
desirable to provide a number of well-made chip boxes, with
firmly fitting lids, putting each specimen alive and direct front
the net into a separate box, and immediately afterwards
marking the outside of the lid with a pencil to indicate that
the box contains a specimen and must not be opened again
until home is reached. These Crane-flies can then all be
killed and pinned at the same time, and the loss of limbs
reduced to a minimum.

It will thus be seen that the whole outfit for a day's
collecting of Diptera comprises only the following : a folding
net, with bag, ring, and stick complete, a spare bag, two
(perhaps three) small cyanide bottles, a couple of dozen glass-
topped boxes, and a like number of chip boxes. The whole
of this apparatus can be stowed away in a jacket well
provided with pockets, and if a good lens and a pair of fine
forceps (with points protected by a cork) be added the
collector may set out with little encumbrance and much
confidence. A canvas bag of a suitable size for holding
everything (lunch included !) may be slung over the back,
but if this can be dispensed with so much the better.

Before leaving this section of our subject let it once more
be emphasised that little discrimination need or should be
used in the gathering of specimens. It is an easy matter to
discard, when pinning, common species or duplicates, and if
everything that comes into the net be bottled, killed, and
boxed, many species will reward the collector which otherwise
he might never come across. It is also desirable to urge

THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF DIPTERA 6i

upon our readers the desirability of enlisting more workers
into the ranks of Dipterology. More students are urgently
needed, for there are many problems to be solved, many of
which will have, sooner or later, a direct bearing upon
agricultural and medical questions of the highest importance
to man himself. The first step is to collect, preserve, and
study as many species as possible, so as to gain a good
grounding in the general characteristics of the Order, after
which some group may be taken up in greater detail and
studied in all its bearings. There is work enough for all,
and the sooner we have an army of specialists in this
exceptionally interesting order of insects the better we shall
be able to tackle the many economic problems which still --•
await solution.

{To be continued.)

Sparrow-hawk and Wood-pigeons. — The Sparrow-hawks
in this part of Berwickshire have increased in numbers during the
last few years, owing to the usual toll not having been exacted
from the nesting pairs, and the evidence of their depredations is
frequently manifested to any one taking a walk in the neighbourhood
of their haunts. Some weeks ago, on the margin of a plantation,
I came suddenly upon a female Sparrow-hawk dining off a Wood-
pigeon, and on searching around I found the remains of three or
four others that had evidently fallen victims to the same depredator.
Since then I have examined the remains of about a dozen other
pigeons, all of which seemingly had met their fate through the
same agency. The head and neck of the victims are always picked
quite clean, and sometimes very little flesh is left on the breast.
In other cases the breast is untouched, while all the meat is eaten
from the back. If the killing is all done by one bird it must have
an extensive hunting range, as the localities where the remains were
found are in each case several miles apart. The 'Wood-pigeon is
a large quarry for a Sparrow-hawk to tackle, and it is unusual to
find one systematically preying on them as this one appears to be
doing. — T. G. Laidlaw, Duns.

62 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

An Old Reference to the Hebridean Thrush ( Turdus ph.
hcbndensis). — When Mr W. Eagle Clarke first described this local
race in the Scottish Naturalist, 1913, pp. 53-55, he was careful to
point out that the difference in plumage between it and the ordinary
British race had already been noticed and quotes Robert Gray's
reference in 1871. It may be of interest to point out that as far
back as 1830, a Scottish correspondent writing under the initials
"W. L." (Selkirkshire), in London's Ma^^azine of Natural History,
vol. iii., pp. 237-238, on the " Habits of the Thrush," says in a foot-
note on p. 238: "Being once on the western shore of Harris in
the month of June, I was greatly surprised to hear the song of the
Thrush resounding on all sides from the heathy and rocky banks
of the sea ; but I have always suspected it to be another species,
darker and less." In vol. vi. (1833), pp. 218-219, the same writer
makes some observations " On the Migration of a Species of
Thrush." He seems to have been under the impression that the
Hebridean Thrush was only a summer migrant to its breeding
haunts, and that enormous numbers met with on the Yarrow in
April, resting and feeding four years previously, belonged to the same
small dark form. He also somewhat weakens his case by the
supposed identification of a pair on the Braid Hills, Edinburgh,
apparently nesting, and suggests that they had fallen behind on
migration to the Hebrides. He states that every year some of these
dark birds are seen resting and feeding on migration in spring, but
never in such numbers as in 1829. Edward Blyth ( J! c, p. 516)
suggested that the birds in question were Redwings, but "W. L."
in vol. vii., p. 144, distinctly states that this is not the case, but that
the birds were Thrushes, darker and less in size, which he is still
convinced belong to another species. Mr Eagle Clarke shows that
the birds are in reality quite up to the standard of the mainland
birds in size, but the darkness of the plumage would naturally give
the impression of reduced size, just as light colouring has the
opposite effect. The only discrepancy occurs in the note on the
migratory flocks, where W. L. states that in addition to the
characteristics mentioned, the birds were less conspicuously mottled
on the breast, while the Hebridean bird has very numerous black
ovate spots. Possibly some of your readers may be able to identify
the writer from his initials, for keen ornithological observers and
contributors to scientific journals were not very numerous in the
earlier thirties. It would also be of interest to ascertain whether
under stress of exceptional weather, this race ever occurs on the
mainland of Scotland. — F. C. R. Jourdain.

NOTES 63

The Goldfinch in East Renfrewshire. — Birdcatchers not-
withstanding, tlie Goldfinch maintains its position as a nesting
species in small numbers in East Renfrewshire. Two or three
seasons ago I frequently saw a pair of birds flying between the
open country and the gardens adjoining terrace houses within the
Glasgow boundary, where, I have reason to believe, they were
nesting. Last season (1918) there was a nest in a high hawthorn
hedge alongside a much frequented public road at Giffnock. The
nest, however, was not interfered with, and eventually I had the
satisfaction of seeing the young on the wing attended and fed by
their parents. On ist February of this year I saw a party of nine
birds frequenting birch-trees near Giffnock. They were busily
engaged in extracting nutriment of some sort from the birch
buds. — John Robertson, Glasgow.

Rare Diptera in Forfarshire. — On the 17th June 191 7 I saw
a large Asilid fly at rest on one of the paths in my garden here, and
from the bright colour of the legs knew it to be a species I had not
seen before. I hurried to the house for my net, but the fly had
gone. I looked for it every day, but did not see it until the 24th,
when I was fortunate enough to catch it on a low bush. It proved
to be a $ of Pamponerus germaniais, L., a fine and large insect,
and the only Paleearctic species of the genus. Verrall {Brit. Flies)
says it "appears to be dying out in England, as recent captures are
very few." Irvine moor seems to be the only recorded Scottish
locality. It has been taken with the Beetles Hoplia phila/if/u/s,
Phyllopertha horiicola, and aphodius sp., as prey.

I am glad to be able also to record Rhamphomyia culid?ia, Fin.,
from the garden, where I found a S on 31st May 1918. This is
at present known from a few localities only, and May is an early
date for it as it is an autumn species (cf. A/in. Scot. Nat. Hist.,
191 1, p. 83). I can also record a cJ of Cneniodon vitripomis, Mg.,
taken 27th June i9i«7, a species not hitherto reported from Scotland,
though I have a ? taken by Rev. James Waterston at Arniston in
July 1906. — A. E. J. Carter, Monifieth.

Sirex noctilio, P., in Forfarshire. — A fine 9 of this rare
Sawfly was found on 14th August 1918 in an outhouse in a friend's
garden here, in which a quantity of wood recently felled in the
district had been placed. The insect was alive when given to me,
and had, I should say, not long emerged from the wood. I think
there can be little doubt about its being a genuine native, as the
outhouse is several years old, and only the locally grown timber was
about the place. — A. E. J. Carter, Monifieth.

64 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Notaris (Erirhinus) sethiops, P., in Renfrewshire and
Stirlingshire. — Notaris (Ethiops was included in the Clyde list
of Coleoptera upon the authority of a note by Mr E. C. Rye in the
Entomologists' Annual for 1868 (p. 56), in which he stated that he
had found it among some beetles sent to him for names from
Paisley by Mr Morris Young. Although no definite locality was
mentioned, it is probable that Mr Young found the insect in
Renfrewshire, and I have been able to confirm its occurrence in
that county by the capture of a single specimen in flood refuse
upon the banks of a stream near Lochwinnoch in April 191 2.
Other two specimens were swept from some reeds in a marshy
spot at Rowardennan in Stirlingshire during July 191 5. The beetle
is considered scarce both in England and Scotland. — A. Fergusson,
Glasgow.

Octhebius lejolisi, Mills, et Rey., in Arran. — During
August last I found this interesting semi-marine beetle at Catacol
in Arran in its characteristic habitat, little brackish pools on the
rocks just above high-tide mark. The beetles were present in fair
numbers, and the larvse were also observed. In Scotland this
beetle seems to be entirely southern and western in its range,
so far as recorded, the other records being from Kirkcudbright,
Ayr, Main Argyle, Mid Ebudes, Westerness, and North Ebudes. —
A. Fergusson, Glasgow.

The Butterflies of the Island of Coll, Inner Hebrides. —

At a recent meeting of the Royal Physical Society, Edinburgh,
Mr Francis Cowan exhibited and made remarks upon a collection
of Butterflies formed by him during recent years in the Island of
Coll. The following species were shown or alluded to : — the Dark
Green Fritillary i^A. aglaia), very common ; Small Pearl-bordered
Fritillary {A. sele/ie), one only ; Small Tortoiseshell ( V. urticce),
very common ; Painted Lady ( V. cardui), captured and seen on
several occasions ; Meadow Brown {E. janira), quite common ;
Small Heath {C.pafnphilus), everywhere; Marsh Ringlet (C typho?/),
northern type quite common ; Grayling {S. semele), very common ;
Green Hairstreak {7\ riihi), not uncommon ; Common Blue
(Z. icariis), everywhere, and swarming in certain localities ; Green-
veined White {P. napi), not very common ; and Red Admiral
( V. ata/anta), only one specimen seen.

■'■■

{Authors are responsible for nomenclature used). ti£- h.

f

s

The Scottish Naturalist

Nos. 89 AND 90.] 1919 [May-June.

3n nDeinoriain.

WILLIAM DENISON ROEBUCK, M.Sc, F.L.S.

We greatly regret to record the death, in the sixty-ninth year
of his age, of William Denison Roebuck, which took place in
his native city of Leeds on the 15th of February. Mr
Roebuck was best known to our readers as the author of the
valuable series of papers which have appeared in this
magazine on the distribution of Mollusca in Scotland. The
scene, however, of his activities as a naturalist was the
county of York, where no man past or present has done so
much for the systematic investigation of Fauna and Flora of
that great county. In 1876 Mr Roebuck was appointed
honorary secretary of the newly formed Yorkshire Naturalists'
Union — a federation of over forty local societies with a total
membership of several thousands — an office which he held
for thirty years. During the whole of this period he was
indefatigable, and, thanks to his labours and his great powers
of organisation, the Union became the leading organisation
of its kind in Great Britain. His knowledge, too, of the
literature of British zoology was remarkably wide and of
great value to those engaged in systematic and field work.
In addition to being the author of numerous papers on
insects, shells, and mammals, he was a joint author of the
Yorkshire Vertebrata in 1881, and editor of The Naturalist
89 AND 90 I

66 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

from 1884 to 1902. Mr Roebuck was president of the
Yorkshire Naturalists' Union in 1903, and of the Lincolnshire
Naturalists' Union in 1909-10. Such is a very brief sketch
of a strenuous and remarkable life devoted to the service of
natural science in Yorkshire, and his loss will be long felt by
naturalists throughout the county and beyond.

Hebridean or Continental Song Thrush ? — ^We have been
much interested in reading Mr Jourdain's note on old references
to racial forms of the Song Thrush. May we venture to suggest
that W. L.'s " smaller and darker thrushes . . . seen resting and
feeding on migration in spring " on the Yarrow in April were birds
of the typical form Turdiis philonielits philoiiieliis, passing on their
way to their nesting places on the Continent. It is well known
that this form occurs in Scotland on its spring passage, and we
know from personal observation that the typical Song-thrush looks
smaller and darker when seen in the field than do our home-bred
birds. The fact that W. L. states that his birds were " less
conspicuously mottled on the breast," points to these migrants
being T. ph. philomelus, whereas the breast spots of the Hebridean
T. ph. hehridensis are noticeably larger and more numerous than
those of T. ph. clarkei. It is indeed a sign of keen observation on
the part of this Selkirkshire naturalist that he should have noticed
the difference in the field between such closely allied races before
they had been differentiated by our men of science. We, ourselves,
have frequently studied all three races in the field, and were struck
by the fact that while the typical form looks darker, smaller, and
slimmer than our T. ph. clarkei, the Hebridean sub-species, although
darker in colouring looks fully as large as, if not larger, than our
breeding birds on the Scottish mainland, and the very heavy
spotting on the breast is always very noticeable.

W. L. was William Laidlaw, born 19th November 1780. Captain
H. S. Gladstone, in his Birds of Du?/ifrit'sshire, writes of him as
follows : " The friend, factor and amanuensis of Sir Walter Scott ; "
an author of lyrics ; compiled under the direction of his patron part
of the Edinburgh Amiual Register dXttx 1817 ; an able and observant
field naturalist, who above his initials W. L. frequently contributed to
the Magazine nf Natural History — notably articles concerning eagles
at Loch Skene. He died at Marybank near Balnagowan on iSth
May 1845. — Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul and Evelyn V. Baxter.

ON THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE 67

ON THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE AS A
SCOTTISH BREEDING SPECIES.

By Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul.

One of the most interesting, though one of the most difficult,
branches of Ornithology is the study of the extension of
breeding range of certain birds, their centres of dispersal,
their routes of arrival, and the reasons for the spread of the
species. Within the last few decades Scottish ornithologists
have watched with interest the spread of various birds
through the country. Dr Harvie-Brown dealt ably with that
of the Starling, Tufted Duck, Fulmar, etc., but there still
remain several of which the increase seems to us sufficiently
interesting and important to be placed on record. In this
paper we propose to deal with the Great Crested Grebe
{Podiceps cristatus cristatus), which has now become fairly
plentiful as a breeding species in Central and Southern
Scotland. We shall give a chronological list of the breeding
places known to us, with the first date of colonisation as far
as we have been able to ascertain it, subsequently dealing
more fully with the records arranged under faunal areas and
counties. We are aware that this list must, of necessity, be
incomplete, and shall be very grateful to any readers who,
having knowledge of other nesting places of the Great
Crested Grebe in Scotland, would send us records of the
same. When dealing with the early records of the Great
Crested Grebe as a breeding species in Scotland, we are
confronted by considerable difficulties and some contradictory
statements. Fleming in his History of Brit. Ajtimals, p. 131
(1828), says: "It seems to be stationary even in Zetland."
In view of the scarcity of present-day records from Shetland,
where Buckley and Evans {Fauna of Shetland, p. 208) record
it as an occasional visitor only, while during all the years of
his work there Saxby saw the species but once {Birds of
Shetland, p. 272), it would seem probable that Fleming's
statement with regard to Zetland at any rate was based on

68 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

some misapprehension, possibly confusion with one of the
Divers. In 1833 Selby, in his British Birds, ii. p. 394, says :
"Breeds on a few of the northern Scottish lakes." In 1889
when Mr Robert Read recorded what he believed to be the first
instance of the Great Crested Grebe breeding in Scotland,
the Editor of the Zoologist (1889, p. 386) added the following
supplementary note : " Mr Harvie-Brown writes that he has
long considered the fact of the Great Crested Grebe nesting
in Scotland to be well established, and is himself acquainted
with Scottish localities where it breeds. He thinks Mr Read
quite right in withholding indication of the precise spot
wherein he found the nest above referred to, and although he
is not aware that this bird breeds anywhere in Sutherland or
Caithness, he is of opinion that the northern Scottish Lakes
of Selby include an area sufificiently explicit for the informa-
tion of naturalists, or at all events for publication." This
one would take to be a definite statement of fact ; but when
we come to refer to the series of Faiinal Areas of Scotland,
edited by Dr Harvie-Brown, we find no indication of any
breeding place of the Great Crested Grebe north of the Tay
Area. In the volume On the Fauna of the Tay Basin and
Strathmore, published in 1906, we find the following : " Selby
relates that ' the Great Crested Grebe breeds on a few of the
northern Scottish lochs,' but, unfortunately, he gives no
indication whatever of the county or locality otherwise."
Dr Harvie-Brown would appear by this to have changed
his views; possibly he found, on further investigation, that
the records on which he based his first statement were
unreliable, or in order to protect the birds from the depreda-
tions of the collector, he purposely made the information he
supplied very vague. We are of opinion that too much
reliance should not be placed on Selby's statement, although
there are one or two nesting places in Perthshire of which
we have not been able to find the first date of colonisation,
and it is just possible that there may have been an early
home of the species in this county ; this, however, should
certainly be described as Central rather than Northern
Scotland. Jardine, in 1843, records that he " never met with "
the Great Crested Grebe "on the border in summer, and

ON THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE 69

considered it to be a winter visitor to Scotland, and as that
in no great abundance." {Nat. Lib. B. Birds, part iv,, p. 202.)
The first time the Great Crested Grebe is recorded as breed-
ing in Scotland is in the Zoologist, 1889, p. 386, by Mr Robert
Read, who found a nest that year at i-larelaw Dam in Clyde.
Although this is the first published record, yet, as will be
seen below, there are several perfectly authentic instances of
earlier breeding on other lochs, which were not published
at the time, but of which we have been kindly informed by
correspondents. After this Great Crested Grebes were found
breeding in various localities, and we append a list of the
definite dated records we have been able to discover, dealing
more fully with these under faunal areas.

Chronological List of Scottish Breeding Places of the
Great Crested Grebe.

1877 (about). Loch o' the Lowes, Perthshire (Lieut. -Commander

J. G. Millais, (71 lift).
Between 1879 and 1881. Lindores, North Fife (Lieut.-Commander

J. G. Millais, in lift.).
1886 (about). Bishop Loch, Lanarkshire (John Robertson, in lift.).

1889. Harelaw Dam, Renfrewshire {Zoologist, 1889, p. 386).

1890. Carron Dam, Stirlingshire {A.S.N.H., 1894, p. 181).

1 89 1. Castle Loch, Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire {Birds of Dunifries-

shire, p. 459),
1896. Loch Gelly, South Fife {Scot. Nat., 19 19, p. 49).
1896. Lake of Menteith, S.W. Perthshire {A.S.N.H., 1897, p. 161).

1896. White Loch of Myrton, Wigtownshire {A.S.N. H., 1897

p. 19).

1897. Brother Loch, Renfrew (John Robertson, /// ////.).

1900. Loch Fithie, Forfar {Fauna of the Tay Basin and Strathmore,

P- 350-
1904 Snaigow, Perthshire {Tra?is. Perth Soc. of Natural Science,
1905, vol. iv. p. 84).

1904. Black Loch, Lindores, N. Fife {Fauna of the Tay Basin and

St?-athniore, p. 352).
1904. Mill Loch, Dumfriesshire {Birds of Dumfriesshire, pp 459

and 460).

1906. Camilla Loch, South Fife {Scot. Nat., 191 9, p. 49).

1906 (about). Woodend Loch, Lanark (John Robertson, in litt.).

1907. Cobbinshaw Reservoir, Midlothian {Scot. Nat., 1919, p. 50).

70 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

1 908. Loch, Roxburghshire {Birds of Northumberland and the Eastern

Borders, p. 684).
1908. Loch Leven, Kinross {Scot. Nat., 19 19, p- 49)-
1 910. Clearburn Loch, Selkirkshire (^^6*^ Nat., 1912, p. 186).

1 9 10. Loch Fitty, South Fife (Fred. S. Beveridge, in litt.).

191 1. Castle Loch, Mochrum, Wigtownshire {Report on Scot. Orn.,

1911, p. 10).
191 1 (about). Loch Ardinning, near Strathblane, Stirlingshire (John
Robertson, in litt.').

19 1 2. Kilbirnie Loch, Ayrshire {Glas. Nat., 1916, p. 24).

191 2. Loch Lubnaig, S.W. Perthshire {Scot. Nat., 1919, p. 49).

191 2. Redmyre Loch, Forfar (Henry Boase, in litt.).

19 1 2. Lundie Loch, Forfar (Henry Boase, in Htt.).

1912. Marlee Loch, Perthshire (Henry Boase, in litt.).

1 91 3. Loch in Elginshire {Scot. Nat., 1914, p. 46).

1913 or 1 9 14. Bardowie Loch, Stirlingshire (John Robertson, i/i litt.).

1914. The Hirsel Loch, Coldstream, Berwickshire {Scot. Nat., 1915,

p. 156).
Before 1915. Breeding several lochs in Renfrewshire {Scot. Nat.,

i9i5> P- 275)-
1 91 6. Reservoir near Balerno, Midlothian {Scot. N'at., 1919, p. 50).

1916. Kilconquhar Loch, South Fife {Scot. N'at., 1916, p. 264).

. Drummond Castle Loch, Perthshire. Date of colonisation

wanted.

. Dupplin Loch, Perthshire. Date of colonisation wanted.

Clyde.

This area is a favourite habitat of the Great Crested Grebe ; it
has been found breeding in every county within its borders, and
appears to be still on the increase.

Renfrewshire. — A nest was found by Mr Robert Read at Hare-
law Dam in 1889, and the bird continues to breed there regularly as
well as at the Brother Loch since 1897. Not more than two pairs
nest at each place in a season. Occasionally it has nested at Little
Loch, Long Loch, Walton Dam, and probably at Castle Semple Loch.

Lanarkshire. — The keeper on Lochwood estate, which borders
Bishop Loch, states that the Great Crested Grebe has nested regu-
larly on the loch since he came there about 18S6, but there has
been no increase in numbers, only a pair or two breeding each
season. This takes us back a few years earlier than the Harelaw
Dam record. At Woodend Loch, about a mile east of Bishop Loch,
Mr John Robertson saw a nest about 1906, and the bird probably
nests there most seasons.

ON THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE 71

Ayrshire. — A pair nested at Kilbirnie Loch in 191 2, and since
then a pair has frequented the loch each summer, but the place is
too accessible to the public for the Grebes to nest successfully.

Dumbartonshire. — It is reported to breed on at least one of the
reservoirs on the Kilpatrick Hills.

S.W. Stirlingshire. — Under date of 3rd March 1919, Mr James
Bartholomew of Glenorchard writes : " Mr J. A. Anderson, Bar-
dowie Castle, tells me that a pair nested at Bardowie Loch for the first
time in 1913 or 1914. Since then there have been two pairs nesting.
Mr T. Ripley Ker of Dougalston tells me that there was a pair of
Great Crested Grebes nested about eight years ago on Loch Ardin-
ning, near Strathblane, but they have not nested there since." It
also nests on Craigallian Loch and Carbeth Loch, near Strathblane.

For the above unpublished data we are indebted to Mr John
Robertson, who has taken much trouble to help us, and to whom we
are more than grateful.

Mr Charles Kirk, in 191 7, writes that Great Crested Grebes are
nesting at several places within six miles of Glasgow.

SOLWAY.

The Great Crested Grebe does not seem to be as widely dis-
tributed as a breeding species in Solway as would be expected. We
have records of only three colonies, which we give below : —

Dumfriesshire. — The only breeding records for the county hail
from the vicinity of Lochmaben, where Mr George Johnstone saw
a young bird with its parent on the Castle Loch in the summer of
1 89 1. The species has increased summer by summer since 1903 or
1904, until in 1910 it was comparatively numerous. In 1905 a
brood was successfully reared on the Mill Loch.

Wigtmvnshire. — In 1896 Great Crested Grebes bred for the first
time on the White Loch of Myrton. On the 7th of June 1894
Mr John Robertson saw an adult Great Crested Grebe sailing about
on the loch {in litt.), while Sir Herbert Maxwell writes {A.S.JV.N.,
1897, p. 19): "On the 7th November in the same year (1894)
I detected for the first time a solitary immature specimen of this
bird on the White Loch ; it remained till the great frost drove it
away, but it returned in spring and remained all the following
summer and mild winter of 1896, still alone. However, during my
absence in spring it must have secured a mate, for now there are
three or four young ones disporting themselves with their parents."
The only other Solway record is from the Castle Loch, Mochrum,
in 1911.

72 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Tweed.

This is another area in which the Great Crested Grebe does not
breed as commonly as one would expect, as far at least as we have
been able to ascertain.

Berivickshire. — In 19 14 a pair of Great Crested Grebes bred on
the loch at The Hirsel, Coldstream, and two young birds were
hatched. Lord Home writes : " I am afraid the young birds died,
but from what cause is not known ; the keeper picked up one dead.
It is curious that the Grebes never returned as the lake, being
surrounded with reeds, is an ideal place for them, and it is kept very
quiet for the sake of the different wild-fowl that frequent it.
Convalescent officers used to fish for pike sometimes, and it is
possible that the Grebes did not like the boat."

Roxburghshire. — On loth July 1908 a pair of Great Crested
Grebes with biggish young were seen on a loch in Roxburgh, and in
subsequent years the species returned and bred at the same place.

Selkirkshire. — On Clearburn Loch in this county a bird and
young were seen in June 1910; the next year "a moorland loch in
Selkirkshire" is recorded by Mr Abel Chapman {Brit. Birds., vi.,
p. 108) as having been colonised by this species, and he has kindly
informed us that these records refer to the same sheet of water.

Peeblesshire. — It is perhaps worth mentioning that the only
Peebles record of the Great Crested Grebe is that of a pair on
Portmore Loch on 14th April 1912. MrWm. Evans writes : "They
were swimming close together, and from their actions I should not
be surprised if they nested on the loch" {Scot. Nat., 191 2, p. 186).

Forth.

This area has been ably dealt with by Mr Wm. Evans in the
March-April number of The Scottish Naturalist, 1919. As will be
seen from the details given below. Great Crested Grebes are more
widely distributed in Forth than in either of the two areas last dealt
with, though Mr Evans is of opinion that fewer nest in Forth now
than was the case several years ago.

Midlothian. — In 1907 three nests were found on Cobbinshaw
Reservoir, and in 1916 one was found at a Reservoir near Balerno.
Mr Evans writes: "A pair also nested, I believe, on Gladhouse
Reservoir in 191 1, but in this instance I have no positive evidence
to adduce" {Scot. Nat., 1919, p. 50).

Stirlingshire. — Stirlingshire holds one of the early records of the
breeding of Great Crested Grebes in Scotland: in April 1890, eggs
were taken at Carron Dam in that county.

ON THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE 73

South-West Perth. — In April 1896 Mr Oswin A. J. Lee found a
nest and eggs at the Lake of Menteith ; Mr Evans found another nest
with two fresh eggs in May of that year, and has seen others there
in later years; while on 8th August 191 7 we saw at least two pairs
of adults and several young on the same sheet of water. A nest
with eggs was found on Loch Lubnaig in 1912 by Mr G. G. Black-
wood.

Kinross. — Curiously enough, the first record of the Great
Crested Grebe nesting on Loch Leven was not till 1908, though
we feel positive that the loch was colonised earlier than this. In
that year six nests were discovered on 5th July by Mr H. Raeburn,
and nests have subsequently been found there.

South Fife. — In 1896 a brood of Great Crested Grebes was reared
on Loch Gelly, the first time eggs or young had been seen there,
though as long ago as June 1885 Mr Evans saw a pair of these birds
on the loch under circumstances which left little doubt in his mind
that they were breeding there. The tenant at the adjoining farm
told him that he had seen the birds on the loch for the four previous
summers, which takes us back to 1881. On Camilla Loch, near
Auchtertool, two pairs with half-grown broods of four and two
respectively were seen on 18th August 1906. In 19 10 one with
two young was observed on Loch Fitty, while in 19 16 we observed
two pairs and their young on Kilconquhar Loch.

Tay.

This is another well-populated area and may be the original
home of the Great Crested Grebe in Scotland.

North Fife. — The earliest breeding record we have for Lindores
Loch is that kindly sent us by Lieut.-Commander J. G. Millais, who
found Great Crested Grebes and their young on the loch between
1879 and 1 88 1. Mr Corstorphan, who lived for many years (from
1S94) near the loch, knew the Grebes during all the time of his resi-
dence there. Mr Allan Briggs records having found a pair on 19th
May 1894, sailing about accompanied by two young ones, on a small
sheet of water in Fife {A.S.N.H.^ 1894, p. 181). Mr Briggs did not
mention the locality, but in an annotated copy of Dr Harvie-Brown's
Fauna of the Tay Basin and Strathmore, we learn that it was Lindores
Loch. We have known the Grebes ourselves there for a good
many years now, and have found their nests and eggs, and have seen
the young on many occasions. In 1904 a pair were found
nesting on a small weedy loch to the west of Lindores, called the
Black Loch.

89 AND 90 K

74 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Forfar. — In 1900 Mr James Davidson found Great Crested
Grebes nesting on Loch Fithie. Mr Henry Boase has kindly informed
us that, in 1912, he found the species breeding at Redmyre Loch
and Lundie Lochs. Referring to the former, he writes : " It was
in that year (191 2) that a nest of the Great Crested Grebe was
found, with four eggs, on the 4th of May, at Redmyre ; but it is
probable these eggs did not hatch. In the following year a nest
with five eggs was found on 24th May, and apparently these did
not hatch either. In 19 14, although this bird appeared as usual at
the loch, no nest could be found, nor were young seen later in the
season. In 19 15 none were seen at Redmyre at the usual time in
May. In 191 6 a nest with three eggs was located on 29th April,
and apparently these hatched out, as one young bird was seen with
an adult on ist July. A nest with three eggs was located at
Redmyre on 19th May 191 7, but no young were seen later in the
season. In 19 18 while the display of a pair was watched at
Redmyre on 15th April, nesting did not follow; both birds had
gone by 25th May. It has always surprised me that the Grebe
should so often have failed to bring up young at Redmyre, and
it strikes me that the explanation may be as follows. Judging by
what I have seen, the Great Crested Grebe seems to build in such
a position as will enable it to approach the nest under water. Now
Redmyre Loch is very exposed and has a well-marked fluctuation
of water-level. Consequently a nest, built in comparatively deep
water, may in a week or two be left high and dry, as indeed
happened in 191 7. This would most certainly cause the abandon-
ment of the nest, and it is worth remembering that in 19 16,
when the eggs were hatched, the spring and early summer were
abnormally wet."

Information is wanted from lochs east of Forfar.

Perth. — In Perthshire is the oldest known breeding place of the
Great Crested Grebe in Scotland. Lieut.-Commander J. G. Millais
writes as follows : " The first place I remember seeing them in
Perthshire, in the year 1877, was the Loch o' the Lowes, and they
and the Tufted Duck seem to have arrived and bred about this
date; very shortly afterwards I saw a pair on Dupplin Loch." In
1904 two nests were found at Snaigow near Murthly, and next
year a fresh locality was occupied near Dunkeld {Fauna of the
Tay Basin and Strathmore, p. 352); there is a breeding place on
Drummond Castle Loch, of which we have not been able to
discover the first date of colonisation ; and Mr Henry Boase
informs us that in 191 2 he found them breeding on Marlee
Loch.

ON THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE 75

Moray.

Elgin. — In 191 2 a pair of Great Crested Grebes arrived on a
loch in this county and remained during the summer months, but
neither nest nor young ones were seen. In May 191 3 a nest
containing one sucked egg was found; a second nest was made,
and the Grebes were seen in July swimming about with one young
one. This is the only definite record of the Great Crested Grebe
breeding north of the Grampians.

As far as we can ascertain, these are the only areas in which the
Great Crested Grebe is known to have nested ; in winter they leave
their breeding lochs and frequent the coastal estuaries and bays,
where they may be seen in ones and twos or in small parties, which,
as spring approaches, break up into pairs and betake themselves to
the fresh water. Before leaving the salt water a modified form of
their nuptial antics often takes place. They also visit, irregularly,
fresh-water lochs and rivers where they do not nest; even in the
breeding season birds, sometimes in full nuptial plumage, may be
found on lochs far from their breeding haunts. It may be of interest
very briefly to indicate its status in the other areas of Scotland.

Dee.

Saunders in his Manual, p. 717 (1899), says it probably breeds
on a loch in Aberdeenshire ; but Sim in his Fauna of Dee {published
1903) regards it as a rare visitor only to the area.

Argyll and Inner Hebrides.

An uncommon visitor to the area; two pairs in breeding plumage
were seen on a loch in Tiree, 22nd May 1900 {A.S.N.H., 1901,
P- 145)-

North-west Highlands and Skye.

A fine specimen, in full breeding plumage, was seen on Loch
Borrolan. W. Sutherland, on 7th May 1903, which left soon after;
two had been seen on the loch since the previous February
{A.S.N.ff., 1904, p. 127). We have been able to find no other
record for the area.

A rare visitor.

No record.

Sutherland.

Outer Hebrides.

76 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Orkney Islands.

A rare visitor.

A rare visitor.

Shetland.

As will be seen from the above evidence the headquarters
of the Great Crested Grebe in Scotland are the faunal
areas of Clyde, Forth, and Tay ; north and south of this the
species becomes much more sporadic in its distribution.
Whence these centres were colonised it is difficult to say, but
bearing in mind the localities and dates given above, it would
appear to us to have been by immigration from the east.
This would naturally follow the valleys of the Tay and
Forth, the former leading to the lochs in the neighbourhood
of Dunkeld, the latter through Fife and Stirlingshire to the
Clyde breeding places. The fact that the lochs along the
sea-board were not the first to be colonised does not militate
against this theory ; in the case of the Tufted Duck similar
facts were observed, and Dr Harvie-Brown in the Annals of
Scottish Natural History, 1896, p. 6, writes : " It is significant
to find that the lochs of Wigtownshire, or those nearer to the
coast-line, are not the first to have become populated by
breeding birds. Are the individuals arrested by the
more favourable localities visible to them, first on their
autumn N.E. to S.W. migration, or does the occupation
follow only upon their second or spring observations? i.e.,
are they arrested and induced to breed more by the
amenities of the place in spring than autumn ? We incline
to the former belief, and that they are ' brought up ' or
arrested in spring by the unsuitability of the areas beyond.
Once acclimatised, or once they have reared young, the wave
of dispersal, as it were, rolls back upon itself over the ' lines
of least resistance,' and localities formerly passed over
become occupied. This we consider is a well-founded belief,
built upon the facts we are able to bring forward not only
here but in other areas we shall treat of" A similar back-
wash would seem to have occurred in the Great Crested
Grebe.

Another factor in the distribution of the species is the

ON THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE 77

presence of suitable breeding haunts of the English " mere "
and "broad" type, the usually rocky margins of Scottish
lochs not affording suitable nesting sites. This explains, to
some extent at least, the sporadic nature of the birds'
distribution within the area occupied, though, even now,
there are apparently suitable breeding places unoccupied or
only very recently colonised.

We have frequently noticed that, before a new breeding
place is occupied, it will be haunted for a season or two by a
bird or pair of birds apparently prospecting, a habit by no
means confined to this species. As far as can be told from
field observation, these birds are often in full nuptial dress,
but we have seen them in what we take to be the plumage
of the birds of the previous year; it therefore seems probable
that the Great Crested Grebe does not breed till it is at least
two years old. When a loch has been fully colonised the
number of pairs seems to remain constant, and any surplus
birds appear to resort to neighbouring lochs which, if found
suitable, in due course become fresh breeding haunts.

The fact that the records of Great Crested Grebes breed-
ing in Scotland lie almost entirely after the Wild Bird
Protection Act of 1880, points to the benefit conferred upon
wild-fowl generally by that measure. Previous to this it is
fairly safe to assume that such a very conspicuous bird as a
Great Crested Grebe in full plumage, when appearing in a
new locality, had a poor chance of survival. It is hoped that
protection will be generally afforded them, and that this
beautiful species will continue to increase and to grace our
lochs with its stately presence.

Our most cordial thanks are due to all the correspondents
who have sent us information on the species under considera-
tion. We have received much kind help from : Mr John
Robertson, the Earl of Home, Dr Eagle Clarke, Mr F. S.
Beveridge, Lieut.-Commander J. G. Millais, and Mr Henry
Boase, to all of whom we are much indebted for kindly
interest and assistance.

78 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Little Ringed Plover in North Uist. — In a list of birds
of North Uist contributed by Lieut. F. S. Beveridge to the current
number of The Scottish Naturalist, I note (p. 19) the inclusion of
the Little Ringed Plover, ^gialitis curonica, Gm., with the following
remark, "A supposed example was recorded from Vallay in 1909."
There is no need to say "supposed." A specimen was obtained,
identified, and duly recorded in the year referred to.

In The Field of 20th February 1909 I wrote as follows: — "I
have lately received a note from Mr H. E. Beveridge of Kirchesters,
Kelso, N.B., informing me that in October last he shot in North
Uist a small Plover which he thought might be the Little Ringed
Plover, but could not tell how it was to be distinguished from the
larger and commoner species. As a very good pen-and-ink sketch
of the bird accompanied his letter, and was of the natural size, it
seemed likely that his identification of the species was correct ; but,
in order to remove all doubt, I sent him a description, laying stress
on the fact that if the bird were the Little Ringed Plover it would
have the shaft of the first primary white, and all the others dusky.
He replied that it entirely corresponded with my description ; so
that the occurrence of this species in North Uist may now be
definitely recorded."

I presume from the similarity of name that my informant is a
relative of the author of the list now referred to. Be that as it
may, I am glad to see that Lieut. F. S. Beveridge has not adopted
the modern changes of names which have been proposed for so
many of the species mentioned by him, but follows the long
established nomenclature employed in the standard text-books on
British birds. In one instance, however, he is mistaken, namely, in
the case of the Purple Sandpiper which he calls Triiiga striata,
Linn. It is true that this is the name adopted by Saunders,
following Dresser; but, as I pointed out nearly twenty years ago
{Handbook British Birds, 1901), the T?-inga striata of Linnaeus is
not a Triiiga at all but a Totanus, having a characteristically barred
tail and a white rump, and is evidently from Linnaeus' description
the Redshank. It has taken a good many years to convince people
of this, but as the authors of the last edition of " The Ibis List of
Birds" (191 5) have adopted this view (p. 390), it ought now to be
generally recognised. — J. E. Harting.

PERACARIDA iMYSlDACEA-) AND EUCARIDA iDECAPODA-) 79

NOTES ON SOME OF THE PERACARIDA {MYSI-
DACEA) AND EUCARIDA {DECAPODA) OF
ST ANDREWS, IN THE LIVING CONDITION.

By Prof. M'iNTOSH, F.R.S., &c., Gatty Marine Laboratory, St Andrews.

The following notes on the living Crustacea were made for
the most part in the early sixties of last century when work-
ing up the marine fauna of St Andrews, and they have been
verified on various occasions since that date. The region is
characterised by the presence of many edible Crabs and of
the Lobster, by the frequency of Lithodes nuria, Corystes
cassivelauniis, and Hyas coarctatus in the deeper water of the
Bay. Micnida is rare, only a single specimen having been
procured in deep water, and that since the publication of the
Marine Invertebrates and Fishes. GalatJiea squaniifera is
common between tide-marks — chiefly at the Castle rocks
As pointed out in the work just quoted, St Andrews forms a
bold contrast in its Peracarida and Eucarida — on the one
hand with the Zetlandic area, and on the other with the
Channel Islands, whilst it likewise differs from the Outer
Hebrides and the western shores. Each of these areas is
characterised by certain peculiar types which are absent
from St Andrews.

Mysidacea.

Mysis Jiexieosa, O. F. Miiller. — It is curious that Bell does not
mention this species from Scotland, yet it is by far the commonest
form. Some show a pretty pink tint on the two terminal segments
of the tail.

Afvsis vulgaris, J. V. Thompson. — The tail is rather ovato-
lanceolate than lanceolate, as Bell states. The peduncle of the
antennules has its widest part at the bifurcation, and the scale of the
antenna is only about two and a half times as long as the peduncle,
thus differing from Bell's description.

Mysis grijjitiisice, Bell. — ^These long, slender, pale forms have a
brownish dot behind the eye and a few similar specks along each
side of the abdominal segments, the pigment being symmetrically

8o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

arranged, viz., one spot well up on the outer division, two on the
next — a short proximal and a longer distal one which extends nearly
to the tip. The telson has a spot near the tip and a linear one at the
base. The eyes are yellowish in spirit (and in life?), best seen from
the ventral surface. A row of brownish specks runs up the centre
of the under surface of the abdomen, one to each segment.

Palxmo/i sqiiilla, L. — Those having eight spines on the upper
edge of the rostrum differed from Bell's description, w^hich is that the
"true and certain criterion being the fact that of the upper
teeth two are invariably placed on the median line of the carapace
posterior to the base of the rostrum, and the third immediately over
the margin of the ocular notch," whereas in the St Andrews
specimens three spines were behind and the fourth over the ocular
notch. In the notches between the spines are many hairs, and there
are tufts of hairs on the hands of the second pair of feet. It is
interesting that the pools frequented by this species are situated not
far from high-water mark beyond the Rock and Spindle. A few
large stones, or a submerged ledge, occur in them, and the sides are
coated with Fiicus serratus and green algje (not Ulvd). It
balances the antenna most gracefully in the water, and remains still
(except for the movement of the pleopods) as it watches an intruder,
ready, however, to dart wdth extreme rapidity under a ledge or stone,
where its mate probably lurks. With the exception of a stray
Carcinus, it is the most powerful of the crustaceans in the pool,
which may harbour a small Cotti/s, a few Mysid^ and Garamari,

Pandalus Montagui, Leach. — The large eyes have a peculiar
black dot on the inner (mesial) margin. The antenna have their
reddish bands broader than the white. It keeps moving these
cautiously in all directions, and frequently extends them at right
angles. The antennules are regularly feathered from a little below
the tip nearly to the base, and it jerks these backward and forward.
Like its allies it changes colour according to its surroundings. There
are four circles of coloured bands on the abdomen.

Hippolyte varians, Leach. — Green is not the common colour of
those from deep water or from the laminarian region at St Andrews.
Most are of a liver-brown tint, with four or five granular light spots
bordered with yellow along the carapace, though sometimes these
spots are scarcely visible, and the general brownish hue is of various
degrees of intensity. Many have a spot at the base of the telson,
and several of a yellowish hue over the abdominal segments. The
smaller specimens often have a pale yellow streak along the centre of
the back. In addition, others are yellowish brown, or bordered with

PERACARIDA (MVS/DACEA) AND EUCARIDA (^DECAPODA") 8i

a light magenta, or spotted with this colour on the dorsum, the
antenn?e being speckled and the eye-stalks red ; some, both large
and small, are green, or mauve striped with white, from the rostrum
half way backward, then merging into dots and disappearing, or
, green similarly striped on the back. A few are striped with grey and
translucent greenish bands alternately, with brown markings, the
anterior third of the tail translucent, the rest dark brown. No form
could better illustrate Nature's camouflage. They swim with great
rapidity, darting here and there and dexterously avoiding the forceps
hiding under the broad fronds of Lamhiaria saccharina, and even
leaping out of the water when closely pursued.

Spirontocaris pusiola, Kroyer. — In this, and others allied, the
lower terminal spine of the rostrum is longest. The telson has four
sets of small spines, but is not furnished with hairs at the tip. It has
two strong lateral bristles and some smaller central. Dr Howden of
Montrose, who found it in the Forth, may have included two small
spikes close to the long spines of the tail as making his five spines,
for it is doubtful if any have five spines in the telson. They are
spotted with reddish pink here and there, but this does not interfere
with their general light hue. The legs are banded across by the
same light magenta or reddish pink. Their motions in the water are
graceful, and they keep the elevated antennules in a continual
tremor, whilst the antennae are chiefly borne laterally.

Doryphorus gordoni, Bate. — The rostrum has six teeth above,
a large upper one at the tip and a smaller below, and it is not in-
curved at the base. In the second pair of feet the wrist has only
two joints and the hand is much enlarged. The telson has but three
pairs of minute spines, whilst the tip has four long spines, the two
outer lonsest.

'o"-

Nephrops norvegicus, L. — Bell states that its colour is generally
" pale flesh, rather darker in parts, the pubescence light brown " ; but
this chiefly applies to examples in spirit. The chelipods have their
upper surface of a bright scarlet, enlivened by the white points of
some of the tubercles, and the under surface has also much scarlet.
The dorsum of the abdomen and the walking legs have various shades
of red. The ovigerous females are generally small.

Homarus gamfiiarus, L. — The examples from St Andrews
usually have five teeth on each side of the rostrum, four being the
number mentioned by Bell, who notes the presence of two small
teeth at the base of the rostrum, but he omits them in Galathea.
The smallest example was one four inches long, tossed on shore by
89 AND 90 L

82 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

a storm, and it lived for months in the laboratory till the introduc-
tion of an adult, which soon crushed and devoured it. All the
fishermen state that if a lobster enters a crab-pot first no edible crab
will venture in, though other lobsters do.

Galathea squamifera, L.— An important specific distinction, not
pointed out by Bell, is the occurrence of two small, sharp spines at
the base of the rostrum, one on each side of the middle line, and
best marked in the males — both British and continental. These
are useful in separating it from G. dispersa, which has three on
each side of the middle line. Moreover, another feature not
mentioned by Bell is the presence of a prominent rounded tooth
on the dactylopodite, about a third of the length from the base.
The same author describes the limbs as covered with "small, scale-
like tubercles"- but it may be added that these are beautifully
arranged, gently rising from the level of the limb and ending in
what might be called a dentate edge, below which is a series of
hairs which form a fringe.

Galathea strigosa, L. — Besides the seven spines on the rostrum
mentioned by Bell, there is a small one at the base of these, and
two at the base of the rostrum, as in G. squamifera, but with two
or three others on each side, and they are set differently from
either of those of the form just mentioned in G. dispersa.

Galathea dispersa. Bate. — Amongst other features this species
is readily distinguished by a character not mentioned by Bell, viz.,
the presence of about three spines on each side of the middle line,
and set rather closely together.

Porcellana platycheles, Lamk. — Bell's figure shows the posterior
pair of feet too slender, for the basal segment is much thicker than
the terminal ; the antennce are also longer. He states that the
carapace in the young is covered with short hairs, but such are also
present in the adult. No mention is made of the antennules, which
have very mobile bases springing from a large notch at the anterior
and inner corner of the carapace. This basal segment is followed
by an arched portion with two strong teeth on its anterior edge.
Some short, strong hairs occur on the inner side of the basal
segment, whilst on the outer are branched pinnate hairs.

Lithodes maia, Leach. — The carapace is minutely reticulated
all over superficially. Its hairs are very strong, and the surface
is infested with Balani, Sepulids, Anomi^e, Tubulipara repeiis and
T. patina^ Celleponi, and roots of zoophytes.

PERACARIDA fJfVSWACEA) ANT) EUCARIDA {DECAPODA) 83

Pagiinis bernhardiis^ Leach. — When disturbed on a slope in a
rock-pool, this hermit crab rolls to the bottom and simulates an
inanimate shell. This species has ten branchiae along the side,
a single stunted one, like Carcinus vicenas, on the base of the
first pair of foot-jaws. The latter have no branchial whips, so that
the gills would appear to be cleaned only by the water which has
free access, or the flexible margin of the carapace exercises some
influence on them ; and they differ considerably from those of the
Brachyura. The mandible, maxillae, and maxillipedes lean to the
Macrourus type. The mandible has a hard and sharp cutting edge,
and the tip of the well-developed palp curves beneath it on each
side and aids in all the functions of the parts. The first maxilla
has its protopodite broad and flattened, the inner division of its
endopodite narrowed below, broad at the tip, whilst the outer
division is a slender process with an avian tip. The second maxilla
has its two divisions of the protopodite broader than in Astacus,
and both are split at the tip, the posterior more deeply and
unequally, whilst the endopodite forms a small pointed process.
The exopodite (plus the epipodite of some— scaphognathite) is rather
short and broad but powerful. The first maxilliped has a long anterior
division of the protopodite of a curved ovate-lanceolate shape, the
posterior division considerably smaller and irregularly quadrate.
The endopodite is a slender rod bent at the base at an obtuse
angle. The exopodite is broad at the base, with a projecting
rounded external margin, and tapers distally to its articulation with
the slender, curved terminal process. The second maxilliped has
a stout, limb-like endopodite, and the more slender, cylindrical
exopodite is about the same length, with a longer terminal process
than in the first, the whole more nearly resembling the organ in
C. mcenas. The third maxilliped has its endopodite greatly
enlarged and elongated, as in the lobster, so that it is very promi-
nent, whilst the cylindrical exopodite is comparatively small and
its terminal process slender.

Corystes cassivelaiaius, Penn. — Bell states that "the surface is
covered with minute scattered tufts of very short hair, scarcely
distinguishable by the naked eye,'' but none of those obtained
shows this feature ; thus in a male in which the new carapace was
just attaining firmness, the pointed calcareous tubercles alone
covered the surface of the carapace, which, at its junction with
the abdomen, had a fringe of hairs beneath the thickened rim.
The smoother dorsal surface of the abdomen, on the other hand,
had isolated hairs all over, as well as a fringe of long hairs at its
border.

84 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Cancer pagiiri/s, L. — Bell's description of the hand of this form
"as rounded, without any ridge" applies only to the adult, for in
the young there are five or six distinct longitudinal rows of promi-
nent tubercles on the inferior surface. The parasites found in the
stomach are probably derived from its food, fragments of fishes
forming the usual bait in the crab-pots; the same Trematode,^
however, is found in the tissues of both C. mxnas and this form,
where it occurs on the fibrous bands of the hepato-pancreas, or on
the ducts. Indeed in the stomachs are the lenses of fishes, ragged
portions of muscles and tendons, as well as crystalline styles —
probably of mussels. In a fresh example a large number of small
air-bubbles formed on the surface of the stomach, and they kept
forming after the manner of those due to the application of acid
to a calcareous substance. The great lateral projection of the cara-
pace containing the so-called "liver" distinguishes this species from
Caninus mxnas, in which little of the soft tissues intervene between
the branchiae and the wall of the carapace. Their vitality in com-
parison with that of C. rnxnas is low.

Carcinus mxnas, L. — In some the large number of Trematodes
in the liver (hepato-pancreas) is remarkable, and they occur also
along the nerves, in the muscles of the wall of the stomach, on
those near the heart, on the male generative organs and other parts,
and they are found in small crabs only an inch across the carapace,
as well as in the older forms.- The Ascarides, however, are more
rarely met with. The vitality of the shore-crab is remarkable, many
surviving for six weeks in a damp cellar or in a botanic vasculum.
Bell states that it "simulates death as completely as do many
Coleopterous insects," and that he has seen them running about
in the soft state. Neither feature has hitherto been observed at
St Andrews, where thousands have been under notice. It seems
to moult at St Andrews chiefly in early autumn. Ova occur on the
pleopods in October as well as in December and January, so that
Bell's comment "as early as April and as late as September"
requires addition. The ectoparasitism of the common mussel
causes grave results, those settling in the sockets of the eyes
producing blindness, those in the gill-chambers fixing the branchial
"whips" with the byssus, and compressing the gills by their bulk,
whilst those in the abdominal region fix the pleopods and the
entire structure to the cephalo-thorax.

In a small female, 2\ inches across the carapace, and which
showed commencing putrefaction, large brownish masses stretched

^ Micros. Jotir.^ July 1865, Plate viii.

- Vide Dr Wm. Nicoll's recent account of their structure.

PERACARIDA iMYSlDACEA-) AND EUCARIDA (^DECAPODA) 85

under the carapace laterally and posteriorly, like the masses of
ova usually seen there, and entirely composed of embryos, yet
no egg-cases were visible. They swarmed in great numbers, and
had brownish-red pigment on their bodies, yet no egg-capsules
were visible. This occurred in 1863, and unfortunately the
specimen has been lost. Such would appear to have been foreign
structures.

Porhmus depiirator, L. — Bell states that the anterior margin
of the carapace has three flat teeth ; but he does not add that the
margin of these is beaded, and this is continued all round the
raised margin, the posterior lines of the carapace being also
regularly though less distinctly granulated.

Portiinus holsafiis, O. Fabr. — This species occurs in great
numbers at St Andrews, and, since the introduction of nets for
capturing the food-fishes, has become a source of considerable
annoyance and even loss to the fishermen, since it severs the
meshes of the net, probably with its sharp chelipeds.

Macropodia rosfrata, L. — All the examples procured were males,
which appear to preponderate in most captures. One, 7 inches
across the limbs, had each limb enlivened by many tufts of green
Ulva ; another had many tufts of Phiinularia pimiata on its body
and limbs, whilst two had meshworks of Cainpanularia verticillata
on the dorsum, antennae, and limbs, the zoophyte creeping round
the great cardiac tubercle and adding to the length of the antennas.
Another had a pale patch oi Halichondria panicea extending forward
to the gastric tubercle, whilst the sandy tube of a Terebella curved
over the right branchial region, and opened between the first pair
of walking limbs.

Hyas araneiis, L. — In specimens which have recently moulted,
hairy ridges arise just in front of the cardiac region and run forward
nearly to the tip of the rostral forks. These had been over-
looked by Bell, who also observes that there are no spines, though
numerous groups of short, sharp, spine-like hairs occur over the
entire surface of the abdomen and adjoining portion of the cephalo-
thorax. In one, near the base of the groove on which the gills rest,
were a number of small dark points in the hollows. These proved
to be stalked ova, probably of a leech, the cxration of which by the
branchial currents must have been perfect. Most of the specimens
are brownish purple or reddish purple, and the tips of the ambula-
tory limbs are much sharper in the young. In general, the ova
are borne in layers attached to the hairs of the endopodites of the

86 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

pleopods, each of which anteriorly occupies the centre of the
layer, whereas posteriorly the ova are continuous. The exopodite
forms a hairy border to the ova for more than two-thirds of its
extent, and it gives a regular or finished arrangement to the parts.
The broadest mass of the ova is situated between the endopodite
and the exopodite, the internal portion being narrower.

Hyas coarctaf/is, Leach. — The habitat of this species differs from
that of H. nranei/s since none has occurred amongst the rocks, all
coming from the deeper water and being often tossed on shore
after storms, in the cavities of HaUchondria panicea. In Bell's
plate the dorsal tubercles are not well figured, for they form a
somewhat regular row from the rostrum backward ; and he does
not mention the rows of strong hairs from the tip of the rostrum
backward. This form is as liable to external growths as the former,
Patches of HaUchondria, which also may envelop the carapace,
tufts of Phtvuilaria cafhari/ia, Geinellaria loricata, Sertularia j-i/gosa,
slender anemones, Anomire, Balani, Nymphons, Rhizopods, algce,
and rich debris intermingled, are common. A female loaded with
ova had a thick tuft of Chalina ociilata springing from the base of
the rostrum flanked by two tufts of Sertularia ahietina, 2 inches
in length, whilst the dorsum had Balani and Ascidians, the latter
also invading the limbs.

A Note on the Identification of Ducks' Eggs. — When
reading Dr Eagle Clarke's note {ante, p. 24) one might be led to
suppose from the quotation given from Miss Jackson's article in
British Birds, October 1918, that she was stating some new fact
with regard to the identification of ducks' eggs by the feathers
found amongst the down in the nest, whereas ten years ago, to
go no further back in past history, attention was fully drawn to
this point by Mr Heatley Noble in an illustrated article with a
coloured plate of the feathers in British Birds, 1908. Dr Eagle
Clarke's statement is certainly very interesting and at the same time
very disconcerting, because it appears to cast considerable doubt on
the reliability of the feathers in the down being a sure means of
identification. It would be interesting to know if others, when
examining the nests of ducks, have come across feathers belonging
to other species of birds, because, if so, it would, I think, pretty
effectively rule out the "feather" test as being quite unreliable. —
F. W. Smalley, M.B.O.U.

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF GLOMERIS PERPLEXA, LATZ. 87

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF GLOMERIS PERPLEX A,
LATZ., NEAR EDINBURGH ; WITH A REVISED
LIST OF FORTH MYRIAPODS.

By William Evans, F.R.S.E.

When searching for mites and other small creatures in
ground moss on the banks of the Esk below Hawthornden,
Midlothian, on 17th November 1917, I shook from a tuft of
Dia'anum scopariinn a small Pill-millipede, which I had no
doubt was Glomeris perplexa, Latz. Mr R. S. Bagnall,
who has taken the same Diplopod in the north of England
and in the Clyde Area, has seen my specimen and confirms
the identification. Authorities differ as to whether this little
Glomerid is a distinct species, or a form of either G. margi-
nata or G. connexa. In his " Preliminary Check List of the
British 'Myriapoda'" {Joiirn. Zool. Research, October 1918)
Bagnall gives it specific rank, which I can well believe it
deserves. It is much smaller than the only other British
representative of the genus, G. marginata, and dark purplish
brown with a double row of yellowish marks along the back
and some on the sides. So far as I know it has only been
recorded once before from Scotland, namely from " Clyde "
as alluded to above.

Since my paper on " The Myriapods (Centipedes and
Millipedes) of the Forth Area" was published in 1907
{Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc, Edin., xvi. and xvii.), great advances
have been made in the study of the group ; many species
have been added to the British List, genera have been split
up, and other changes introduced. No one has done more
to increase the list than Mr R. S. Bagnall, whose investiga-
tions on the Symphyla have been so fruitful in new species.
As already mentioned, he has recently issued a " Preliminary
Check List" of British Myriapods, and it seems desirable to
revise the Forth list in accordance therewith, incorporating

LI

88 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

at the same time Mr Bagnall's and my own additional
records.

For some time past I have adopted the Watsonian
scheme of counties and vice-counties for the grouping of
records. When, as in the present instance, the great
majority of these have already been published in detail, the
tabular form of presenting the ascertained distribution has
manifest advantages, and it is consequently here employed.
In the table three exotic species, which have only occurred
in greenhouses, etc., are placed within square brackets ;
while the doubtful LitJiobiiis borealis may possibly have been
L. lapidicola, Meinart. As regards the nomenclature, I
would have been glad to see a less luxuriant crop of new
generic names {^e.g., the seven species I previously recorded
under the generic name hilus, now require six genera for
their accommodation) ; but that is a sign of the times, and I
fear there is no escape from it. In the case of the specific
names, however, there are, fortunately, few changes to make
on my original list, when certain "priority" claims, alluded to
below, have been taken into account. There has just been
published, in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History
(ser. 9, vol. iii., p. 253, March 1919), a paper on Myriapoda by
Dr Hilda and the Rev. Graham Brade-Birks, entitled," Some
Observations on Nomenclature," in which, after having
examined "classical" specimens in the British Museum, they
advocate the restoration of a number of Leach's and Newport's
names to their place of priority. This, I need hardly say,
is a source of satisfaction to me, seeing that, following the
lead given by Mr Pocock, these names were almost without
exception adopted in my 1907 paper, the foreign synonyms
being at same time indicated. An examination, however, of
the old specimens preserved in the British Museum was, as I
pointed out, the obvious way to remove any dubiety there
might be concerning the status of these names, and I am
glad that this has now been made by thoroughly competent
students of the group.

Records subsequent to the publication, in 1907, of my
account of the Myriapods of the Forth Area are contained
in the following papers : —

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF GLOMERIS PERPLEXA, LATZ. 89

"The Scottish Symphyla," R. S. Bagnall, Scot. Nat, 19 13,
pp. 182-185.

" Macrosternodesmus paUcola, Brol., in Scotland (Forth),"
\V. Evans, Scot. Nat., 191 7, p. 274. The specimen recorded was
taken on the Isle of May in Nov. 1912, and is the "Forth" example
alluded to by Bagnall in one of his papers. The occurrence of
Brachydesmus superus on the May is also mentioned in this note.

" Records of Some Myriapoda from the Forth Area," R. S.
Bagnall, Scot. Nat., 19 18, pp. 79, 80. Among the species recorded
as additions to the list is Brachyiidus littoralis, Verhoeff. Bagnall
now, however, regards this as a synonym of Jidus piisillus, Leach, a
species already on the list {cf. his paper " On the Synonymy of Some
European Diplopods," Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., Nov. 1918,
p. 407). The specimen of Syniphylella niinutissinia, from "near
Edinburgh," was taken in a quarry on Swanston Farm at the foot of
the Pentlands.

" Records of some new British Diplopods and Pauropods, with a
Preliminary Check List of the British ' Myriapoda,' " R. S. Bagnall,
Journ. Zool. Research, Oct. 19 18, pp. 87-93. ■'^'^Y specimen ( $ ) of
Monacobates tenuis was from Dalmeny Park, Linlithgowshire, 14th
Feb. 1 9 14. Mr Bagnall's specimens were taken in the Calton Hill
district of Edinburgh in 19 18.

" Insects and other Terrestrial Invertebrates from the Bass
Rock," W. Evans, Scot. Nat., Nov. 1918, pp. 259-265. Four
species of Myriapoda are given.

The following further records of my own complete the
data on which the annexed table is based : —

Glonieris viarginata, Vill. — Colinton Dell, INIidlothian, July
1893.

Tachypodiuhcs ?iiger {hesich). — Fidra Island, Sept. 19 10, and near
Keith, East Lothian, April 1916; Avonbridge, Stirlingshire, April
1912.

Ophiiiclus pilosiis (Newp.) = 6*. /«//a.r (Mein.).— Dalmeny, $,
April 1905; Wharry Glen, near Bridge of Allan, $, Dec. 1905;
Cullalo, Fife, Feb. 1908 ; Dirleton Common, East Lothian, in mole's
nest, Jan. 1909.

Cylindroiulus punctatus (Leach). — Near Drem, East Lothian, Oct,
1911; Carron Glen, Stirlingshire, Oct. 1915.

89 AND 90 M

90 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

C. frisius, Verh. — Dalmeny shore, Linlithgowshire, S > 20th
April 1905 ; Isle of May, Fife, one, Sept. 1897, a dozen, Sept. and
Oct. 1910, several, Feb. and April 1912 ; Largo Links, Fife, in
mole's nest, Feb. 19085 Dirleton Links, East Lothian, in mole's
nests, March 1908 and Jan. 1909. All the coast records under
/. britannicus in my former paper belong to this species.

Brachyiulus pusillus (Leach) iiec Verh. (= littoralis, Verh.). —
Largo Links, several, in moles' nests, Feb. and March 1908;
GuUane, East Lothian, several, in moles' nests, March 1908;
Dirleton Links, near North Berwick, a dozen, in moles' nests,
March 1908; Boquhan Glen, Stirlingshire, one, 8th June 1912.

Schizophylluin sabulosiim (L.). — Braid Burn, near Edinburgh,
$, July 1907; Waughton, East Lothian, one, Oct. 1911.

Avisteinia fiiscus (Am Stein). — Near Winchburgh, West Lothian,
Jan. 1909; Binning Wood, Tyninghame, East Lothian, Jan. 1913;
Carron Glen, Stirlingshire, Oct. 191 5.

Blaniulus {Tnchobla/iiuliis) gutiulatus (Bosc). — Aberfoyle, S.-W.
Perthshire, May 19 19.

Poly microdoii poly desmoides (Leach), ( = latzeli, Verh.).— Dalmeny
Park, April 1905; near Winchburgh, two under stone, Jan. 1909;
Causewayend, near Manuel, Stirlmgshire, March 1912 ; Fidra Island,
near North Berwick, one, Sept. 19 10; Tyninghame, one under bark
of dead birch, Jan. 1913; Whittingehame, one in fungus, Oct. 191 3;
near Keith, one under bark of fir, April 19 16.

Craspedosoma rawlinsii, Leach, 7iec Verh. { = simile, Verh.). —
Shore west of Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, one under stone at edge
of mudflat, March 1913 ; Lake of Menteith, S.-W. Perthshire, under
stones at water's edge, one. May 1908, and one. May 1913; north
bank of River Forth, opposite Craigforth above Stirling, common (two
dozen collected in a short time) in flood refuse, 28th March 19 14.

BrachydesJiiHS si/pen/s, Latz. — Largo Links, Dirleton Common,
and Ravelrig Moss (Midlothian), a good many in moles' nests,
March 1908; Isle of May, several, Nov. 1912.

Polydesmiis coriaceus, Porat. — Bo'ness, West Lothian, one, March
1 910.

P. coinplanatus, L. — Carron Glen, Oct. 191 5.

Sciitigerella itninaculafa (Newp.). — Boquhan Hills, Stirlingshire,
one, June 191 2.

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF GLOMERIS PERPLEXA, LATZ. 91

ScolopcitdrcUopsis siibiiiida (Hans.). — Gullane Point, East Lothian,
one, 20th Sept. 1913.

Symphyklla vulgaris (Hans.). — Gullane Point, two, 20th Sept.
1913. For the identification of this and the previous species I am
indebted to Mr Bagnall.

Allopaiiropus gracilis (Hans.). — Quarry near Swanston, Mid-
lothian, a few, Sept. 19 12.

Lithobitis crassipes, L. Koch. — Ravelrig Moss, in mole's nest,
March 1908; Avonbridge, April 1912; Portmore Loch, Peebles-
shire, April 1912; Isle of May, Nov. 1912 and May 1914.

L. calcaratus, C. Koch. — South of Leadburn, April 1908; sum-
mit of Scaldlaw, Pentlands, several, 9th May 191 1.

Z. 7nela?wps, Newp, { = glabrati/s, C. Koch). — Several, Fife Ness,
Oct. 1908; Isle of May, Feb. and Nov. 191 2.

Laiiiyctcs fi/lvicoruis, Mein. — Besides the specimen from Ben
Ledi previously recorded, I find I got another near Callander in
Sept. 1906.

Geophilus insa/lpfus, Attems { = proxiinus of my 1907 list). —
Near Manuel, Stirlingshire, March 19 12; Isle of May, one, Sept.
1909; Edinburgh, $ and ?, April 1901, and a few, May 1919
(determined by Mr and Mrs Brade-Birks).

Brachygeophilus truncorum (Bergs, and Mein.). — South of Lead-
burn, two in mole's nest, April 1908; Fife Ness, Oct. 1908; Isle of
May, Sept. 191 1 and Nov. 191 2.

Scolioplanes crassipes (C. Koch). — Trossachs, one, June 1913.
Writing in 1831 regarding the glow-worm, James Duncan remarks as
follows : " Another luminous insect, the Geophilus electricus, has,
I believe, been occasionally mistaken for the true glow-worm by
casual observers in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh " [Mew.
Wernerian Nat. Hist. Soc, vi., p. 495). The species may have been
S. crassipes.

S. maritimus (Leach). — Under stones at edge of mudflat east of
Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, several, Sept. 19 13; Isle of May, common,
Sept. 1910 and Sept. 191 1.

Schendyla nemoretisis (C. Koch). — Colinton Dell, one under
stone, Oct. 191 2.

92

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Myriapoda : ascertained distribution in Forth A rea.

82

83

84

86

87

85

NAME.

i

%

E?

o

tb
a

xn

^1

a
a

/

03 U

S

Diplopoda.

Polyxenus lagurus (L.) .

X

Glomeris marginata, Vill. .

X

X

X

Glomeris perplexa, Latz. .

X

Tachypodiulus niger (Leach) .

X

X

X

X

X

X

Julus scandinavius, Latz. ( = ligulifer

Latz.)

X

X

X

X

...

X

Ophiiulus pilosus (Newp.)

X

X

X

X

X

Cylindroiulus punctatus (Leach)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Cyhndroiulus britannicus (Verh.)

X

Cylindroiulus frisius, Verh.

X

X

X

Brachyiulus pusillus (Leach) .

X

X

X

X

...

X

Schizophyllum sabulosum (L.) .

X

X

X

X

X

Monacobates tenuis, Bigler

X

X

Amsteinia fuscus (Am Stein) .

X

X

X

X

X

X

Isobates varicornis (C. Koch) .

• X

Blaniulus guttulatus (Bosc.)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Polymicrodon polydesmoides (Leach^

X

X

X

X

X

X

Craspedosoma rawhnsii, Leach.

X

X

X

X

X

Macrosternodesmus palicola, Brol.

...

X

Brachydesmus superus, Latz. .

X

X

X

...

...

X

Polydesmus complanatus, L.

X

X

X

X

X

X

Polydesmus denticulatus, C. Koch

X

X

Polydesmus coriaceus, Porat

X

X

X

[Orthomorpha gracilis, C. L. K.]

X

...

Symphyla,

Scutigerella immaculata (Newp.)

.

X

X

X

X

X

Scutigerella spinipes, Bagn.

.

X

...

X

Scutigerella biscutata, Bagn.

.

X

X

Scolopendrellopsis subnuda (Hans.

) X

X

X

X

Symphylella vulgaris (Hans.) .

X

X

X

Symphylella delicatula (Bagn.)

.

X

...

Symphylella minutissima (Bagn.)

•

X

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF GLOMERIS PERPLEXA^ LATZ. 93

Myriapoda : ascertained distr

ibiition in Forth Area.

82

83

84

86

87

85

NAME.

§
a
■0

Hi

w

a

.a

"3

5

p

T3 .

9 fl

A 9
■S3

Fife and Kinross.

Pauropoda.

Allopauropus gracilis (Hans.) .

X

X

...

Chilopoda,

Lithobius crassipes, L. Koch .

X

X

X

X

X

Lithobius duboscqui, Brol.

X

Lithobius calcaratus, C. Koch .

X

X

...

X

X

Lithobius borealis, Mein. ?

X

...

Lithobius forficatus, L. . . .

X

X

X

X

X

X

Lithobius variegatus, Leach

X

X

Lithobius melanops, Newp.

X

X

X

X

X

Lamyctes fulvicornis, Mein.

X

...

[Scutigera coleoptrata (L.)]

X

...

Cryptops hortensis, Leach

X

...

...

[Mecistocephalus carniolensis, C.

Koch]

X

Geophilus longicornis, Leach .

X

X

X

X

X

X

Geophilus insculptus, Attems .

X

X

X

X

X

(G. proximus of my 1907 paper)

Geophilus carpophagus, Leach

X

X

X

X

X

X

Brachygeophilus truncorum (B. & M.)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Scolioplanes crassipes (C. Koch)

?

p

X

X

X

ScoHoplanes maritimus (Leach)

X

X

X

X

Schendyla nemorensis (C. Koch)

X

X

...

Stigmatogaster subterraneus (Leach)

X

Dorytomus longimanus, Porst. (vorax, Pab.), in Ayr-
shire.— During January of this year I found a male of this Weevil
hibernating under bark of willow near Ayr. According to Dr
Sharp {Scottish Naturalist., v., 144) it is rare in Scotland, and it has
apparently not been observed in the Clyde area since it was recorded
from Glasgow in Murray's Catalogue of the Coleoptera of Scotland
(1853). — A. Fergusson, Glasgow.

94 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Addenda and Correction to List of North Uist Birds. —

Re my notes on North Uist, which began in The Scottish Naturalist
of November 1918, I find I have overlooked important facts
concerning Monach Lighthouse.

In the Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides (1S8S), Appendix
D, p. 251, the following were accepted as good : —

Bluethroat {Cyanecula suecica), Linn., nth October 1888.
Redstarts {Ruticitta phmuicurus'), Linn., 28th September and

ist October 1888.
Golden-crested Wren {Regulus cristatus), K. L. Koch, 12th

May 1888.
Brambling {Fringilla nwntifri/igilia), Linn., 29th April 1888.
Barn Owl {Strix JIammea), Linn. Undated.

These observations, made by Mr Joseph Agnew, lighthouse-
keeper at Monach, are of great importance.

Ref. p. 251 The Scottish Naturalist, 1918, my remarks }-e
Pyrrhocorax graculus, Linn., should be enclosed by brackets.
Thus the total number of species, as having occurred, should read
151 with the addition of eight doubtful examples. — Fred. S.
Beveridge.

Smews off the Aberdeenshire Coast. — On the afternoon of
i8th April 1919, I was sitting on Craig Ewan Point, just north of
Peterhead, when I saw four Smews a little distance out to sea. I
was there for about three hours, and the birds were still there
when I left. The white heads, necks, and bodies of the three male
birds were plainly to be seen, with the black patch at back of head
and lines of black nearly meeting across the breast. The female's
rufous head and white body could be easily distinguished.
The male birds dived frequently and very quickly, remaining
under water for a few seconds each time. The female seldom dived.
All four birds constantly stood upright in the water, beating
their wings rapidly. There were very few birds about that afternoon ;
one Red-throated Diver sailed up to the Smews, but was disturbed
by some boats a little way off. A week before, there had been a
flock of fifty Turnstones and about eighteen Redshanks on the
foreshore, but the holiday-makers had scared away all the birds ;
only a couple of Rock Pipits recently arrived were left there.
During the last fortnight, Larks, Meadow and Rock Pipits, and one
female Wheatear have arrived. This easternmost point of Scotland
is too bleak and bare for winter birds ; there is so little shelter for
them.— Mary G. S. Best, F.Z.S., W.R.N.S.

NOTES 95

Woodcock and the Safety of their Young. — In reference
to Mr W. Evans's remarks on " Woodcock and the Safety of their
Young," it may be of interest to record a somewhat similar experi-
ence. On 14th June 19 18, I flushed a Woodcock from some bracken
in an open space among the rhododendrons growing near the top
of an exposed rocky hill. She began to fly straight away from
me up wind, but on meeting the full force of the blast as she rose,
she turned and came back close past me, and I was able to see
that she was carrying a small young one. Her flight was laboured
and unusual, and her tail much depressed, so that her position in
the air recalled that of a wasp when carrying a fly. The wind was
strong and she quickly dipped over the rock or cliff a little way
behind me. On going back and cautiously looking over the edge
I saw her standing on a sort of ledge not far off and rather below
me, but facing my way — up wind— and I could also see the young
one crouched at her feet between her legs. As soon as she
caught sight of me, she bent her neck and pushed the young
one securely into position with her bill, raising her wings as
she did so, and flew off out of sight down, among the trees below.
On going back to the place where I first saw her, I soon came
upon three other young birds, apparently hatched two or three
days previously, so I sat down to see if the old bird would come
back to them. And this she soon did, settling some distance off
and running in an anxious fussy way in and out through the
brackens, trailing her wings. It was most difficult to keep her in
sight and under continuous observation, and she detected my
movements in trying to do so. Whereupon she rose and flew
off, but holding her body and tail in exactly the same position
as when she was carrying a young bird ; and when she topped the
bushes and began to dive down the hillside, I could see that her
legs and feet were hanging down. I shifted my position and kept
watch till she came again, and then exactly the same thing
happened as before — she spotted me and went off with the same
flight, before she got up to where the chicks were squeaking.
So I came away disappointed at not having seen her either bring
back the first youngster or remove another. The young bird was
carried close to the old one's body and well concealed by the
lowered tail. In fact, from behind it would not have been possible
to see it at all, and it was only when the old bird flew past me,
or was facing towards me, that I could tell that a young one was
being carried. And the fact that the same unusual manner of
flight was adopted, when a chick was not being carried, might
easily deceive one on the look-out for such a performance. I do

96 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

not think the tail was spread out, as Mr Evans describes, but
certainly bent down and inwards to a remarkable extent, giving the
bird an unusual, bunchy appearance. — G. Brooksbank, Aberfeldy,
Perthshire.

Lycaena artaxerxes and Eupithecia helveticaria in
East Lothian. — The Artaxerxes butterfly, long associated with
Arthur's Seat, is now so rare in the Lothians that its discovery in
the western portion of the Lammermuirs on 5th August 1916 gave
me peculiar pleasure. The date was late for it by about a month,
and the dozen or so seen were mostly much worn. The locality
was revisited on nth July 191 7, when Artaxerxes was again in
evidence, but not numerous, in several spots. It would be
interesting to know if this little butterfly still exists anywhere on
the Pentlands. In July 1872 I met with it in the western part of
the range, as recorded in the Annals Scot. JVat. Hist, for 1897,
p. 92, where the month is erroneously given as June.

I take this opportunity to record the occurrence also on the
Lammermuirs of that interesting " Pug " moth, Eupithecia helveticaria,
for which the Pentland Hills have been so long noted. In the last
week of October 1916 two larvcc were beaten from a juniper bush
on the hillside above the farm of Halls, south-west of Dunbar ; but
I failed to rear either of them. On 20th October 191 7, about a
dozen larvas were beaten off junipers above Yester ; and from these
two moths were obtained the following May. — William Evans,
Edinburgh.

Cychramus luteus, P., in Lanarkshire. — In his Coleoptera
of Scotland {Scottish Naturalist, iii., 374), Dr Sharp recorded this
beetle from the Solway and Clyde areas. Apart from this general
mention of its occurrence in Clyde, the only specific record for the
species in that area is contained in Murray's Catalogue of the
Coleoptera of Scotland (1853), where it is noted from Ayrshire. I
have found it sparingly near Lanark during the last two summers.
The insect is said by Fowler {Coleoptera of the British Islands, iii.,
259) to occur on flowers of whitethorn in spring as well as in
decaying fungi ; and Dr Sharp {loc. cit.) states that it is found in
fungi. My specimens were all taken on the flowers of
umbelliferous plants during the month of August. — A. Fergusson,
Glasgow.

report on
Scottish Ornithology

IN 1918 /

INCLUDING MIGRATION

BY

LEONORA JEFFREY RINTOUL AND EVELYN V. BAXTER
//oil. Memhers of the British Oniitholooists' L'nion^ etc.

" The Scottish Naturalist,'' Nos. gi and c^z, J^dy- August 1919

EDINBURGH: OLIVER & BOYD, TV^EEDDALE COURT

LONDON: GURNEY & JACKSON, 33 PATERNOSTER ROW

1919

CONTENTS

Introductory Remarks .....

Birds New to Faunal Areas, and Uncommon Visitors

Extension of Breeding Range .

Summer and Nesting

Winter ....

Ringing .

Plumage ....

Food, Habits, etc. .

Migration — Summary of Movements during 191!

Notes on the Movements of Birds in 1918

Index ......

PAGE

99

lOI

102
103
108
no
1 10
III
112
116
141

REPORT ON
SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN 1918,

INCLUDING MIGRATION.

Introductory Remarks.

The year 1918 is a notable one in the history of mankind,
for in it we and our Allies won the Great War, to which end,
for over four years, all our energies had been bent.

In the year in question, the pursuit of Ornithology was
carried on under greater difficulties than ever before ; every-
one was using their time and strength in some form of war
work, leaving little opportunity for the field expeditions of
happier days. In spite, however, of lack of time and other
restrictions, our recorders have sent us quite a large volume
of notes ; the way they have kept up their contributions
through all the trying period of the War, reflects the
greatest credit on their keenness and energy. We thank,
very gratefully, all those who have sent us observations in
1918, and we hope that in 1919 we shall get back to our
pre-war strength and that many more recorders will send
notes than ever before. There are many blanks which, alas,
can never be filled, but we hope that numerous recruits will
join our ranks and help us to carry on. We have to deplore
the deaths of Duncan Fergusson, Corrour, and Captain S. E.
Brock, Kirkliston, both of whom gave us much help with
former Reports.

Our best thanks are due, in the Northern group of

localities, to — William Crowe and Claude M'Eachern, North

Unst ; John S. Tulloch, Lerwick ; W. H. Greenaway, Foula ;

John Gilmour, Westray ; The Lightkeepers, Whalsay

99

roo THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Skerries ; M. Sanderson, N, Ronaldshay, and John Bain,
Noss Head. In the Eastern group of localities, to — A. C.
Jackson, E. Ross ; W. Berry, Lentran ; Major Stables,
Cromarty Firth ; Robert Clyne, Cromarty Lighthouse ;
Jane Gowan, Cullen ; A. E. Mahood, Banff; F. Cattenach,

Banff; H. Thomson, Banff; Connacher, Banff;

A. Macdonald, Durris ; Major P. Waldron, Pitlochry;
Colonel J. Drummond Hay, Perth; H. R. Colman, Broughty
Ferry; Henry Boase, Dundee; George Cuthill, Alyth ;
Douglas Hunter, Edinburgh; R. Page, Edinburgh; William
Evans, Edinburgh ; William Eagle Clarke, Edinburgh ;
Francis Magee, Collessie ; F. L. S. Wedderburn, Largo ;
Sim Baigrie, Isle of May and Pladda ; John Pagan, Bath-
gate; and Andrew Hopkins, Eyemouth. In the Western
group of localities, to — John Morrison, Stornoway ; George
Beveridge, North Uist ; D. M'Donald, Kyleakin ; J. Moore,
Mull of Kintyre ; Stewart Wilson, Rhinns of Islay;
D. Mowatt, Pladda ; H. C. Marriot, Glasgow ; T. Robertson,
Glasgow ; C. A. Vynne, Glasgow ; H. G. Gumming, Glasgow ;
William Rennie, Glasgow ; John Robertson, Glasgow ; T. W.
Wilson, Glasgow ; T. Hill, Glasgow ; D. M'Donald, Glasgow ;
J. M'Crindle, Glasgow ; Andersonian Ornithological Section,
Glasgow; W. Jamieson, Glasgow ; R. A. M'Croskie, Glasgow ;
R. Ballantyne, Glasgow; T. T. Mackeith, Kilmacolm ; John
Craig, Beith ; Nicol Hopkins, Darvel ; and James Bar-
tholomew, Glenorchard. In the Southern group of localities,
to — A. C. Gairns, Broughton ; G. Davidson, Melrose ; T. G,
Laidlaw, Duns ; William Beggs and G. Mackie, Little Ross ;
J. G. Gordon, Corsemalzie ; and John R. Lawrence, Mull of
Galloway.

As far as Scottish Ornithology is concerned, 191 8 was
an uneventful year, nn'gration ran its normal course, without
any of the great rushes or irruptions of continental visitors
which are the feature of some seasons. Even weather
movements were remarkable by their absence, the only one
of any size recorded being in January. Although no new
species was added to the Scottish list there were a fair number
of uncommon visitors and an interesting extension of
breeding range. The summer visitors were fairly normal

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 loi

in their dates of arrival, but in autumn the arrival of winter
visitors is recorded at very early dates.

The following abbreviations are used in this Report : —

1. = TJie Scottish Naturalist.

2. — British Birds (magazine),
(O.H.) = Outer Hebrides.

(L.) = Lantern.

We are indebted to the Weekly Weather Report ,of the
Meteorological Office for the meteorological data contained
in this Report.

Birds New to Faunal Areas, and Uncommon

Visitors.

Owing partly to the exceptionally difficult conditions
under which observation was carried out in 191 8, and partly
to the unfavourable weather conditions which prevailed
during the periods when migration is at its height, the list
of uncommon visitors this year is a very short one.
Various interesting species put in an appearance, however,
and are duly chronicled below. A male Hawfinch {Cocco-
thraustes coccothraustes coccothraiistes) was caught in a
dama{;ed condition in the woods at Castlecraig, Peeblesshire
(i. 1918, 34), this being the first record of the species for that
county. Four Ortolans (^Eniheriza hortulana) visited the
Isle of May on 6th May, and six were present there on 9th
May, while a Waxwing {Bonibycilla garniltis') is recorded at
Cairntown, Deeside, on 24th December (i. 1919, 50). Black
Redstarts {Pha;nicurus ochruriis gibraltariensis) were fairly
well represented in 191 8, single birds occurred on the Isle
of May on 12th and 13th April, 5th, 6th, and 9th May,
and "some" there on 7th May. A large grey Owl,
believed to be a Snowy Owl {Nyctea nyctea), was seen
on North Unst on 21st April, and a bird of this species
occurred at Port Errol, Aberdeenshire, on 7th September
(i. 191 8, 274). On 28th April a Rough - legged Buzzard
{Buteo lagopus lagopus) is recorded from Vallay (Outer
Hebrides), where this species occurs but rarely, and one
frequented the Lauderdale Glens in the winter of 191 8-19

I02 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

(i. 1919, 29). A male Hen-harrier {Circus cjaneus) is
reported from Noss Head on 12th January and single birds
of this species from Vallay on 24th May and 8th September.
A specimen of Leach's Fork-tailed Petrel {Occanodroma
leucorhoa) was found dead five miles west of Montrose on
1 6th October (i. 1918, 267), while the only Green Sandpiper
{Tringa ochropus) recorded this year was at the Castle Loch,
Mochrum, on 30th July. A Grey Phalarope {PJinlaropus
fulicarius) was found in a dying condition at the Mull of
Galloway on 21st February. For the first fortnight of June
a Black Tern {Hydrochelido7i nigra nigra) frequented a small
loch near the lighthouse at North Ronaldshay, " it did not
associate with the other Terns and was much chased by
Lapwings," and a male bird of the year was shot near
Glasgow on i8th September (i. 191 8, 266). On 3rd
November an Ivory Gull {P agophila ebur?ied) is recorded
from North Ronaldshay.

Extension of Breeding Range.

An interesting extension of breeding range discovered
in 191 8 is that of the Gadwall, nesting in North-East Fife.
In the Scottish Naturalist, 191 8, p. 266, Mr Berry records
the finding of a nest of this species on 25th May ; later in
the season two young Gadwall were shot "in a mixed bag of
ducks." This is the first record of the nesting of the Gadwall
in the Tay Area As the following information was not
published in time to be included in the 1916 Report, we
must mention here the extension of the breeding range of
the Great Skua to the Orkneys. It is claimed that this
was first definitely established in 1916, it has bred in this
group each year since and appears to be increasing in
numbers (2. xii. 50 and 170), There are, however, three
eggs from the Seebohm Collection in the British Museum
ascribed to this species and said to have been taken in
Orkney. Some doubt has been cast on the correctness of
this record on, as it seems to us, insufficient grounds {Ibis,
191 3, 516). It is quite conceivable that the Great Skua
may have nested sporadically in the Orkneys.

report on scottish ornithology in i918 103

Summer and Nesting.

This year again we are, happily, in a position to
record a fair number of species increasing in various
localities. From Possil Marsh comes a note of more
Magpies, Kestrels, and Sparrow-hawks, this being probably
attributable to absence of gamekeepers, the usual enemies
of these birds. Willow-warblers, Wood-warblers, Garden-
warblers, Redstarts, and Tree-pipits were more numerous
than usual at Duns, and Garden and Sedge-warblers and
Tree-pipits at Kilmacolm. Tree-pipits, Spotted Flycatchers,
Wood-warblers, Whinchats, Redstarts and Corncrakes are
described as "rather more numerous" in the Kirkmichael
district; Goldcrests are common there, and several parties
of young were seen. Garden- and Wood-warblers and
Cuckoos were much commoner in the Darvel district than
last season. Other birds were " forward in good numbers,
but the above three are most marked." An extra number
of Sedge-warblers reared their broods successfully at
Duddingston (i. 1918, 216), and in the Dundee district
Missel-thrushes were "rather above previous averages,"
Blackbirds " reoccupied some of their town haunts which
were deserted last year," while Goldcrests " made a distinct
recovery." Missel- and Song-thrushes were plentiful in
Mid- Banffshire, and Blackbirds there were quite as numerous
as usual, perhaps more so. Lesser Redpolls and Skylarks
too are described as numerous, while more Whitethroats
than ever before are noted at Durris. From Collessie
(Fife) we have reports of an increase in the number of
Swifts and Cuckoos, nearly double the usual number of
the former having nested there, while Great Spotted Wood-
peckers are increasing about Melrose. Reports from the
Isle of May show more Shags and Oystercatchers nesting;
formerly one pair of Shags nested on a ledge on the cliffs
on the west side, but in 191 8 Mr Baigrie says more bred,
and adds, " the other ones are in a cave, farther north than
the old pair." Four nests of Oystercatchers were found,
two being the old number. At least 300 Black-headed
Gulls nest now at Loch of Park, Lower Deeside, they were

I04 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

first seen there in 191 5, some eggs were found in 1916,
and they have increased rapidly since (i. 191 8, 242).
Many Common Gulls nested beside the Black-headed Gulls
at North Ronaldshay (Orkney) and Lesser Black-backed
Gulls had one nest, the first time our correspondent has
known them to nest there. Pheasants and Partridges were
plentiful in Banffshire, and Woodcock are increasing greatly
as a nesting species in Lauderdale (i. 19 19, 29).

Turning to scarcity of species in various districts, we
find that fewer Rooks nested in the neighbourhood of
Beith than in 1917; our correspondent tells us that three
of last year's rookeries were deserted. Siskins were
scarce at Banff, none being seen in their last summer's
breeding-places. Crossbills too were scarce, and only a
few Missel-thrushes and Song-thrushes nested in Duff House
grounds (Banff); both species are described as being very
scarce. This was, however, only a local falling off in
numbers, as the same two species are recorded as plentiful
in mid-Banffshire. Further scarcity of Thrushes, Blackbirds,
and Redbreasts is noted near Turriff, while Lesser Red-
polls, Meadow-pipits, Pied Wagtails, Grey Wagtails, Willow-
warblers, Wheatears, Dippers, House-martins, Curlew, and
Lapwings were below the average numbers in the Kirk-
michael district. From Dundee we hear that Meadow-
pipits, Grey Wagtails, Pied Wagtails, Whitethroats,
House-martins, Swifts, Mallard, Tufted Ducks, Lapwings,
and Moorhens were all much below their average numbers ;
Blackbirds had decreased slightly, while Wrens are becoming
fewer and fewer. Not a single Stonechat bred on Corse-
malzie (Wigtownshire) in 1918; usually about fourteen pairs
nest, but only a single bird was seen on 22nd May,
probably passing through. No Dippers bred in the Malzie
Burn where for nearly a hundred years two pairs have
nested annually, none was seen on the stream till a
single bird appeared on 21st June. Chiffchaffs were
absent from Corsemalzie, and only a few Willow-wrens
and two or three pairs of Wood-wrens bred. Chiffchaffs
and Grasshopper-warblers were not heard at Darvel up
to nth May; no Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, nor Pied Flycatchers

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN 1918 105

were seen at Duns, where House-martins, Cuckoos, and
Corncrakes were also scarcer than usual, while decrease in
the numbers of Sedge-warblers is recorded from Melrose.
Wheatears were much fewer than formerly at Vallay, N.
Uist, also at Collessie, Fife, where House-martins too were
below former years, only from 50 to 70 pairs nesting, as
against about 250. Lapwings showed a decrease in
numbers in Banffshire and at Beith, where Mr John Craig
says, " I think there have been fewer Peewits' eggs lifted
here this year than in any year I ever remember ; when
I was a boy Lapwings nested much nearer the town than
they do now." Eider Ducks were fewer on the Isle of
May, possibly from being more disturbed than in old days.

The Rooks at Beith have recolonised another rookery
which they had deserted in 1916 owing to depredations of
Carrion Crows, A Goldfinch nested in a high hawthorn
hedge alongside a much frequented public road at Giffnock,
and was successful in rearing its young (i. 1919, 63), while
a pair of Pied Flycatchers nested in June near Lauder
(i. 1919, 29). A colony of Tree-sparrows has become
established near the Hydropathic at Melrose; they nested
there for the first time in 191 7.

A Great Tit's nest with nine young ones was found in an
old pump at Beith ; the old birds entered and left the nest
by the mouth of the pump. The nest measured 7f inches
across. Our correspondent there says that in his experience
the large majority of Cole Tits nest in holes in the ground ;
of nine nests of this species found in one year, eight were
in the ground. He found a Redbreast's nest in a tree, an
unusual site, and a Wren's nest in a tree 17 feet from the
ground. He also records three old Swallows' nests in a
shed, having been taken by House-martins and built up
for their own use. Great Spotted Woodpeckers were
successful in rearing their young by the Leader (i. 1919, 29).
The Cormorants at North Ronaldshay have forsaken their
nesting-place on the Seal Skerry owing, it is thought, to
blasting in connection with salvage work ; while at Noss
Head (Caithness) Fulmars made nests but did not lay
eggs. Most of the Ringed Plovers' nests found at North

io6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Ronaldshay were on the beach under large stones, some
of them were fully 3 feet in, and it is suggested that the
birds do this to protect their eggs from the Gulls which
take them when they are laid in the open.

Our correspondent at Darvel (Ayrshire) tells us that
he found fifty-nine different species nesting within a radius
of three miles of Darvel ; these comprised, among others.
Merlin, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Snipe, Teal, Black and Red
Grouse.

On 6th February Jackdaws were seen at their nesting
holes in the cliffs at Cullen, and on the 13th Rooks at
Dundee were " interested in repair work " ; on the 20th
a House-sparrow's nest at Cullen " looked complete," while
on 23rd a Dipper at Darvel began to build. With March
come the usual records of our earlier nesting birds ; Rooks
at Dundee began work in earnest on the gth, a number of
the nests were later deserted owing to frost and snow, these
were pulled to pieces in mid-May ; thereafter we have notes
of Ravens, Rooks, Thrush, Blackbird and Tawny Owl, Ring-
dove and Lapwing, all with eggs, and a Yellowhammer
carrying nesting material in its bill, at Largo, on the 23rd.
By 30th March young Starlings had flown at Eyemouth.
A Dipper near Dundee, which began building on i8th
March, had four eggs on 14th April, April brings increased
notes of nesting. A Lapwing's nest with five eggs was
found on 6th April at Callander (i. 1918, 139); on the 12th
a Tawny Owl had a nest with five eggs in a small hole in
a sandy embankment in a small wood at Darvel. As the
month advances more species have eggs and young, and
the later birds begin to nest. Great Spotted Woodpeckers
were found nesting, as usual, in Duns Castle Woods, where,
too. Hawfinches were seen. The first Shags' nests are
reported from the Isle of May and North Unst, while young
Thrushes and Dippers are reported from Eyemouth, and
Mallard from the Dundee district. The Black-headed
Gulls at Redmyre (Forfar) were building on the 15th, but
the nesting season there was a failure, and quite one-third
of the Gulls had left by 25th May. From Corsemalzie
(Wigtown) come reports of Carrion Crows, Snipe, Grouse,

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 107

Yellow-hammer, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Curlew and
Teal, all with eggs. Many of the above nests were lost
owing to late heather burning. Stonechats had six young
a day or two old on the 17th at Stranraer.

On the 6th of May the first Razorbill's egg was seen
on the cliffs of the Isle of May. On the 8th a nest of Black
Grouse was found at Corsemalzie, among dead bracken,
containing seven eggs ; these were well covered with bits
of bracken. On the i6th the nest contained sixteen similar
eggs, and it is suggested that two birds were laying in
the same nest. Eight of the eggs hatched out on i6th
June, the rest in various stages of incubation being eaten
by Rooks. On 13th May a Little Grebe's nest with seven
eggs was found at Loch Elrig (Wigtownshire). No young
Cormorants were hatched at the nesting-place in Mochrum
Loch (Wigtown) on 20th May; on the same date in 1917
quite big young were seen. Throughout May come notes
of nesting of the late breeding birds, while the earlier species
were seen with young birds. A Mallard with nine young
ones, and " a few nests with young Shags," are reported
from North Unst on 26th and 27th May respectively. Pied
Wagtails are noted from Westray (Orkney) in June and July,
and in these months and part of August, Gannets were
seen daily on a skerry south-west of the Muckle Flugga
Lighthouse, North Unst. In June we have records of
young of many birds being seen. The nests and eggs of
Gulls, Terns, and Warblers are reported from many
stations, and some second broods of our earlier birds are
noted. A Coot at Loch Chesney (Wigtownshire) had a
nest with five eggs, within five yards of an old nest, these
hatched on 14th May, and a Cuckoo's egg was found in
the nest of a Reed-bunting at Mochrum Loch (Wigtown);
it was reddish brown. At Corsemalzie five eggs of a
Spotted Flycatcher, in an advanced state of incubation,
were taken from a nest on loth June; by the 23rd five
more were laid in the same nest. Other notes sent durinsf
the month deal with normal progress of nesting and
rearing of young, and do not call for special notice here.
By July the nesting season is practically at an end, and

loH THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

only some late nests still have eggs. In the first week of
July a family party of Crested Tits was seen in a wood
about three miles from Forres (i. 1918, 216). A Pheasant
at Corsemalzie was sitting on nine eggs on the nth, and
Common Terns on a rocky islet in Castle Loch, Mochrum,
had still a lot of unhatched eggs on the 13th, although
nearly full-grown young were also to be seen. Cormorants,
too, at the same place on the same date are described as
" in all stages, quite a few eggs, to full-grown young, some
speckled, others with quite white breasts." By ist August
all the breeding colony of Black-headed Gulls save one
adult and one late young bird had left Loch Chesney, and
on the same day a brood of five Black Grouse about a
week old is reported from Corsemalzie. On the 7th the
Cormorant Isle at Mochrum Loch was crowded with white-
breasted birds ; many of the older young were fishing round
the island. On the i6th, two Wood-pigeons shot at
Corsemalzie contained eggs ready for laying. A Sedge-
warbler, with tail scarcely developed, was being fed by
its parents fully a mile from the nearest nesting-place in
the neighbourhood of Dundee on 25th August. The last
young Fulmar left its nest at North Unst on the 3rd
September, but there seem to have been quite an unusual
number of late nests in September 1918. Young Sand-
martins were still in the nest at Darvel on ist, and Wood-
pigeons with eggs are reported from Corsemalzie and Darvel
on 5th and 22nd September respectively. On 4th September
Mallard, Pheasants, and Partridges all had young unable
to fly at the former place, and three young Black Grouse
on the moor there on that day are described as "like Dab-
chicks." A Skylark's nest full of young was found at
Westray (Orkney) on 19th September, three nests of Wood-
pigeons, near Darvel, on 13th October, with two, two, and
one young respectively, while up to 26th October Starlings
were feeding their young in the nest in Edinburgh.

Winter.

The principal feature of the winter of 1 917- 18 was the
scarcity of P'ieldfares and Redwings in all parts of the

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 109

country. As this has already been dealt with fully in our 191 7
Report, and in notes in the Scot. Nat, 191 8, pp. 93 and 239,
it is unnecessary to do more than allude to it here. In
January 1918 there was a severe storm of frost and snow
which told heavily on the birds. On 19th January Mr
Oscfood Mackenzie writes from West Ross : " We are in the
midst of a terrible snowstorm, and the poor birds (which
were scarce before it came) will be scarcer after it goes.
The {ew Woodcock can hardly flutter and the Blackbirds
and Thrushes are few and far between, and the Sparrow-
hawks are rapidly thinning them down. I have only seen
one Snipe during all this hard weather." On the same day
we have a note that the Blackbirds here (Largo) are getting
very weak and hardly able to fly, owing to frost, and at
the same time many Skylarks, Blackbirds, Redwings, and
Thrushes are reported to have died from cold at Little Ross.
An interesting article appeared in The Gamekeeper for
February 191 8, in which the writer chronicles the birds he
had observed dead between 6th and 19th January ; it may be
well to quote this list as showing the variety of species
affected by the storm. The writer found 16 Red Grouse, 2
Blackgame, 11 Partridges, 7 Woodpigeons, 49 Blackbirds,
7 Thrushes, i Wren, 6 Robins, 14 Chaffinches, 11 Green-
finches, 7 Hedge-accentors, 2 Redwings (the small number of
Redwings is interesting showing the scarcity of these birds
this season), and 2 Pied Wagtails ; along the shore he picked
up 1 1 Guillemots, 5 Razorbills, 2 Little Auks, 2 Golden
Plover, 2 Green Plover, i Pink-footed Goose, and i female
Scaup — verily a goodly bag ! In addition to these
casualties from the storm the writer describes the number of
Geese and Ducks seen in the Firth of Forth, and mentions
the large bags obtained by various sportsmen during this
time ; these comprised many Wader, especially Golden
Plover. At Lerwick on the 21st, many House-sparrows and
Starlings were found " frozen to death in intense frost."
Except for the above notes there was nothing in the period
under review worthy of mention here.

The winter of 1918-19 was not in any way remarkable;
most of the usual winter visitors were present in normal

no THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

numbers. Although it was cold yet there was no very big
storm, and we have no report of unusual casualties. Wrens,
Hedge-sparrows, Turnstones, and a few Redshanks wintered
on Pladda, Arran. Redwings and Fieldfares, although late in
arriving, are reported in great number at Lauder ; Bramblings
were rather scarce there and a Rough-legged Buzzard was
seen frequently in the Lauderdale Glens (i. 1919, 29).
Notes of unusual scarcity come from Possil Marsh, where
we are told that apart from, perhaps, an occasional single
bird no visiting Swans have been seen during the winter of
191 8-19 — the writer adds, " I can recall no precedent of such
an occurrence " ; while from the neighbourhood of Perth we
hear of an extraordinary scarcity of Snipe and Jack-snipe
during the shooting season. Our correspondent writes, " I
have only killed 5 of the former and 4 of the latter. My
average bag over the last five years previous being 193
Common and 65 Jack-snipe; this includes the very bad
season of 191 8, when I only got 91 whole Snipe and 21 Jacks
— what has come over the Snipe ? " A great dearth of Snipe
is also noted in the Melrose district.

Ringing.

The records under this heading are meagre in the
extreme in 1918; owing to absence of the organisers on
active service, the returns received have not yet been
published in full. There is, however, one very interesting
return, namely a Pied Wagtail marked as a nestling at
Moulin near Pitlochry, Perthshire, on 4th June 1916, and
reported from Aviles, Asturias, Spain, on ist Januar}- 1918
(2. xii. 154). A Wren ringed in Stirlingshire in June 1917
was found at the same place in January 1918 (2. xii. 155),
and a Lapwing also ringed in that county in July 1916 was
recovered at the same place in April 191 8 (2. xii. 156).
Lastly a Gull, " with a spiral pink ring without any markings
or name" on its leg, was picked up dead at Broughty Ferry
(i. 1919, 29).

Plumage.

The notes under this heading are few in 191 8 : the Rook
with white feathers in its wings, as previously reported, was

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 11 1

observed on various occasions on Bruntsfield Links, Edin-
burgh, between 19th January and nesting-time when it
disappeared for the season. It returned for the fifth winter
in succession, but was not observed by our correspondent
until 4th November, although earlier seen by others On
the 2 1st of that month another Rook similarly marked,
but with fewer white feathers, appeared on the Links and
frequented the neighbourhood during the winter. Most
probably the second Rook was the offspring of the former
bird. A hybrid Crow was seen at Cullen on 21st October;
this bird was all black, " including throat and belly, but
breast grey, and a grey band round the shoulders at base
of neck," while a pure white Jackdaw was seen at Pitlochry
on nth September. In winter 1917-18 a Blackbird at
Collessie had a white ring completely round its neck ; this
seems to have disappeared as spring advanced, as on 5th
March we are told it only had a few white feathers on
the neck. Two white Ringed Plover were seen at North
Ronaldshay this year ; they were seen last year too — one
was mated to a normally coloured bird, and they had a
nest. The eggs were the usual type. A female Herring
Gull at Stirkoke, Wick, on 20th September is described as
follows : — " White ; tail-coverts, tail, wing-coverts, especially
lesser coverts, tinged fawn. Outer p4rimaries fawn brown,
inner primaries and secondaries suffused fawn. Iris brown."

Food, Habits, etc.

On 25th March 1918, a Squirrel and a Magpie were seen
at Corsemalzie (Wigtownshire) fighting in a fir-tree, the
antics of the Squirrel being described as very amusing to
watch. A party of thirty-seven Magpies were flushed from
among fodder, etc., put out in a field for cattle at Alticig
(Wigtownshire), while a bird of the same species was so
intent on eating a blind-worm in a field at Corsemalzie in
June, that it allowed our correspondent to walk up to within
15 yards of it before it rose. On 20th September, Starlings
pursued by a Sparrow-hawk swooped close over the
observer's head, " landed practically among my feet and crept
into two stooks of oats" (i. 1919,30). Seven Pied Wagtails

112 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

were seen on 20th July roosting in a small willow bush in
reeds, in water in Mochrum Loch, Wigtownshire, at 9.30 P.M.,
and from Cullen under date of 13th September comes a note
of Blue Tits feeding on the fruit of flowering currant of
which they seemed very fond ; three were seen on the bush
at the same time — they pull off the berry and hold it in
their feet against a branch while they peck at it. Sparrow-
hawks near Duns, Berwickshire, are taking toll of the Wood-
pigeons there, Mr Laidlaw having seen the remains of more
than a dozen killed by them (i. 1919, 61). A Peregrine was
mobbed by Terns on approaching the shore at the Dornoch
Firth on 2nd August, and another was seen at Portma-
homack (E. Ross) "in full cry after a Redshank" on i8th
October. On i6th July, a flock of about four hundred
Lapwing were seen bathing in Loch Elrig (Wigtownshire)
after a long shower; a Woodcock on 15th July flew past
our correspondent at Corsemalzie, when he was standing in
a wood, so close as to brush his coat pocket. Common Terns
and Black-headed Gulls were seen in Wigtownshire, shaking
themselves while on the wing, to dry their feathers after a
heavy shower ; the sound could be heard quite clearly. This
is evidently a common habit with these birds ; a Common
Tern which was diving for Perch fry at the Castle Loch,
Mochrum, was also seen to shake itself dry on the wing
after having been submerged. In an article in the Game-
keeper for February, Blackgame are reported in numbers in
Midlothian, and a party of fourteen were disturbed in a strip,
where they had been feeding on fir, scratching away the snow
to get at the food underneath.

Migration
summary of movements.

January.

In the first nine days of January we have no record ot
any migration. From 9th to 21st a good deal of weather
movement took place in frost and snow; the species chiefly
affected were Tiirdincu, Starlings, Skylarks, Snow-buntings,

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 113

Lapwings, Snipe, and Woodcock ; Golden Plover are
recorded from the lanterns at Pladda and Little Ross, and
Knots and Redshanks from the latter place. Thereafter the
weather became milder and nothing worthy of note is
reported till the end of the month.

February.

With a rise in temperature and mild weather for the
season there were returns to breeding-places of Golden
Plover, Lapwings, Curlew, and Shelduck, in the first half of
February. A well-marked TiirdincE and Wader movement
took place, and a good many Little Auks are recorded
during this period. During the second half the same move-
ments continued in a lesser degree, this diminution being
probably due to the unsettled weather conditions which
prevailed in the last fortnight of February.

March.

In the first fortnight of March the winds were chiefly
easterly and the temperature low ; during this period
Turdhuv, Starlings, Skylarks, and Wader were still on the
move. Pied Wagtails were returning to nesting-places.
Swans were moving, and a White Wagtail, evidence of
passage migration, appeared on the 15th, With unsettled
weather and very variable temperature the second fortnight
shows more returns to nesting-places, movements of Duck,
and arrivals of a few summer visitors.

April.

With changeable weather and variable winds migration
in April followed a very normal course ; summer visitors were
arriving in increasing numbers, winter visitors departing
steadily, while a little passage migration is recorded.

May.

During the first half of May there was a large arrival of
summer visitors ; the period of maximum movement was
from the 3rd to the 12th, during which time the wind was,
91 AND 92 O

114 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

almost without exception, from some easterly quarter. A
good deal of passage migration is also recorded, and winter
visitors were leaving the country. After the i6th the main
movement was at an end, some few arrivals are still recorded,
belated winter visitors were leaving, and a few passage
migrants were noted.

/ Jtme.

No passage movements are reported in June, the winds
being almost without exception from some northerly and
westerly quarter ; the first half of the month was warm, the
second cold. The notes sent refer to the flocking of various
species after nesting, and towards the end of the month
returns of Wader and Black-headed Gulls to the shore are
recorded.

July.

During the first half of July, with variable winds and a
temperature mostly below normal, there were slight indica-
tions of autumn movement and further returns of Wader to
the shore. After this to the end of the month the weather
was thundery and unsettled, with heavy rain. More
movement is recorded ; some Passeres, Cuckoos, and Swifts
were moving. Wader in small numbers arrived from over-
seas, and there was also a good deal of local Wader
movement.

August.

In the first fortnight, with warm, unsettled weather, a
certain amount of Passerine, Duck, and Wader movement
took place, but no rush is recorded ; rock-breeding birds
and Terns were leaving their nesting-places. To the end of
the month the weather remained unsettled; many of our
summer visitors left, there was a good deal of passage
migration, and two Whooper Swans are recorded from North
Uist on the 24th.

Septonber.

Throughout September the wind was almost entirely
from some westerly quarter, the weather was cold and there
was a great deal of rain ; a steady movement took place

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 115

during the month, but no rush of any kind is recorded. In
the first half an unusually large number of different species
of winter visitors arrived in the country, the normal
departures of our nesting-birds took place, and there was
some passage migration. In the last half there were more
winter visitors arriving, some departure of summer birds, and
a little passage migration.

October.

South-westerly winds and moderate temperature charac-
terised the first half of October; the migrations were almost
entirely arrivals of winter visitors, these coming into the
country in a steady stream. Small movements of passage
migrants and an ever-diminishing number of summer visitors
is reported. In the second half, with variable winds and
moderate temperature, the arrivals of winter visitors
increased, the last of our summer visitors is noted, and some
passage movements took place.

November.

In the first week, with strong winds chiefly from the
south-west and moderate temperature, some movements
among Starlings, Snow-buntings, Ttirdince, and Wader are
reported. The weather to the end of the month continued
unsettled, the winds being chiefly between south and west,
and the same kind of migration, though in a lesser degree,
continued till the end of the month. In the last fortnieht
movements of Swans and Geese are recorded,

December.

The first fortnight of December was unusually mild,
thereafter the weather became cold and unsettled. There
was very little movement during the month, a few records
of small numbers of a good many species were received, but
no big migrations are anywhere reported.

/.

L i B R A ri V , 3o|

NOTES ON THE MOVEMENTS OF
BIRDS IN 1918.

ARRANGED UNDER SPECIES.

The Raven, Corvtis corax corax. — Fifteen were seen together
on 2oth April and seven on lytli August, both at North Unst.

The Hooded Crow, Corvus comix comix. — On 6th February
a dozen were seen at CuUen, nine at Noss Head on 2nd March,
five or six at Durris on 22nd April, three at the Isle of May on
28th April, and one there on 7th May. Records of the autumn
movement are very scant, arrivals being noted at North Unst on
17th August and North Ronaldshay on 21st December only.

The Carrion Crow, Corvus corone corotie. — On 17th January
a Carrion Crow visited the Isle of May, two or three were seen at
Cullen on 6th February, and small parties about Dundee from early
in March till mid-May. Small numbers appeared on the Isle of
May during April, and one was seen there on 14th May. Arrivals
are noted about Dundee on 3rd and from Pladda on 21st
November.

The Rook, Corvus frugilegus frugikgus. — Six appeared on
Foula on 7th February, and from 17th March till the second
week of April increases were noted at a Dundee rookery, while
a flock of fifty visited Hamnafeldt Hill, Foula, on 29th March.

The Jackdaw, Corvus ??ioneduIa.^^\xds of this species, but of
which race is uncertain, visited Foula on 12th February, the Isle of
May on 14th March and ist April, and Lerwick on 3rd and 26th
December, single birds in each instance.

The Starling, Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris. — From 14th to 19th
January a weather movement caused by the hard frost which pre-
vailed at that time is recorded from Kyleakin and Pladda, and from
Lerwick on 21st January we hear that many were frozen to death.
Notes of movement come from our southern stations between 2nd

116

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 117

February and i8th March, doubtless chiefly our own birds returning,
though some may have been passage migrants ; while emigration is
reported from our northern stations between 13th March and 6th
April. A flock of about thirty Starlings was seen at Dundee on i ith
May, at Largo flocks were to be seen on 8th June, and on nth
June an assembly of about a hundred was- observed at Loch
Elrig, Mochrum.

On 7th September many arrivals are recorded at Pladda, and
from i2th October to 28th November there are many .notes of
movement from our southern and south-western stations, probably
chiefly emigration of our own Starlings to England and Ireland.
Immigration was observed at our northern lanterns and stations
between 5th November and 6th December. On i8th December
fresh arrivals are noted at Pladda.

The Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes coccothraustes. —
See p. I o I . A young one was found dead near Jedburgh on 6th June.

The Greenfinch, Chloris chloris chloris. — A Greenfinch is
recorded from the Isle of May ' on 6th April, and flocks about
Dundee on nth and 12th May and 30th June. An immigration
is noted at Cullen on 20th September.

The British Goldfinch, Carduelis cardiielis brita?i?iica. — Two
Goldfinches were seen at Corsemalzie (Wigtownshire) on 5th May
and a flock of sixty at Whithorn in the same county on ist
October, probably this sub-species.

The Siskin, Carduelis spinus. — The Muckle Flugga Rock was
visited by two Siskins on 15th October, while on 2nd December a
flock of twenty-seven was seen at Alticig (Wigtownshire).

The Twite, Cardjielis flavirostris flavirostris. — A flock arrived
at Pladda on 29th September, seventeen were seen at Glenling,
Mochrum, on 7th October, and a flock of fifteen at Alticig
(Wigtownshire) on 6th December.

The Mealy Redpoll, Cardiielis linaria linaria. — A flock of
twenty is reported from Dundee on 2nd February, and four from
Galson (O.H.) from 5th to loth October.

The Lesser Redpoll, Carduelis liftaria cabaret. — On 28th
November a flock of sixty was seen near the Malzie Burn, Corse-
malzie.

The Linnet, Carduelis cannahitia ca7i?iabi?ia.— Small arrivals
are noted at Noss Head on 16th January and 23rd March, and at

Ii8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Kyleakin on 29th March. Flocking had begun about Dundee on
14th July and at Loch Elrig on 23rd July, and immigration is
reported at Cullen on 20th September.

The Chaffinch, Fringilla ccelebs coelebs. — Pretty constant move-
ment of small numbers is recorded from the Isle of May from i8th
March to 15th May, and single birds at the Muckle Flugga lantern
at midnight on 2nd April and at Foula on 17th April. On 20th
September immigration was noticed at Cullen, a flock at Pladda
on 28th September, single birds pretty frequently at Galson
(O.H.) between 29th October and 30th November, and at
Westray on 24th November. On 2nd December a flock of about
four hundred females was seen in a stubble field near Alticig
(Wigtownshire), while a flock of over a thousand is recorded from
Banff on 5th December.

The Brambling, Fringilla mo7itifringilla. — Northward move-
ment took place pretty steadily at the Isle of May from 13th April
to 15th May, and a female was seen at Noss Head on i6th April.
The only autumn record is from Pladda where one was seen on 7th
September, but several stations comment on the scarcity or absence
of this species during autumn and winter.

The House-sparrow, Passer doinesticus domes ticus. — Many
were found at Lerwick on 21st January frozen to death during the
intense cold which prevailed at the time.

The Tree-sparrow, Passer montaniis montanus. — A flock of
eight or ten were observed at Cullen on 9th March.

The Corn-bunting, Emheriza calandra calandra. — Flocks of
two and three hundred are reported near Eyemouth on 9th January
and 17th March, fluctuating numbers at Noss Head between 12th
January and 23rd March, a flock of twenty at Cullen on 24th
January, and one of thirty there on 13th March, and a flock of about
twenty at Collessie (Fife) on 27th February. In autumn movement
is noted from Noss Head on nth and 24th October, and from
Galson (O.H.) from 12th November to 5th December.

The Yellow Bunting, Emheriza citrinella citritiella. — A migrant
appeared at Noss Head on 23rd April, and four at Vallay
(O.H.) on 2nd May. In autumn two are reported from Noss
Head on nth October, and single birds at the same station on 9th
and 17th November.

The Ortolan, Emheriza hortulana. — See p. 10 r.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 119

The Reed-bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus schcenicli/s. — Two and
three males are recorded near Largo on 4th and 8th January, a
female at Noss Head on T2th January, and a pair "on passage"
near Dundee on 14th March. Single birds are noted at Noss Head
on 24th October and 9th November.

The Snow-bunting, Plectrophe?iax nivalis. — Small movements
are recorded from stations in the Northern Isles and from Noss Head
up to 9th March, while from 17th March to 2nd April more general
movement is noted. Last seen at Foula on 13th April and at
Whalsay Skerries on i8th April.

Early returns are reported in 191 8; on 3rd September a Snow-
bunting arrived on the Muckle Flugga, and the species is recorded
from Galson (O.H.) in the beginning of September. Steady
movements took place at our northern stations and in the
Outer Hebrides from 17th September to loth October, and again
from 2ist October to the end of November, considerable numbers
being recorded during this last month. In November, too, we have
records from our southern stations but of small flocks only. Slight
movements are noted at Noss Head during December, and on the
20th of that month large numbers appeared on North Ronaldshay.

The Skylark, Alauda arvensis arvensis. — A well-defined
weather movement is recorded between nth and 22nd January
from the Isle of May, Pladda, and Little Ross ; at the last station
many were found dead from the cold. From 13th February to
1 2 th April much movement is recorded almost entirely from our
southern stations, but a little emigration is also noted from the
Northern Isles during this period. Probably the majority of the
records refer to movements of our breeding birds, though passage
migrants may also have been represented. Some Skylarks on the
Isle of May on loth May doubtless belonged to this latter class.

During the first half of September passage to the south-east is
recorded, and on 29th September considerable numbers passed
Dundee before 10.30 a.m. going west. On 13th October many were
passing east at Dundee, and on the 20th both south-eastward and
westward passage was observed at this station, while on 21st October
"lots of parties were crossing the merse lands in Wigtown Bay
from the south-east, all day."

The Tree-pipit, Anthus trivialis trivialis. — Is first recorded
from Cadder and Rouken Glen on 28th April, Darvel next day, and
Beith on 30th April, and immigration is noted up to 22nd May.
Some were present on the Isle of May on Sth and loth May. In
autumn, passage is reported from Balgay between 22nd July and

120 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

25th Auy,ust, and three Tree-pipits at Noss Head on nth
September.

The Meadow-pipit, Anthus pratensis. — An arrival is recorded
at Largo on 25th March, and from this time till mid-April consider-
able movement is noted from all parts of Scotland. An influx is
reported from the Isle of May on loth May. Autumn movement
is first recorded from Dundee on nth August, and from this time
till nth October there are continuous notes of the passage of this
species ; the periods of maximum movement seem to be 6th and
7th September, 24th to 26th September, and nth October. The
records come chiefly from our southern stations, but there are also
a few from Noss Head. On 12th November five are reported from
Galson (O.H.), and a flock of eleven and several single birds on
the moor at Corsemalzie on 30th November,

The Rock-pipit, Anthus spbioktta petrosus. — An influx is
noted at the Isle of May on 31st March, and one at the Little Ross
lantern at 3 a.m. on 5th April. On 3rd September twelve arrived
on the Muckle Flugga Rock, and on the 6th many appeared on
Pladda, and several are recorded in Wigtown Bay on 21st October.

The Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla fiava rayi. — Is first reported
from Killermont (Clyde) on 24th April, Darvel and Houston on the
27th, and Rouken Glen and Summerston on 28th April. An adult
female was sent from the Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse on 3rd May,
and a female was observed in Bute on 17th May (i. 1918, 286).
Last seen at Beith on 12th September and Alticig (Wigtownshire)
two days later.

The Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea cmerea. — One is
recorded from Largo Bay on 20th January, two from North Unst
on 1 8th May, and one at the latter station on 20th August.
A good deal of movement from breeding haunts to winter quarters
is noted between 8th September and 13th October, and three Grey
Wagtails visited Little Ross on 23rd October.

The White Wagtail, Motacilla alba alba. — The first record of
the passage of this Wagtail is from Noss Head on 15th March, and
from that time till 8th May steady movement appears to have taken
place along both east and west coasts. The return movement in
autumn is equally well marked : on 21st August seven, one being an
adult, appeared at Noss Head, and records come constantly from
this station, Banff, Tayport (Fife), Beith, Isle of Whithorn, and Alticig
(Wigtownshire) up to nth October, on which date seven, including
two adults, are reported at Noss Head.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 121

The Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba bigubris. — There are a good
many notes of small numbers of wintering birds up to 2nd February.
Immigration is first reported on 3rd March and throughout that month
arrivals are noted, specially during the last week. On 6th May one
visited Foula, and two were at Noss Head on 14th and one on i6th
May. Autumn movement was well represented from 2nd
September to 12th October, sometimes in considerable numbers
and almost entirely from our southern stations, two at Noss Head
on nth October being the only record from the north. From 30th
November onwards wintering birds again figure from many stations.

The British Willow Titmouse, Parus atricapillus klein-
schmidti. — A pair were seen at Corsemalzie on 28th March and 3rd
April, and seven at Possil Marsh on 22 nd December.

The Goldcrest, Rcgulus reguliis. — A Goldcrest killed at the
Little Ross lantern at 1.30 a.m. on i8th March was probably our
R. r. a7iglorum returning to its breeding quarters, but one at the
Isle of May on 14th May seems more likely to have been the
typical form. "A pretty large migration" is recorded from
Montrose on nth October, and at 2 a.m. on the 12th numbers
were at the Little Ross lantern and several were at the same light
in the early hours of 22 nd October.

The Waxwing, Bombycilia garnilus.—SQe p. 10 1.

The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata striata. — Is re-
ported from Corsemalzie on 4th May, Rouken Glen next day,
Darvel on the nth, and Dundee and Largo on 12th May. After
this arrivals at nesting quarters took place up to 22nd May. From
22nd July throughout August a good deal of movement is noted.
Last seen at CuUen and Redmyre (Tay) on 7th September, Corse-
malzie on 26th September, and Glasserton on 30th September.

The Pied Flycatcher, Muscicapa hypoleuca hypokuca. — A male
and female were on the Muckle Flugga Rock from 5th to 7th May,
some on the Isle of May on the latter date, and one there next day.
On 19th May this species is recorded from Broughton (Peebles-
shire), and from Tarholm (Ayr) on 23rd May. The only autumn
records are from Noss Head, where passage migrants are noted on
8th and 9th September.

The Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita collybita. — Is first re-
ported from Dairy (Clyde) on 6th April; Rouken Glen follows on
2ist April. On 4th and 5th May a number were on the island at
Little Ross, and at n p.m. on 6th May some were killed at that
lantern.

122 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Northern Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita abietinus. —
A Chiffchaff recorded from Noss Head on 22 nd August probably
belonged to this sub-species.

The Willow-warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus. — The
early records come from Melrose on i8th April, Kilmacolm on 19th,
Corsemalzie next day, Summerston on the 21st, Killermont on the
22nd, Darvel on the 23rd, and Little Ross and Isle of May on 24th
April. After this arrivals are reported from all over Scotland up to
25th May, the chief influx taking place between 30th April and 8th
'May.

Return movement is reported from the Isle of May on 7th
August, and from that time till mid-September there are a good
many notes of southward movement, evidently referring chiefly to
the departure of our home-bred birds. A Willow-warbler at Noss
Head on 27th August was probably a passage migrant from the
Continent. Last seen Balgay on 14th September, Largo on 17th,
Cullen on 19th, and Corsemalzie and Broughty Ferry on 20th
September.

The Wood-warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix sibilatrix. — Arrivals
are recorded from Tarholm near Ayr on 2nd IMay, Darvel and Corse-
malzie on 7th, and Cullen on 17th May. Single birds are noted at
Balgay (Forfar) on 28th July and 18th August.

The Grasshopper-warbler, Locustella ncevia n<zvia. — Is re-
ported from Beith on nth May, Kilmacolm on 17th, Fossil Marsh
on 20th, and near Mount Stuart (Bute) on 22nd May.

The Sedge-warbler, Acrocephalus schmwbcenus. — Very early
records of this species come from Summerston on 22nd, 24th, and
25th April, the only previous instance of such early arrival in Clyde
being in 1893. Sedge- warblers are reported at Corsemalzie on 6th
May, Beith on 8th, Darvel on loth, Kilmacolm and Invergowrie
on 1 2th May, and arrivals at breeding sites are noted up to 29th
May.

By 24th July return movement had begun, and many notes come
from our southern stations, evidently of the departure of our breeding
birds, up to the end of August. Last seen Broughty Ferry on 30th
August, Fossil Marsh "over thirty on passage" on 8th September,
and Corsemalzie, three on the moors, on nth September.

The Garden-warbler, Sylvia boriti. — The records of arrival
are rather late in 1918. On 7th May a Garden-warbler visited the
Isle of May, and records come from Tarholm (Ayr) next day, Darvel
on the 9th, Melrose on 13th, Beith and Rouken Glen on the 14th

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 123

May, further arrivals being noted up to 26th May. Last seen at
Beith on 23rd July.

The Blackcap, Sylvia ati-icapilla atricapilla. — Single birds are
reported from the Isle of May from 6th to 8th May and Darvel on
nth May.

The Whitethroat, Sylvia com??iu?iis conwnmis. — Is first
recorded from Corsemalzie on 24th April, Milngavie and Fossil
Marsh on 27th April, and Bishop Loch, near Glasgow, on 4th May,
while a male was killed at the Mull of Galloway lantern that night.
Arrivals at nesting places are reported right up to 29th May, the
period of maximum movement being between loth and i6th May,
when a large influx took place. A passage migrant is noted at
Lerwick on 22nd May. Southward movement had begun by 22nd
July and continued throughout August. Last seen Beith 29th
August, Dundee ist September, and Corsemalzie on 9th September.

The Lesser Whitethroat, Sylvia curruca curruca. — The only
record for the year is of several on the Isle of May on 5th May.

The Fieldfare, Turdiis pilaris. — From 20th January to 4th
February there are a good many records of small numbers of
Fieldfares from such widely separated stations as North Unst, Foula,
the Isle of May, and Little Ross, while on 24th January large flocks
appeared at Durris. From 12th February till the end of April we
have steady reports of movements of Fieldfares from stations all
over Scotland, apparently passage migrants, as the great scarcity of
this species in the autumn of 191 7 and the ensuing winter would
seem to indicate. Last seen at Balhousie, near Largo, on 3rd May,
the Muckle Flugga on 5th, Noss Head on 7th, Bressay on 9th, and
the Isle of May on 14th May.

Autumn arrivals took place at Corsemalzie on 4th October,
High Glenling (Mochrum) on loth, North Ronaldshay on nth,
Kilmacolm on 13th, and Noss Head on 14th October, and during
the rest of the month spasmodic movement is noted. A large influx
is reported between 2nd and nth November, and two Fieldfares
were at the North Ronaldshay lantern at 3 a.m. on 27th November.

The Missel-thrush, Turdus viscivorus viscivorus. — Single birds
are recorded from the Isle of May on 12th, 17th, and 24th February.
On 1 6th June a flock of thirteen was seen on the moor at Corse-
malzie, and flocking was noted at Kirkmichael on i8th June. On
5th August a great flock, estimated at 150, was seen in a turnip field
at Corsemalzie, a Missel-thrush visited the Isle of May on 7th
August, and one was seen at Lerwick on 12 th October.

124 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Song -thrush, Turdus philovielus. — Numbers of Song-
thrushes are recorded at the Little Ross lantern at 3 a.m. on 18th
January and throughout February, and up to i8th March large move-
ments are reported from our southern lanterns and stations, doubtless
returns of our own breeding T. ph. clarkei. From i6th April to 8th
May notes of small numbers come from Noss Head and the Isle of
May, probably of emigrant T. ph. philotnebis, and on 23rd June two
Song-thrushes appeared at the latter station.

The Isle of May again records some Thrushes on 12th and 17th
July and from ryth to 19th August, while Pladda sends notes from
7th September to 13th October of varying numbers, and immigration
is reported at CuUen on 7th and 20th September. From 14th
October to 9th November immigrants are recorded from the
Northern Isles and Noss Head, probably of the typical form, while
a large exodus, probably of our owni breeding birds, is reported from
our southern lanterns and stations between 30th October and 28th
November.

The Redwing, Turdus musicus. — Numbers of Redwings visited
the Little Ross lantern at 3 a.m. on i8th January, and records of
small numbers come from this station, the Isle of May, Cullen, and
Lerwick up to mid-February. The only large flock noted was at
Alticig on 28th February in snow, and in March small northward
movements are reported, but Redwings were nowhere in Scotland
as numerous as Fieldfares during the spring migration. Last seen
at the Little Ross lantern, the Isle of INIay, and Foula on 13th April,
and Lerwick on 15th April.

Autumn arrivals were early. The first noted is from Bathgate
on 14th September, where a flock of twenty-six was seen going
south. Redwings were migrating by night over Lerwick on 18th
September, and six or seven were seen at Beith on 28th September.
From nth October to 25th November steady immigration took
place, the period of maximum movement being from i8th October
to 9th November. Towards the end of the period the southern
lanterns report much activity, so probably many of these birds
were but passage migrants with us, on their way to winter in milder
climes.

The Ring-ouzel, Turdus torquatus torquatus. — An early record
comes from the Little Ross lantern, where a Ring- ouzel struck on
14th February, while on i8th March one was shot near Dunbar.
From 9th to 22nd April varying numbers are reported on the Isle
of May and one there on 3rd May ; one was killed at the Pladda
lantern on 17th April, a female was at Noss Head on 23rd April,

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 125

one at Giffnock on 24th and 25th April, and four at Noss Head on
loth May: these Noss Head birds were assuredly passage migrants,
as were probably some of those on the Isle of May.

The Blackbird, Turdiis merida vierula. — From i8th to 22nd
January Blackbirds are recorded from Little Ross (where many
died of cold), Pladda, and Noss Head, evidently a weather move-
ment. Steady movement, sometimes of large numbers, is reported
from Little Ross (L ), Rhinns of Islay (L.), and the Isle of May
from 2nd February to iSth March, while on 6th March a male
appeared at Noss Head. In autumn, varying numbers are noted at
Pladda from 7th September to 13th October, while from 14th
October till i8th November considerable immigration is reported
from our Northern Isles and Noss Head. On 6th and 13th November
rushes (of emigrants }) took place at the Little Ross lantern, and up
to the end of that month slight spasmodic movement is noted at
Pladda andGalson (O.H.).

The Wheatear, (E?ia?ithe cenanthe mnanthe. — Two males are
recorded from Torrs Sandhills (Wigtownshire) on 29th March, three
were seen at Dunure (Carrick) on 31st March, and Wheatears are
noted at Ballaird Moor and Arthur's Seat on ist April, and Broughton
(Peeblesshire) and -Braid Hills next day. After this, many arrivals
at Scottish breeding-places took place, this lasting up to the end of
April. From 13th April to 20th May much movement is reported
from the Northern Isles, Noss Head, and the Isle of May ; many
of these were doubtless passage migrants, and the Wheatears which
thronged round the Little Ross lantern on the nights of 2nd, 4th,
5th, and 6th May, and the male killed at the Mull of Galloway
lantern on 4/5th May, may also have been passing through this
country on their way to breed overseas.

Return movement is noted at the Isle of Mayas early as loth July,
while from 2nd August to 19th September steady records come of
Wheatears on migration from stations all over Scotland, the
majority being, in all probability, our own birds making their way
southwards. Last seen at Cullen on 8th October, Bathgate next
day, Foula on 14th, and Galson on 28th October.

Some of the above records may refer to the following sub-
species.

Tn'E.G'R.is.XT'EK\V\i'E.M:¥.\K,(Enanthe cenanthe kucorrhoa. — Passage
migrants of this race are reported from Darvel and Dundee on 5th
May, Noss Head on 7th, 14th, 15th, and 20th May, Dundee again
on 7th, and the Isle of May on 9th, loth, 13th, i6th, and 17th May,

126 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Autumn passage is noted at Noss Head on 27th August, Beith on
3rd September, Girlsta (Shetland) from 9th to 13th September,
Lerwick on 15th September, and Noss Head on iith October.

The Whinchat, Saxicola rubetra rubetra. — Is first recorded
from Craigallian (Milngavie) on 27th April; on 3rd May a lot
were on the Isle of May, and arrivals are noted at Aberlady on 4th
May, the Mull of Galloway lantern that night, and Uarvel, Summerston,
Dundee, and Largo on 5th May. After this the spread was rapid
and continued till 14th May. Passage migration is recorded from
Noss Head from 7th to i8th May, and Whinchats on the Isle of
May on 17th May may also have been passage migrants. By 23rd
July movement was again observed near Dundee. Last seen Beith
on 8th August, Dundee on nth, and Tayport 17th August. Three
visited Noss Head on 26th August and two were there next day,
while on 8th September about a dozen on passage were seen at
Fossil Marsh.

The British Stonechat, Saxicola torqiiata hibernans. — A male
and female were seen at Beith on 3rd September, one at Galson
(O.H.) on 23rd October, and a male at Fossil Marsh on 22nd
December ; these probably all belonged to the British sub-species.

The Redstart, Ph<je?itairiis phcenicurus pJiKnicurus. — An
early bird is recorded from the Isle of May on 22nd April, while
some were at this station from 3rd to 8th May. Redstarts are
reported at Melrose on 27th April, where a male was caught in a
porch sheltering from a blizzard and six inches of snow were lying,
Darvel on 5th May, Bathgate on 6th, Edinburgh and Aberlady on
7th May, and a passage migrant at the Muckle Flugga Rock on 5th
May. Autumn movement is recorded at Beith on 13th July, the
Isle of May on 17th, and Balgay (Forfarshire) on 23rd July.
Departures took place during August, and a passage migrant is
noted at Noss Head on the 27th of that month. Last seen Largo
on 3rd September, Redmyre on 7th, and Balgay on 8th September.

The Black Redstart, Phcenicurus ochrurus gibraltariensis . —
See p. loi.

The Redbreast, Erithacus rubecula. — A Redbreast appeared
at Noss Head on 23rd February and one at the Isle of May on loth
March. A well-marked movement took place from 2nd to 14th
April and another from 23rd April to 9th May ; the stations recording
these are the Muckle Flugga (and L.), Lerwick, Foula, Noss Head,
and the Isle of May, and doubtless the records refer to the spring
emigration from our shores of the Continental E. r. rid>eci/Ia. On

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 127

7th August a Redbreast, probably one of our own E. r. melophihis,
visited the Isle of May; some are noted at Pladda on 7th and 26th
September, 13th October, and 21st November, and many at this
station on 4th November. Single birds at Noss Head on 14th
October and Lerwick on i8th November were probably of the
typical form.

The Hedge-sparrow, Pmnella fnodularis. — Single birds are
recorded from the Isle of May on nth and 12th January and 2nd
February, and some at the same station from 12th to 17th April,
but it is impossible to say to which race these belong. One of the
typical P. HI. modii/arts was killed at the Muckle Flugga lantern
on 6th April, and Hedge-sparrows at Noss Head on 6th May and
5th October may also have belonged to the typical form.

The AVren, Troglodytes troglodytes troglodytes. — A Wren is
recorded from Noss Head on r2th January, and one from the Isle
of May on 21st March, while a Wren that was at the Muckle
Flugga lantern at 9 p.m. on 2nd April may have belonged to the
Shetland form T. t. zetlandicus. Some visited Pladda on i8th and
19th October, 4th November, and i8th December, and a Wren
appeared at Galson on 30th October.

The Swallow, Hirundo rustica rustica. — Early arrivals took
place in 1918, a Swallow being recorded from Beith on 4th April
and three at Sunnnerston on 6th April. Thereafter no more were
reported till r3th April at Tarholm (Ayr), several at Castle Kennedy
(Wigtownshire) on i 7th, Melrose on 19th, Kilmacolm and Broughton
on 24th April. The spread was rapid after this date, and notes of
arrival at breeding-places come from all over the country up to loth
May. The first note of Swallows from our island stations is from
Foula on 6th May, and records of movement come from Shetland and
the Outer Hebrides up to 26th May. On 24th July a Swallow was
seen on the Isle of May and eastward passage was noted at Dundee,
this being recorded at intervals up to 14th September. Westward
movements were observed at the same station between 27th July and
29th September. By the end of August many had left the country
and departures are recorded throughout September, while on loth
October one was seen at Westray (Orkney). Last seen at Bathgate
on 3rd October, Beith next day, near Largo on r5th October "one
flying west," and five flying south at Little Ross on 21st October.

The House-martin, Delicho7i urbica urbica. — Is first recorded
from Castle Kennedy on 17th April, Bardowie, near Glasgow, and
Broughton (Peeblesshire) on 27th April, Darvel and Kilmacolm

128 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

next day. After this, arrivals are noted all over the country till
1 8th May, by which time their breeding-haunts seem to have been
occupied. Foula reports three House-martins on 6th May, and
single birds are recorded from Lerwick on 20th and 29th May.
On 12th and 17th July one visited the Isle of May, and eastward
passage is recorded from Dundee on 27th July and 4th August,
while westward passage was observed at this station between i8th
August and 22nd September. By 9th September the great majority
of this species had left us. Last seen at Swordale (E. Ross) on
1 6th September, CuUen on 19th, near Dundee on 29th September,
and Largo on 4th October.

The Sand-martin, Riparia riparia '■ riparia. — The earliest
records come from Summerston on 6th April, Dunragit, Old Luce,
on loth, and Beith on 13th April. Thereafter, arrivals are reported
from many parts of Scotland up to 13th May. Autumn movement
is noted from Invergowrie on 14th July, and westward passage at
Dundee between 20th July and 4th August. Last seen Dundee on
nth August, Beith on 6th September, Largo on 9th, and Broughty
Ferry on 13th September.

The Swift, Apus apus apus. — Is first recorded from Little Ross
on 3rd May, Kilmacolm and Wigtown on 6th, Melrose and Morning-
side on 8th, Darvel, Beith, Dundee, and Broughton on nth May,
Arrivals at breeding-places continued up to i8th May; some were
at the Isle of May from 20th to 22nd May, and one at Foula on
6th June. Autumn movement is first noted on 17th July, and west-
ward passage is reported at intervals from Dundee between 24th July
and 22nd August. The majority of Swifts had left for warmer climes
by mid-August. Last seen Beith on i8th August, Largo on 25th
August, Morningside Park on 2nd September, Broughty Ferry on
9th September, Muirend (Glasgow) on nth September (i. r9i8, 273),
Noss Head on 20th September, Edinburgh on 25th September (2.
xii. 160), Newlands (Glasgow) on 13th October (i. 1918, 273).

The Nightjar, Caprimidgus europceus etiropaus. — Single birds
are recorded from Corsemalzie on i8th May, and Kilchattan Bay
(Bute) next day, and a pair and two immature birds on the moor at
Corsemalzie on 30th August. .

The British Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dryohates major
angliais. — A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, probably belonging
to this race, were seen at Fossil Marsh on 24th and 29th April, and
not on any subsequent occasion.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 129

The Wryneck, Jyjix torquilla torqiiilla. — The only record is
of one at Noss Head on 26th August.

The Cuckoo, Cuculus canori/s canorus. — Is first noted at Tar-
holm (Ayr) on 19th April, Dullatur on the 21st, and Corsemalzie
on 22nd April, after which many records of arrival come from all
over Scotland up to 14th May. Last heard at Beith on 26th June,
Corsemalzie next day, and Kilmacolm on 30th. Young birds were
seen at Castle Loch (Wigtownshire) on i6th July, the Isle of May
on 26th, and Noss Head on 28th July, and Bathgate on ist August.

The Snowy Owl, Nyctea nydea. — See p. loi.

The Long-eared Owl, Asio otus otiis. — A bird of this species
visited the Isle of May on 21st April,

The Short-eared Owl, Asio flainmens flavimeus. — On 24th
January a Short-eared Owl was flushed just above high-water mark
at Aberlady, and one was seen at Glenling (Mochrum) on 13th
March, while on nth September three were observed at Corse-
malzie, one on a stook of corn, the other two in the heather.

The Peregrine, Falco peregrinus peregrinus. — Single birds are
recorded repeatedly from Noss Head and Lerwick during the first
quarter of the year.

The Merlin, Falco columbarius cesalon. — Single birds are noted
at the Isle of May on T2th April, Noss Head on 27th August and
1 2th September, and Pladda on 2nd October. Between 14th
October and 19th November there are frequent records from Noss
Head and Galson.

The Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus. — Two Kestrels
are reported from Lerwick on 27th January, and single birds from
Noss Head on 3rd and 23rd February, Lerwick on 14th April,
North Unst on 15th May, and the Isle of May next day. Return
movement is noted at this last station on 9th August, and up to the
end of November notes of small numbers come from many of our
island stations.

The Golden Eagle, Aquila chryscetus chryscEtus. — One is
recorded from Glen Trool (Kirkcudbright) on 2nd and 4th
December (i. 19 19, 48).

The Rough-legged Buzzard, Buteo lagopus lagopus. — See
p. lOI.

The Buzzard, Buteo buteo buteo.— h Buzzard visited Corsemalzie
(Wigtownshire) on isth December.

91 AND 92 p

130 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Hen-harrier, Circus cyaneus. — See p. 102.

The Sparrow-hawk, Accipiter nisus in'si/s. — One is recorded
from Noss Head on 27th August.

The Whooper Swan, Cygnus cygmis. — On 15th January seven
were seen flying east over Vallay (O.H.); ten Swans, probably
this species, at Lerwick on 17th January, several at Kenmure
Marsh (Cadder) on 27th and 2Sth February, while on 2nd March
three adults and three immature birds arrived at Fossil Marsh
where they stayed till 7th April, when they left at 11.50 a.m. going
due north. On 13th and 14th March Swans were migrating at
night at Lerwick, while on i8th March another party of one adult
and two immature birds arrived at Fossil Marsh, leaving again at
5 P.M. on 2ist March going east. A single Whooper was seen at
Vallay (O.H.) on 24th May, and on 24th August two flew over this
station. From i6th October to i6th November passage of Swans
was noted at our stations in Orkney and the northern mainland ; on
29th October two Swans were recorded at Little Ross going north-
west and six flying up the Dee on 13th November, while on 18th
November a flock of twenty-six Whoopers was seen off Crook Shore
(Wigtown Bay). From 23rd November to 4th December there are
many records from our Outer Hebridean stations.

Bewick's Swan, Cygmis bewickii bewickii. — From nth to 15th
March five were on Fossil Marsh (i. 19 18, 102).

The Grey-lag Goose, Anser anser. — A flock of five hundred is
reported in Wigtown Bay on 19th February, while by 21st July this
species had returned to the low ground after breeding at Vallay (O.H. ).
On loth September a flock of seventeen had arrived in Wigtown
Bay, while by ist October great numbers were at that station. A
good deal of movement is recorded between 23rd September and
nth November, chiefly from North Ronaldshay and Galson (O.H.).
Under the title of "Geese" or "Grey Geese" northward movement
is recorded steadily from stations in all parts of Scotland between
i8th March and 21st April; five were seen at Lerwick on 3rd
September, and return migration was observed in some numbers
from 1 6th October to 29th November.

The White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons. — On 15th
January a flock of twenty was seen flying west at Vallay, and on 7th
May at the same station about 8 a.m. a flock of eighty was observed
going west, and another large flock going due north at mid-day.
On 27th September a White-fronted Goose is reported from North
Ronaldshay, two at Galson late in September, a flock of twenty-

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 131

four at Portmahomack on 21st October, some on the Beauly Firth
on 1 8th November, and flocks at Galson on 3rd and 5th December.

The Bean Goose, Anser fabalis fabalis. — Four visited Corse-
malzie on 21st December.

The Pink-footed Goose, Anser brachyrhyncJius. — One is
recorded from the Beauly Firth on i8th November.

The Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis. — A flock of thirty
were seen flying due north at Vallay on 7th May, and by 12th
October return movement is noted at the same station. After this,
there are records of arrival of Barnacles from Vallay, Galson, and
the Beauly Firth throughout October,

The Brent Goose, Branta bernicla bernicla. — A Brent Goose
was seen in Largo Bay on 20th January, and a flock of twenty-five
at Vallay (O.H.) on 22nd January. The last of the Brents left the
Cromarty Firth on 29th May, and nine were seen going south at
North Ronaldshay on 13th November.

The Sheld-duck, Tadorna tadorna. — The full breeding
numbers had arrived at Kingoodie Marshes, west of Invergowrie,
by 2nd February, " a full month before their usual time " ; six
Sheld-duck were seen at Vallay on 19th February, and two at Noss
Head on 6th May. On nth October we have the note "Not one
to be seen on the merse-lands (Wigtown Bay), often thousands."

The M-M^hhRHjAnasplatyrhynchaplatyrhyncha. — Unusually large
numbers were seen in Largo Bay on 20th January, and about two
hundred had returned to the Tay Estuary on 4th August.

The Gadwall, Anas strepera. — One was shot on Bardowie
Loch on 7th January.

The Teal, Anas crecca crecca. — A flock is recorded on Redmyre
Loch on 15th April, and arrivals at Vallay (O.H.) on 14th and 25th
September. On 23rd October about sixty were on Loch Chesney
and large flocks on the loch at Galson on 15th November and 3rd
December.

The Wigeon, Anas pe7ielope. — Had almost all left Vallay by
ist April, while on 18th April about a score were on Threipmuir
Reservoir, Pentlands. On 20th July a pair were flushed at the
Castle Loch (Mochrum) ; one was shot on Mugdrum Island on
ist August, arrivals are reported at Vallay on 24th September,
and on ist October thousands were feeding beside the Cromarty
Firth.

132 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Pintail, Anns acuta. — A flock of forty are recorded from
Wigtown Bay on 19th February, a pair from Possil Marsh on 5th
May, and about a dozen on the Dornoch Firth on 21st October.

The Shoveller, Spatula clypeata. — A pair are recorded from
Redmyre Loch on 15th April and 12th October, a drake there on
25th May and a duck on Loch Chesney (Wigtownshire) on 23rd
October.

The Pochard, Nyroca ferina feri^ia. — The winter flock on the
Tay Estuary dwindled gradually till 17th February, when the last
was seen, while a flock was observed on Redmyre Loch on 23rd
March, and a pair on Mochrum Loch on 15th May.

The Tufted Duck, Nyroca fuligula. — Up to 23rd March
drakes predominated largely at Redmyre, but by 15th April the
ducks there were twice as numerous as the drakes. Last seen on
the Tay Estuary on 25th April, while on 4th May a drake was
observed on the Forth at Aberlady. On 27th August a Tufted
Duck appeared on Balhousie Reservoir near Largo, while on 12th
October all had left Redmyre.

The Scaup, Nyroca marila marila. — Big flocks are noted in
Largo Bay (where there usually are none) on 20th January and 3rd
February, and numbers arrived at Little Ross on nth October.

The Goldeneye, Bticephala clangula cla?igula. — Is reported
pretty steadily from east coast stations up to 31st March; a female
was seen repeatedly on the Tay Estuary up to 7th May, and an
apparently adult male on Castle Loch (Mochrum) on 20th May.
On 5th October a Goldeneye was on Morton Loch (N. Fife), and
several on the Tay Estuary on 20th October, while great numbers
were seen on the Deveron on 23rd December (i. 1919, 50).

The Long-tailed Duck, Clangula hyemaiis. — Was last seen at
Cullen on 19th March and Boyndie Bay on 29th April, while the
earliest autumn records are from Vallay on i6th October and
Tarbatness next day.

The Eider, Somateria niollissinia nwllissinia. — Great numbers
arrived at Whalsay Skerries on 20th April, the Isle of May next
day, Largo Bay on 5th May, and Lerwick on 14th May. Large
flocks are again recorded on 21st September in the Tay Estuary,
26th September at Whalsay Skerries, and 3rd November at North
Ronaldshay.

The Common Scoter, Oidemia nigra nigra. — A female was
shot at Darsnag Flow (Corscmalzie), quite six miles inland on 29th

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 133

March. "She rose out of the heather some 200 yards from water
and flew strongly ; weather not stormy." On 5th May there were
still many in Largo Bay, and great numbers in the Dornoch Firth on
2nd August, while on 29th September some were seen off the Isle
of Whithorn.

The Goosander, Mergus merganser merga^jser. — Eight were
observed on the Tay Estuary on 26th January, and a female at
Aberlady on 4th May. At least twenty in the Tay Estuary on
20th October, several in the Beauly Firth on 6th December, and
great numbers on the Deveron on 23rd December (i. 1919, 50).

The Merganser, Mergus serrator. — Last seen in the Tay
Estuary on 25th April, a pair at Aberlady on 4th May, and a pair at
Noss Head on 8th May. By 20th October several had returned to
the Tay Estuary.

The Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo carbo. — First seen on 25th
March crossing the moor at Corsemalzie from its inland nesting-
place. Last seen in the Tay Estuary on 9th May.

The Shag, Phalacrocorax graculus graculus. — One was seen on
a dam 1^7 miles inland at Cullen on 2nd February, and on loth
March a pair returned to nest on the Isle of May.

The Gannet, Sula bassana. — Early records come from the Isle
of May on 20th January and Eyemouth on 9th February. On
17th October about a dozen were seen off Tarbatness and one at
Pladda on 15th December.

The Storm Petrel, Hydrobates pelagicus. — Two are recorded
from Noss Head on 9th February, and one from that lantern at
2 A.M. on 5th September.

Leach's Fork-tailed Petrel, Oceanodroina leucorhoa. — See
p. 102.

The Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus cristatus.
— There are a good many records from the Forth and Tay
Estuaries up to 5th May. A pair was seen on Possil Marsh on
17th March, and an arrival is recorded at Redmyre Loch on 23rd
March. Returns to salt-water are noted by 31st October.

The Little Grebe, Podiceps ruficollis ruficollis. — One arrived
at Balhousie Reservoir, near Largo, on 23rd March and its mate
two days later ; they subsequently bred there.

The Great Northern Diver, Colytnbus iinmer. — Is recorded
from Kyleakin up to 5th May, Baltasound on 17th June, and an

134 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

immature bird near Wick on 24th July. From 19th October to
17th November there are a good many records of the arrival of
this bird round our shores, and on 20th November one was caught
on Earnscleugh water, a tributary of the Leader (i. 191 9, 29).

The Black-throated Diver, Colymbus arciicus. — One in half
plumage was seen in Largo Bay on 5th May.

The Wood-pigeon, Columba palumbus palumbus. — Large flocks
are reported from various mainland stations up to 9th March. Two
Wood-pigeons visited Lerwick on 9th April ; single birds are noted
at the Isle of May on 8th and 13th May and the Island of Noss on
9th May, and some were seen at Baltasound on 17th June, evidently
all passage migrants.

The Stock-dove, Columba cenas. — Returns to breeding-places
are noted in April.

The Oystercatcher, Hceinatopus ostralegus ostralegus. —
Many Oystercatchers were at the Little Ross lantern on 2nd
February and several at the Rhinns of Islay lantern on 4th March,
while from the latter date to 25th April returns to breeding-places
are recorded from Orkney and Shetland and from inland stations
on the mainland. On :'3rd June a flock of a dozen were seen in
Largo Bay, a big flock on the Dornoch Firth on 17th July, and
Oystercatchers were seen on 17th August about ten miles inland,
near Beith, where they are rare.

The Dotterel, Charadrius niorinelliis. — On 2nd August a
Dotterel visited the Isle of May lantern.

The Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula hiaticula. — On 23rd
July a flock of twenty-nine were seen flying low to the south, in mist,
at Loch Elrig (Wigtownshire).

The Golden Plover, Charadrius apricarius — Much movement
is recorded from our southern stations and lanterns from 13th
January to 2nd February; about fifty appeared at Noss Head on
2nd March and several rushes are reported from the Little Ross
lantern between 2nd and i8th March. On 27th April a flock of
about a hundred were seen near Pittenweem, and a flock of twenty-
one at Corsemalzie on 24th May, these flocks being probably en
route for breeding localities to the north of these islands. By i8th
June flocking after breeding is noted at Kirkmichael, and returns to
the shore are recorded during July and early August. From nth
September to 4th November a large movement took place,
apparently chiefly arrivals of immigrants from overseas; Golden

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 135

Plover visited the Pladda lantern on 22nd November and large
numbers are reported from this station on i8th December, and
North Ronaldshay two days later.

The Grey Plover, Squatarola squatarola. — A single bird is
recorded from the Dornoch Firth on 21st October.

The Lapwing, Vanelltis vanellns. — From 13th January to nth
February much Lapwing movement took place at the lanterns of
Little Ross, Plndda, and the Rhinns of Islay, and records come
from the Isle of May on 21st and 27th January, and the Noss Head
lantern on 25th January. During this period also returns to
breeding-places are reported, so the movement may have been
chiefly that of our own breeding birds. Another phase of movement
is recorded from ist to 28th March, chiefly from stations in the
northern mainland and islands, though the Little Ross lantern and
the Isle of May (and L.) also report numbers of Lapwing; some of
these may have been passage migrants, while others were, doubtless,
taking up their summer quarters in the north of our area. Three
Lapwings visited the Isle of May on 14th April, and two on 2nd
June, and one was on the Muckle Flugga rock on 24th April.
Flocks of thirteen were seen at Penninghame on 29th May, of
thirty at Kirkmichael on 9th June, and of fifty at Loch Elrig
(Mochrum) on nth June, and much flocking and many returns to
the shore are reported from nth July to the end of August.
Throughout September and October much immigration is reported
from stations in the north and east, while from 30th October
to 28th November some emigration is noted at our southern
stations.

The Turnstone, Arenaria interpres interpres. — Is reported
from Largo Bay and the Isle of May up to 23rd June, while early
returns are noted at Easthaven (Forfar) on 25th July, and Noss
Head on 29th July.

The Ruff, Philomachus pugnax. — One was shot on Tiree in
Aua:ust.

'a*

The Sanderling, Crocethia alba. — Some Sanderling were at the
Little Ross lantern on i8th March and three in winter plumage
in Largo Bay on 5th May. On 17th July a party of about fifteen
adults and young, and two other small parties of adults in breeding-
dress, were seen in the Dornoch Firth, about a dozen adults and
young near Wick on 24th July, and a lot at the Little Ross lantern
early on 6th August.

136 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Knot, Erolia canuhis. — Several were at the Little Ross
lantern at i a.m. on 20th January, and great numbers there at 1.30
A.M. on i8th March. By 25th July a Knot had returned to East-
haven and many were at the Little Ross lantern on the morning
of 6th August.

The Dunlin, Erolia alpina alpiiia. — Rushes took place at the
Little Ross lantern each night from 3rd to 6th May, and two Dunlin
were at Noss Head on 13th May. On 23rd July small flocks were
flying south over Loch Elrig in mist, a flock was seen at Easthaven
(Forfar) on 25th July, and great numbers were at the Little Ross
lantern from midnight to dawn on 6th August.

The Curlew Sandpiper, Erolia ferruginea. — Three weio at
Castle Loch, Mochrum, on 9th August, two were shot near Carse-
thorn (Kirkcudbright) on 19th September (i. 1918, 267), and one
to three were seen at Morton Loch, N. Fife, on several occasions
between 29th September and 27th October.

The Purple Sandpiper, Erolia maritiina maritima. — Is
reported from Lerwick up to 5th April, and Noss Head on 14th
May, while three were seen at Broughty- Ferry on 23rd July.

The CoiNiMON Sandpiper, Tringa hypoleuca. — Is first recorded
from Corsemalzie and Melrose on 20th April, Milngavie next day,
Beith on the 22nd, and Killermont, Tarholm (Ayr), and Berwick-on-
Tweed on 24th April. After this many notes of arrival come up
to 8th May. By 13th July return movement is noted at Carnoustie,
and steady migration is reported up to mid- August; last seen near
Newport (Fife) on 17th August and Beith on 29th August.

The Green Sandpiper, Tringa ochropiis. — See p. 102.

The Redshank, Tringa totanus. — Several were killed at the
Little Ross lantern at i a.m. on 20th January, and many returns
to breeding grounds took place between 24th February and 23rd
March, while a rush occurred at the Little Ross lantern early on
1 8th March. By 25th July a flock of about thirty was seen at
Carnoustie.

The Greenshank, Tringa nebularia. — Two are recorded from
the Cromarty Firth on 28th June, five flying low to the south, in
mist, at Loch Elrig on 23rd July, and one at Broughty-Ferry on
that date and 20th September.

The Grey Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius, — See p. 102.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 137

The Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatits. - A pair
returned to their breeding-place on 12th May.

The Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica. — Tliree were
shot in the Orkneys about niid-Uecember (2. xii. 280).

The Curlew, Numenius arquata arquata. — Rushes are recorded
at the Little Ross lantern each night from 2nd to 6th February, and
returns to inland breeding-places took place from 7th to 17th
February. A large movement is recorded chiefly from the Little
Ross lantern, but in a minor degree from Noss Head, Whalsay
Skerries, and the Rhinns of Islay lantern between 4th and i8th
March, and a good many Curlew were at the first named lantern on
i2/i3th April. Flocking is reported from Kirkmichael on 13th
June, and movement to the coast is subsequently noted. Great
numbers were at the Little Ross lantern during the morning hours
of 6th August, and a good deal of movement is reported from coast
and island stations up to 27th October.

The Whimbrel, Numenius phceopus phaopus. — Was seen in
Luce Bay on iSth April, Vallay (O.H.) on 7th May, and Noss
Head on loth May, after which a good deal of movement is noted
up to 2ist May. Considerable migration is noted in autumn from
stations all over Scotland from loth July to 15th September, the
first and last dates coming from Noss Head.

The Snipe, Gallinago gallinago gallinago. — One was killed at
the Pladda lantern at 4 a.m. on 14th January, and single birds were
at the Isle of May on 12th March and 23rd and 26th July. A
small arrival is recorded at Vallay (O.H.) on 2nd October, and two
or three Snipe at Pladda on 17th October and 4th November.

The Jack Snipe, Lininocryptes gallinula. — Last seen Corse-
malzie on 13th March. Seven were at Loch Chesney (Wigtown) on
23rd October, and single birds at Noss Head on 25th October and
Galson on 2nd December.

The Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola. — A weather movement to
coast and island stations took place in January, and some Wood-
cock were on the Isle of May on ist April. A considerable immi-
gration took place between 4th October and i6th November and is
recorded from many of our island and some mainland stations.

The Black Tern, Hydrochelidon nigra nigra — See p. 102.

138 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Sandwich Tern, Sterna sandvicensis sandvicensis. — Is
first reported from Luce Bay on 22nd April, Largo Bay on 5th May,
and Noss Head on 14th May. Last seen Noss Head on 28th
August, and Largo Bay on i6th September.

The Common Tern, Sterna himndo. — Is noted at Aberlady on
4th May, and Harelaw Dam, Neilston, Tay Estuary, Luce Bay,
and Largo Bay next day. Further arrivals are recorded up to 26th
May. Autumn movement had begun by nth August, last seen
Tay Estuary on 21st September, and off the Isle of Whithorn on
29th September.

The Arctic Tern, Sterna paradiscca. — \% first recorded at
Noss Head and Craigmore (Bute) on nth May, Lerwick and
Vallay on 17th May, and arrivals at breeding stations are noted up
to 25th May. Most had left Whalsay Skerries by 12th August,
last seen Noss Head on 28th August, Westray on ist September,
and Lerwick two days later.

The Little Tern, Sterna albifrons albifrons. — -Arrived at
Vallay (O.H.) on 17th May.

The Black-headed Gull, Lams ridibundus. — Arrivals at
breeding-places are noted from 23rd March to 15th April, and some
were on the Isle of May on 19th and 23rd May. By 19th June
flocking and return to the shore are recorded from several stations.

The Common Gull, Larus canus canus. — Was arriving at its
nesting-places by 21st March, though adults were seen in the Tay
Estuary up to 12 th May.

The Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus. — A bird of
this species (subsp?) is recorded from the Tay Estuary on i6th
February. What were undoubtedly arrivals of our L. f. ajjinis are
reported from Glasgow harbour on loth March, and from various
other stations up to 19th April, while on 30th April two L. f. affinis
and one L. f. fuscus were noted in the Tay Estuary.

The Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus. — Some frequented
Lerwick in January and records come from North Unst on 22nd
September, Lerwick on 13th October, and North Ronaldshay on
23rd November.

The Iceland Gull, Larus kucopterus. —Single birds are noted
at Reay, Caithness, on 4th January, Noss Flead and Lerwick on
1 2th January, Noss Head on 12th September, 28th October, 9th

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN 1918 139

November, 2nd and 3rd December off Scapa Flow (?. xii. 190 and
xiii. 62), and Galson on 4th December.

The Ivory Gull, Pagophila eburnea. — See p. 102.

The Great Skua, Stercorarius skua skua. — Arrivals are
recorded from North Unst on ist April and Foula on 7th April;
last seen at North Unst on 19th September.

The Arctic Skua, Stercorarius parasiticus. — Arrived at Foula
on 26th April, and one was seen at Noss Head on i6th May. Two
at Port Errol (Aberdeenshire) on 7th September (i. 1918, 274),
three offTentsmuir Point on 21st September, and one off the Isle
of Whithorn on 29th September.

The Razorbill, Alca torda. — Many were found dead at Aber-
lady after a gale from the north on 24th January, and some had
returned to the Isle of May by ist April ; left their breeding cliffs
during the second week of August.

The Guillemot, Uria troille troille. — Many found dead with
Razorbills at Aberlady on 24th January, and returns to the Isle of
May are noted about mid-March, while up to 7th May "individuals
and pairs all in winter plumage" were seen in the Tay Estuary.
Leaving their breeding cliffs at the same time as the Razorbills, and
on 5th October a Guillemot was found near Carstairs Junction
(i. 1919, 28).

The Little Auk, Alle alle. — From 20th January to 3rd
February there are a good many records of Little Auks about
Largo, and on 24th January after a northerly gale many were found
dead at Aberlady. On 24th March one was found newly dead in
Largo Bay.

The Puffin, Fratercula arctica arctica. — Arrivals are noted
from the Isle of May on ist April, and Whalsay Skerries on 26th
April. The Puffins left the cliffs at Noss Head on 13th August,
North Unst and Whalsay Skerries on 20th August.

The Corncrake, Crex crex. — First recorded from Tarholm
(Ayr) on 19th April, Netherlee (Cathcart) on 25th April, Clarkston
and Neilston next day. After this the spread was rapid, and
arrivals are recorded steadily up to 20th May from mainland and
island stations alike. Last seen Beith on nth August, while a
belated straggler was shot at Possil Marsh on 13th November.

140 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Water Rail, Rallus aqiiaticus aqiiaticus. — Single birds are
reported from Noss Head on 12th January and 24th October, and
from Little Ross on i6th November.

The Coot, Fulica atra atra. — One is recorded from the Isle of
May on 23rd May.

The Red Grouse, Lagopus scoticus. — A Red Grouse visited
Noss Head on 15th and i6th January.

.^.

INDEX

Auk, Little, 109, 113, 139.

B

Blackbird, 103, 104, 106, 109, in,

125.
Blackcap, 104, 123.
Blackgame. See Grouse, Black.
Brambling, no, n8.
Bunting, Corn-, 118.
Bunting, Reed-, 107, n9.
Bunting, Snow-, n2, n5, ng.
Hunting, Yellow, 106, 107, nS.
Buzzard, 129.
Buzzard, Rough-legged, loi, 1 10,

129.

D

Dabchick. See Grebe, Little.

Dipper, 104, 106.

Diver, Black-throated, 134.

Diver, Great Northern, 133.

Dotterel, 134.

Dove, Ring. See Pigeon, Wood.

Dove, Stock, 134.

Duck, 109, n3, n4.

Duck, Eider, 105, 132.

Duck, Long-tailed, 132.

Duck, Tufted, 104, 132.

Dunlin, 106, 136.

Eagle, Golden, 129

Chafifinch, 109, nS.

Chiffchaff, 104, 121.

Chififchaff, The Northern, 122.

Coot, 107, 140.

Cormorant, 105, 107, 108, 133.

Corncrake, 103, 105, 139.

Crossbill, 104.

Crow, ni.

Crow, Carrion, 106, 116.

Crow, Hooded, n6.

Cuckoo, 103, 105, 107, n4, 129.

Curlew, 104, 107, n3, 137.

141

Fieldfare, 108, no, 123.
Flycatcher, Pied, 104, 105, 121.
Flycatcher, Spotted, 103, 107, 121.
Fulmar, 105, 108.

Gadwall, 102, 131.
Gannet, 107, 133.
Geese, 109, \\^.
Godwit, Bar-tailed, 137.

142

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Goldcrest, 103, 121.

Goldeneye, 132.

Goldfinch, 105, 117.

Goosander, 133.

Goose, Barnacle, 131.

Goose, Bean, 131.

Goose, Brent, 131.

Goose, Grey-lag, 130.

Goose, Pink-footed, 109, 131.

Goose, White-fronted, 130.

Grebe, Great Crested, 133.

Grebe, Little, 107, 108, 133.

Greenfinch, 109, 117.

Greenshank, 136.

Grouse. See Grouse, Red.

Grouse, Black, 106, 107, loS, 109,

112.
Grouse, Red, 106, 109, 140.
Guillemot, 109, 139.
Gull, 106, 107, no.
Gull, Black-headed, 103, 104, 106,

108, 112, ii-i, 138
Gull, Common, 104, 138.
Gull, Glaucous, 138.
Gull, Herring, in.
Gull, Iceland, 138.
Gull, Ivory, 102, 139.
Gull, Lesser Black-backed, 104,

138.

H

Hawfinch, loi, 106, 117.
Hedge - accentor. See

Hedge-.
Hen-harrier, 102, 130.

Sparrow,

Lapwing, 104, 105, 106, 109, no,

112, n3, 135.
Linnet, wj.

M

Magpie, 103, ni.

Mallard, 104, 106, 107, 108, 131.

Martin, House-, 104, 105, 127, 12I

Martin, Sand-, 108, 128.

Merganser, 133.

Merlin, 106, 129.

Moorhen, 104.

N

Nightjar, 128.

O

Ortolan, loi, 1 18.
Ouzel, Ring-, 124.
Owl, Long-eared, 129.
Owl, Short-eared, 129.
Owl, Snowy, loi, 129.
Owl, Tawny, 106.
Oystercatcher, 103, 134.

Jackdaw, 106, n i, n6.

K

Kestrel, 103, 129.
Knot, 1 13, 136.

Partridge, 104, 108, 109.

Passeres, 114.

Peewit. Sec Lapwing.

Peregrine, 112, 129.

Petrel, Leach's Fork-tailed, 102,

133-
Petrel, Storm-, 133.
Phalarope, Grey-, 102, 136.
Phalarope, Red-necked, 137.
Pheasant, 104, 107, 108.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I918 143

Pigeon, Wood-, 106, 108, 109, 112,

134-
Pintail, 132.

Pipit, Meadow-, 104, 120.
Pipit, Rock-, 120.
Pipit, Tree-, 103, 119, 120.
Plover, Golden, 106, 109, 113, 134.
Plover, Green. See Lapwing.
Plover, Grey, 135.
Plover, Ringed, 105, 107, iii, 134.
Pochaid, 132.
Puffin, 139.

R

Rail, Water-, 140.

Raven, 106, 116.

Razorbill, 107, 109, 139.

Redbreast, 104, 105, 109, 126, 127.

Redpoll, Lesser, 103, 104, 117.

Redpoll, Mealy, 117

Redshank, 107, no, 112, 113, 136.

Redstart, 103, 126.

Redstart, Black, loi, 126.

Redwing, 108, 109, no, 124.

Robin. See Redbreast.

Rook, 104, 105, 106, 107, no, ni,

n6.
Ruff, 135.

Sanderling, 135.
Sandpiper, Common, 136.
Sandpiper, Curlew, 136.
Sandpiper, Green, 102, 136.
Sandpiper, Purple, 136.
Scaup, 109, 132.
Scoter, Common, 132.
Shag, 103, 106, 107, 133.
Sheldrake, n^,, 131.
Shoveler, 132.
Siskin, 104, 1 17.
Skua, Arctic, 139.
Skua, Great, 102, 139.
Skylark, 103, 108, icg, n2, n3,
119.

Snipe, 106, 109, no, 113, 137.
Saipa, Jack, 1 10, 137.
Sparrowhawk, 103, 109, in, n2,

130.
Sparrow, Hedge-, 109, no, 127.
Sparrow, House-, 106, 109, 118.
Sparrow, Tree-, 105, 118.
Starling, 106, 108, 109, ni, n2,

n3, ns, n6, 117.
Sionechat, 104, 107, 126.
Swallow, 105, 127.
Swan, no, n3, j 15.
Swan, Bewick's, 130.
Swan, Whooper, n4, 130.
Swift, 103, 104, n4, 128.

Teal, 106, 107, 131.

Tern, 107, 1 12, 1 14.

Tern, Arctic, 138.

Tern, Black, 102, 137.

Tern, Common, 108, n2, 138,

Tern, Little, 138.

Tern, Sandwich, 138.

Thrush, 104, 106, 109.

Thrush, Missel, 103, 104, 123.

Thrush, Song, 103, 104, 124.

Tit, Blue, 1 12.

Tit, Cole, 105.

Tit, Crested, 108.

Tit, Great, 105.

Titmouse, The British Willow, 121.

Turdinas, n2, ht,, ii'^.

Turnstone, 1 10, 135.

Twite, n7.

W

Wader, 109, n3, n4, ns.
Wagtail, Grey, 104, 120.
Wagtail, Pied, 104, 107, 109, no,

ni, n3, 121.
Wagtail, White, w^, n4, 120.
Wagtail, Yellow, 120.
Warblers, 107.
Warbler, Garden, 103, 122.

144

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Warbler, Grasshopper, 104, 122.
Warbler, Sedge-, 103, 105, 108, 122.
Warbler, Willow-, 103, 104, 122.
Warbler, Wood-, 103, 104, 122.
Waxwing, 10 1, 121,
Wheatear, 104, 105, 125.
Wheatear, Greater, 125.
Whimbrel, 137.
Whinchat, 103, 126.
Whitethroat, 103, 104, 123.
Whitethroat, Lesser, 123.
Wigeon, 131.

Woodcock, 104, 109, 112, 113, 137.
Woodpecker, Great Spotted, 103,

105, 106, 128.
Wren, 104, 105, 109, no, 127.
Wryneck, 129.

Yellow-hammer.
Yellow.

See Bunting

{Authors are responsible for nomenclature used,)

;.>i L i ?

The Scottish Naturalist

Nos. 93 AND 94.] 1919 [Sept.-Oct.

SOME BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTH UIST.
By Donald Guthrie.

As I was keeper on South Uist for twenty-two years, from
18S3 to 1905, and took a great interest in birds while I was
there, I think some of my notes may interest the readers of
TJie Scottish Naturalist. South Uist is about 18 miles lone
by 6 wide ; roughly speaking there are close on 300 lochs
large and small, as well as many marshes, which make an
ideal home for water-fowl and waders. Many of the lochs
have ruins of ancient dwellings, some in a good state of
preservation, others under water but plainly visible on a
clear day, and the zigzag pathway of large stones can easily
be seen ; the same applies to the marshes. There are large
mounds on the Atlantic sea-board which were also inhabited,
and the shells are still to be seen lying about on which the
people lived. I knew a very strange underground dwelling
on a lonely moor, with an artificial tunnel or drain built
of flags leading into it; in this case also a great many
shells were to be seen. The land in South Uist is, on the
whole, of very poor quality, but the Atlantic sea-board, after
getting a liberal coating of seaweed every year, grows
wonderfully fine barley, rye, and black oats, also first-rate
potatoes when the proper seed is used.

The following notes are from observations made during
my stay on the island : —

The Raven.— The Raven is truly a native of the
93 AND 94 Q

.»

146 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Outer Hebrides, many nesting, often in company with
the Peregrine Falcon, in the wild cliffs overhanging the
Minch, where it is very difficult to get at them. It is
marvellous how Ravens find out a dead carcass ; early
one morning I saw a large heifer just being blown ashore
by a westerly gale. I walked home about a mile, had
breakfast and went back, by which time about thirty Ravens
had already gathered round the carcass.

A tame Raven we had at Grogarry was a wonderful
weather prophet, before a storm, even if the night were
fine, we could not keep him out of the kitchen window,
but if fine weather was coming on he always slept on the
chimney top.

The Carrion Crow. — This bird is rare in the Hebrides,
but I have found its nest once in Barra Sound and once
on South Uist hill. It is an inveterate egg poacher and
should get no quarter.

The Hooded Crow. — The Outer Hebrides may be
considered the home of this most destructive bird ; it stays
with us all the year round, but a great influx of migratory
birds takes place every autumn, arriving from the north
in thousands. We waged continual warfare against the
Hoodies, and had the resident birds fairly well in check,
as we knew their haunts, but the migratory birds arrived
in such numbers you might as well try to stop the tide as
contend with them. Our Hoodies nested on cliffs under
long overhanging heather, and on small islets on the
moorland lochs where they thought they were safe from
persecution.

The Jackdaw. — This bird appeared occasionally in
winter in very small numbers, but never stayed long.

The Rook. — The Rook is very rare in South Uist,
and can only be classed as a visitor. Strange to say, a
good many years ago, when that severe gale took place
which destroyed so many plantations in Scotland, a flock
of about fifty Rooks came to the island and stayed from
November to February, roosting in the shrubbery round
Grogarry Lodge.

The Starling. — Is exceedingly numerous, feeding on

SOME BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTH UIST 147

the plains and along the sea coast, especially among the
decayed seaweed and sleeping among the tall reeds in the
different marshes. They nest in holes in certain rocks on
the hills and as colonies on the face of some of the cliffs,
also about farm steadings, etc., as on the mainland.

The Fieldfare. — This well-known migratory bird
arrives here in late October and early November, always
along with Redwings and Blackbirds. They swarm all over
the fields, sheltering along the old stone walls and leave
again in March and April.

The Dipper. — This bird is a native of South Uist
frequenting the wild lakes and streams, even those that
contain no fish of any description.

The Cuckoo. — Arrives at the beginning of May and
frequents the same haunts year after year.

The Short-eared Owl. — Breeds freely with us and
stays all the year round ; it nests in long heather in quiet
unfrequented corries, very often on the same kind of ground
as selected by the Hen Harrier, but occasionally about old
ruins, where mice, voles, and rats are abundant. I once
found a nest on the north side of Ben More, South Uist,
containing an egg, a young bird about three or four days
old and another just casting off the down and growing
feathers. I went back a few days later, found the egg
hatched and the three different sized birds in the nest,
where they all stayed until fit to fly. Although I have
seen many Owls' nests, 1 have never seen such irregularity
in the young of the same nest.

The Snowy Owl. — I have only once seen this hand-
some bird in the Outer Hebrides, it was procured and is
now in Sir Reginald Cathcart's collection.

The Hen-Harrier. — The Hen-Harrier is a resident,
but most plentiful in the breeding season as few stay
during the winter. They nest on the hills in wild unfre-
quented corries, with long rank heather, they feed chiefly
on mice, rats, and voles, occasionally they kill Grouse, but
very rarely. They hunt the same ground regularly about
the same hour every day, skimming low over the turf dikes,
ditches, small marshes and cornfields. Sometimes they kill

148 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

young rabbits, skinning them beautifully before eating them,
pulling the skin from the snout towards the tail.

The Golden Eagle. — Seen here at all seasons, although
I have never found its nest, it depends on the rabbits for
food as the high hill tops, especially Carrodale, Hecla and
Ben More, are green with cairns that are full of rabbits.
There are no hares on the island, but the rabbits make a
good substitute for what is, in my experience, their principal
food on the mainland.

The White-tailed Eagle. — This handsome bird was
well known in the Hebrides, but I am sorry to say is now
very rare, and to all appearance will soon be extinct. John
Lamont, who was keeper in South Uist for fifty years, told
me, when he first remembers the island, the eagle nested
there freely.

Sparrow-Hawk. — I have only once seen this bird on
South Uist.

The Iceland Falcon. — The only Iceland Falcon I
have seen in the Outer Hebrides was sent to me by a man
from Benbecula, but was too far gone to be preserved.

The Peregrine Falcon. — The Peregrine breeds freely
on the wild and often inaccessible cliffs overhanging the
Minch. This bird takes a terrible toll of Curlew, Plover,
Mallard, Wigeon, Grouse and Woodcock, and will even
attack the large and powerful Greylag Goose. It is very
destructive, killing for killing's sake, especially in autumn
and winter. I often thought that it was the old birds
teaching the young, as so many were beheaded and other-
wise left untouched. The Peregrine is not so destructive
to Grouse here as on the mainland, as there are so many
other birds to fall back on.

The Merlin. — Like the Peregrine this bird is resident
here, breeding freely; it is also to be seen in the winter,
when it is destructive to Snipe and Woodcock. Once I
saw a Merlin knock down a cock Grouse. It nests in long
heather, very often on the top of a small rock or boulder,
the male is always on the watch, giving a shrill whistling
cry to warn the female, and both are very bold in defence
of their eggs or young.

SOME BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTH UIST 149

The Kestrel. — The Kestrel remains in South Uist all
the year round, depending chiefly for food on the land
Voles which are to be found all over the moors. Occasion-
ally the Kestrel will pick up a small Grouse, but it is no
match for the old cock Grouse when he is on the watch.

The Cormorant. — This bird is common in the Outer
Hebrides, nesting on the wild cliffs along the eastern sea-
board, sometimes it takes to fishing on the inland lochs,
and then is even more destructive than the Merganser,
owing to its great size and gluttonous nature. During one
winter, many years ago, I found many Cormorants dead or
unable to fly right up on the hills by the small streams,
and noticed a great scarcity for two or three years after.
This is the same with all kinds of birds according to my
observations ; as soon as any species gets exceedingly
numerous there is certain to be a reaction, though this has
perhaps been less noticed in other species than in the case
of Grouse.

The Shag. — The Shag is common along the sea coasts,
it seldom goes inland to fish on fresh-water lochs, but if
the water is brackish and connected with the sea it swims
in with the tide and out to sea with the ebb. Some years
it is extraordinarily numerous ; the natives sometimes eat
it, burying the bird for a few days before cooking it, but
even then it is not very palatable.

The Gannet. — Frequents the Hebrides all the year
round, and a great many dead birds are left on the shore
after a storm, presumably old birds, unable to weather the
terrible seas. The fishermen call the Gannet " the white
bird," and it is a great favourite with them, as it always
finds the herring shoals, helping them to set their nets in
the proper places.

The Grey Lag Goose. — This Goose is par excellence
the bird among wild-fowl, for size and quality and for the
excellent sport they afford. The wariness of the Grey Lag
baffles description and I know no bird whose sense of smell
is so keen except the Raven. South Uist is their favourite
breeding resort; their nesting places are on the small islets
on the wild moorland lochs, these being covered with long

150 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

heather, bracken, bushes, etc., which makes them ideal
nesting quarters for Geese, Duck, and other birds. The
Grey Lag lays from five to seven eggs, and the male is
always in attendance on the female during incubation and
will attack any bird or beast that comes near, routing
even the Great Black-backed Gull. When the young are
hatched they are taken out immediately to feed on the
grass; the female leading and the male behind, guarding the
pretty little balls of green and yellow fluff which waddle
along between them. Then they are taken to the water,
where the same formation is observed. The young grow
like magic ; in about a fortnight they are long-legged and
ungainly, and continue to be so till they are fully feathered,
which is not till September, when the broods form into large
flocks or skeins. The geese are very easily domesticated.
I set seven eggs under a hen and they all hatched out ;
the young did not breed or roam about much the first year,
but the second year three of the females nested and hatched
their young. Two bred near the house, but the other dis-
appeared for weeks ; then one morning we noticed two
geese on the loch with seven young but thought they were
regular wild ones, till my wife went out to feed the poultry,
when the female took her brood up to feed among the others
as if nothing had happened. The gander was a wild one,
but by the third day he was feeding along with the hens
quite close to my wife.

Bean Goose. — Bean Geese are very rare in the Outer
Hebrides, but I have shot one or two in South Uist.

The White-fronted Goose. — Is a winter visitor to
South Uist, arriving about the middle of October and
remaining till April ; they feed in wet marshes on certain
kinds of roots and weeds. White-fronted Geese are not
quite as difficult to stalk as the Grey Lag, as they do not
keep a sentry so regularly, but depend very much on small
birds to warn them of approaching danger. They have
increased extraordinarily in South Uist, the first three years
I was there they were very rare, and in a few years' time
came in thousands.

(^To be continued.^

THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF DIPTERA 151

THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION
OF DIPTERA.

By Percy H. Grimshaw, F.E.S., F.R.S.E.
' Concluded from page 61.

Preservation.

The preparation of flies for their permanent place in the
collection is an extremely simple process. It consists merely
of the three operations of pinning, staging, and labelling. In
the pinning of Diptera it is extremely desirable to use the
finest pin possible, otherwise the all-important bristles may
be seriously damaged or rendered difficult of observation,
and for all but the largest species No. 20 of Messrs D. F.
Tayler & Co.'s series of entomological pins is the most
generally useful. For specimens the size of a Bluebottle
and upwards No. 7 of the same makers is quite large enough;
while on the other hand for the tiny midges and the like it is
necessary to use the finest pins procurable, preferably those
of silver wire made for Microlepidoptera. In the writer's
experience gilt pins have proved of little advantage, but a
carefully enamelled black pin has a neat appearance and
prevents the formation of verdigris. The pin should in every
case be thrust through the thorax, and either through the
dorsal (upper) surface or one of the sides. Certain advan-
tages accrue to each method, but in the writer's opinion the
balance is in favour of side-pinning. After a long experience
it has been found that pinning the fly through the left side,
the pin entering the thorax immediately in front and at the
level of the attachment of the left wing is the best, generally
speaking, the pin emerging at a corresponding spot in the
right side. The fly is then carefully pushed up the pin until
only about a sixteenth of an inch is left projecting above.
The head of the pin (if it has one) may be carefully cut off
with a pair of wire cutters, which must be of thoroughly good
quality and sharp enough to cut the pin without jolting the
insect, otherwise a precious head or limb may be lost in the
operation. The flies to be pinned should be strewn over

152 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

a folded sheet of clean white blotting-paper, and since this
forms a soft pad, while many of the dead flies when emptied
out of the killing-bottle fall naturally on their sides, it is
an easy matter to pierce them in the proper place without
lifting them from the paper, and sufficiently deep to penetrate
one or even both sides of the thorax. To hold the pins
securely either for the pinning operation or on any subse-
quent occasion a pair of well-made curved entomological
forceps is necessary, while for sliding the insect up the pin a
pair of fine straight forceps should also be used, closing them
on the pin (but not gripping it) near their points and below
the fly. By pushing the pin as it is held in the right hand
(by the curved forceps) between the adjacent points of the
fine pair, held in the left, the fly is gently and carefully slid
up into the desired position, and is then ready for " staging."
The staging operation, which is a necessity arising from the
use of fine pins (and advisable in all cases, even where the pin
is fairly stout), consists in pushing the fly-carrying pin
through one end of a small "stage" or carrier of cork or
other suitable material, while through the other end is pushed
a much stronger pin which is to be taken hold of whenever
the specimen is subsequently examined or in any way
handled. The mounts are made according to taste, some
workers using pith, " polyporus " strips, tracing gelatine or
celluloid, but the best and most reliable consist of oblong
pieces of cork cut for the purpose from the thin sheets sold as
"cabinet cork." The sheets should first be covered on the
upper side with dull, white paper, not too thick and not too
hard on the surface. A thin printing-paper serves the
purpose well, as it is of a soft texture and holds well with
good paste. The sheet of cork should have the paper
thoroughly well pasted down, not gummed, and then left
under a moderate weight for about twenty-four hours, after
which it can be cut by means of a thoroughly sharp flat-
bladed knife and a flat ruler into strips of various widths.
For the sake of future appearance it is best to adopt a fixed
scale of widths, say 8, lo, and 12 millimetres. These strips
are then to be cut transversely into narrow pieces, which
should eventually measure 8 x 2, 10 x 3, and 12x4 millimetres

THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF DIPTERA 153

respectively. A Doxful of these mounts can be prepared in
a very short time, and it is well to have a good supply of
the various sizes always ready in advance. The cork stage
carrying the fly should be pushed about half-way up a No.
13 pin, and this height should be uniformly maintained,
whatever the size of the fly.

After having been staged every specimen should be
labelled with the name of the locality and collector, and the
date, the label being carried on the pin just below the cork
stage. Printed labels may be had to order from the firms
advertising such in the entomological journals, but it is not a
difficult matter to procure a small brass type-holder and a
small quantity of "pearl " or " diamond " type, so that if one
is neat-handed one can set up and print any number of
labels by hand. Failing printed labels the particulars
may be neatly written with a fine (crow-quill) pen and
Chinese ink. If the specimens are numerous such an opera-
tion becomes rather tedious, and printed labels should be
procured whenever possible. But (and let the reader note
this carefully) one or other of these methods must be
adopted, for specimens without data are of little if any value.
Many a collection formed at great trouble and expense
in the olden days would have had its value to the modern
collector increased fifty, nay a hundredfold, had full details
been available regarding the capture of the various specimens.
In the early period of British entomology it was apparently
the fashion to trust to the memory of the proud possessor of
a cabinet and its rarities, heedless of the fact that after the
decease of the collector an unlabelled specimen loses much of
its value and must sooner or later be thrown away as useless.
On the other hand a properly labelled specimen alwa}-s
retains a certain value, and may furnish important links in
the knowledge of distribution, variation, and other points
connected with the history of the species.

Boxes are of course required for the storing and
classifying of the specimens. Here, perhaps, is the most
expensive part of a collector's outfit. A finely polished
cabinet such as is used to display a Lepidopterist's treasures
is not, however, essential for the student of Diptera, and
93 AND 94 R

154 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

a series of deal store-boxes, or even at first the insect
" cartons," as sold by the dealers, will serve perfectly well.
For the beginner a cork-lined cigar box ("50" size) with a
well-fitting lid forms an admirable temporary device. At the
outset all the specimens collected at the same time and place
may be housed in the same box, to await the time when the
work of identification is undertaken. Or they may undergo
a preliminary grouping into families or even into genera,
should the knowledge and experience of the collector enable
him to do this. When the opportunity presents itself
all the accumulated specimens of a genus may then be
worked out at the same time and placed in their permanent
position in the collection. A good series of the cheaper
temporary boxes, for unclassified or partially classified
material should be provided, and here the "cartons" will be
found extremely useful. The permanent collection should
be kept in the somewhat more expensive (but at the
same time dust-proof) double-sided corked deal store-boxes,
and the use of a series of these boxes affords much
advantage over the cabinet, since it is capable of easy
expansion at any desired portion by the simple intercalation
of an additional box, without the necessity of an extensive
rearrangement of specimens. The boxes (of a size to suit
the taste of the collector) should be ruled with pencil lines
into columns and spaced out to hold all our native species ;
or in lieu of this the species may follow one another in any
order, and an index be kept of their position in the boxes
until the collection becomes too large and unwieldy for this
method of arrangement. The columns may be of any
suitable width, but 3 inches may be suggested as con-
venient, the flies being placed in a row across the column
and as many rows of specimens kept as may be desired.
The columns should be ruled transversely to the lo7iger axis
of the box and the flies should be placed with their heads
towards the hinge in both halves of the box, so that when
the box is open the flies in the two sides are in a reversed
position to each other, z>, heads to heads. By this simple
device it is only necessary at most to stretch the arm over
the narrowest width of the box, whatever specimen it is

THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF DIPTERA 155

desired to remove or whatever space it is desired to fill.
The risk of damaging specimens with the coat-sleeve, a
calamity of frequent occurrence under any other arrange-
ment, is thus reduced to a minimum. With regard to the
labelling of the columns it is sufficient to state that the
name of the genus should come at the head of the column
or portion of column containing its various species, while the
species label should be placed below the series of specimens
of that species. The generic name should be in capital
letters an-d the label should not be repeated, while the
specific name should be in small ("lower case") letters and
may, if preferred, be preceded by the initial of the genus.
Finally, when arranged, the cartons or store-boxes may
be stored on edge on ordinary book-shelves, with a label
pasted on the front edge to indicate the contents. Extreme
care must of course be observed in handling the boxes, and
if freedom from jolting cannot be guaranteed the boxes, and
more especially the one-sided cartons, should be kept
in a horizontal position, i.e., in piles upon each other, the
cartons in every case with the lid uppermost.

In conclusion, a few hints may be given regarding the
actual examination of specimens. A good platyscopic lens
magnifying 20 diameters is the most generally useful,
and will suffice for the identification of nearly all species.
For rough classifying a lens of lower power, say 10 diameters,
will be found handy, but for the working out of the tiniest
species {f.g., Phoridas, Chironomidae, Cecidomyiidae) the ideal
instrument is a stereoscopic microscope. It is wonderful,
however, what can be done with only a simple hand-lens
of the power indicated, and the occasions upon which it is
necessary to call in the aid of a compound microscope are
seldom indeed. Advanced students who work out details
of anatomy, internal or external (chaetotaxy, genitalia, etc.),
require, of course, the best microscope they can procure,
while those who desire to draw for the purpose of illustrating
their memoirs require in addition a camera lucida and
various other accessories. To enter into details on these
points would, however, carry us beyond the scope of the
present paper, which is primarily intended for beginners.

156 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

For the examination of a specimen with the hand-lens a
good h'ght, preferably a window facing north, is essential,
while the pin carrying the fly should be stuck into a small
bung of cork and held in one hand w-hile the lens is held
in the other. To observe details of body-markings and
bristle-arrangement it is most advisable to hold the fly with
the tip of the abdonie7i towards tJie light, while for the
discernment of wing-neuration, outlines, plumosity of the
antennal arista, hairiness of the eyes, and so on, the insect
must be held between the eyes and the light (sky or artificial
light). To avoid the discomfort of raising the specimen
above the level of the eyes, and the throwing back of
the head for this purpose, the very simple expedient of
laying a small mirror (say 6x3 inches) flat on the table
in front of one will be found a great boon. The mirror
reflects the light from the sky (and usually the brightest
part of it), and one has merely to hold the fly between it and
the eyes to get as good a view of the details in question
as can be required, and in the most comfortable position
possible. When working by artificial light {e.g.^ gas or electric
table lamp) a slight tilting or other adjustment of the mirror
is all that is required to secure the same convenient result.

White Snipe and Ruff in Tiree. — A white Snipe was shot
here in the last week of January 1919 ; it was a very pretty bird, pure
white, except for two bright marled yellow feathers in the centre of the
tail, and two of the same colour on the lower back. The eyes were
normal. A Ruff was also obtained in August 191 8 out of a reedy
bog ; I have seen one or two Reeves here before, but they were wading
in shallow tarns or pools, whereas this Ruff got up out of a very rough
bog with reeds four or five feet high. — Peter Anderson, Tiree.

Oapercaillie in Montrose. — On Sunday evening (13th April
1919), about 6.45 P.M., what may be termed a very unusual occurrence
happened here. A hen Capercaillie was brought to me, freshly
killed — in fact it had only just died when I saw it. It was seen to
fly against the telephone wires near the post office, and was alive
when picked up. Although numerous a few miles from here, it is
difficult to account for the bird being down on the coast and in
the centre of the town. As we know many birds are killed by the
wires, but a bird like a Capercaillie is about the last one would
expect in a town the size of Montrose. It was in excellent
condition and plumage. — R. W. Thomas Ewart, Montrose.

FURTHER NOTES ON APHIDES 157

FURTHER NOTES ON APHIDES COLLECTED
PRINCIPALLY IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS.

By Dorothy J. Jackson, F.E.S.

During the summer of 191 8 I collected several more species
of aphides in Ross-shire, and I also found that some of the
species which I had recorded from this county the previous
year were equally common in Caithness. As the latter are
probably the most northerly records of these aphides I
include them in the following notes. Mr F. V. Theobald
has kindly helped me with the identification of the species.

Family A P H I D I D ^.

Subfamily Aphidin^.

Genus Macrosiphutn, Passerini.

ATacrosiphum di?-hodu?n, Walker. — Alate viviparous females
occurred on rose at Stirkoke, Wick, on 8th September, and apterous
viviparous females were common at the same time on roses under glass.

Macrosiphum epilobii, Theobald. — Alate and apterous viviparous
females, larv?e, and nymph ae were common on the terminal shoots
of willow herb {Epilobiuni) in the garden at Swordale, Evanton, on
icth August.

Macrosiphum grauarii/ni, Kirby. — I took an apterous viviparous
female on oats near Wick on yth September.

Macrosiphum lactucce, Schrank. — Alate viviparous females were
abundant on currant and gooseberry at Stirkoke, Wick, on the 9th
September.

Macrosiphum milkfolii, Fabr.— I found this species thickly
clustered on the flower-stalks of Achillea miUefoIiu7?i at Beauly,
Inverness-shire, on the 17th August. Apterous viviparous females
and larvne were the most abundant, but apterous oviparous females
and nymphse, from which the winged males emerged later, also
occurred. I took this species less commonly at Swordale, Evanton.

Macrosiphum pisi^ Kalt. — Alate and apterous viviparous females
were common at Swordale, Evanton, on broad beans and clover
from the end of June to the end of July, and apterous viviparous
females and nymphse on beans and vetch near Wick on the 7th
September.

Macrosiphum rosce, Linn. — Apterous and alate viviparous
females were abundant on roses under glass at Stirkoke, Wick, on
the loth September.

158

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Genus Ampkorophora, Buckton.
Amphorophora ampullafa, Buckt. — Larvrc occurred ontheunder-
surface of fern leaves at Stirkoke, Wick, on the 8th September.

Genus Drepanosiphiim^ Koch.
Drcpanosipkian platanoides, Schrank. — I found apterous vivi-
parous females, larv.is, and nymphre common on the under-surface
of leaves of sycamore {Acer) near Wick on the yth September.
They were preyed upon by Cecidomyid ]arv?e.

Genus Rhopalosiphum, Koch.
Rhopalosiphum britfeni, Theobald. — This species was common at
Stirkoke, Wick, on gooseberry and currant on the gth September.
I took alate and apterous viviparous females and several apterous
oviparous females. As the latter form has not been described the
following is a description of it, but colour notes from the fresh
specimens were not taken.

A

B

C

Fig. I.

Oviparous Female of Rhopalosiphum britteni, Theobald.

A = Head and antenna magnified 31 times.

B = Third segment of antenna magnified 128 times.

C = Tibia of third pair of legs magnified 60 times.

D = Cauda magnified 60 times.

E = Cornicle mm

Oviparous female. — Apterous ; antenna more than three-quarters
the length of the body, posterior portion dusky, the third segment
with ten to twenty sensoria situated more or less in a straight line
on the inner side, the antennae often being so placed in mounted
specimens that the sensoria occur exactly on the edge and therefore
are less conspicuous. The fourth segment is slightly longer than

FURTHER NOTES ON APHIDES

159

the fifth and without sensoria, its posterior half faintly imbricated ;
the fifth segment bears one sensorium near its apex and is imbricated
throughout its length; the sixth segment has a rhinarium with three
or four small sensoria below it, and is also imbricated. Cornicles
dark, much swollen in the middle, and narrowed at the base and
towards apex where they are narrowly reticulate. Cauda dark,
equal to more than half the length of the cornicle, thickly covered
with transverse rows of very short black bristles, and with four long
pale bristles on one side and five on the other. Hind tibia;
thickened for nearly three-quarters of its length and with many
sensoria ; apical portion narrowed, without sensoria, but with longer
hairs. Length, 2.0 mm. to 2.3 mm.

Rhopalosiphian lactitcce, Kalt. — Alate viviparous females were
common on gooseberry in the beginning of August at Swordale,
Evanton ; but unlike those taken on sowthistle the previous year
they exhibited melanic tendencies, the cornicles varying from
yellowish brown to black but being more frequently dusky brown
or black. Some of the specimens have been killed by the fungi
Empusa {Entoinophthord) aphidis, Hoff, and Empusa {Triplo-
sporiuni) Fresenii, Nowakowski, which Mr A. D. Cotton has kindly
identified for me. Apterous viviparous females, larvae, and nympha^
of R. lactuca. occurred on sowthistle {Sonchus) at Stirkoke, Wick,
on 7th September, and I also took an oviparous female on goose-
berry at the same time. The following is a description of it, but
colour notes were not made from the fresh specimen.

D

Fig. II.

Oviparous Female of RhopaloslphuDi lactuca, Kalt.

A = Head and antenna magnified 31 times.

B = Third segment of antenna magnified 128 times.

C = Tibia of third pair of legs"!

D = Cornicle -magnified 60 limes.

E = Cauda J

%

'^'^

! r-

/

i6o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Oviparous female. — Apterous; antennce pale, almost as long as
the body ; third segment without sensoria but with several scattered
bristles; the fourth segment is about two-thirds the length of the
third and has no sensoria, its apical portion is faintly imbricated ;
the fifth is slightly longer than the fourth, imbricated, and bearing
at its apex a conspicuous sensorium with double contour. The
sixth segment is imbricated and has the rhinarium conspicuous
with a group of six small sensoria below it. Cornicles pale, more
than twice the length of the cauda, slightly swollen in the centre,
the apex narrowly reticulate, and with traces of imbrications before
it. The cauda is pale, much smaller than that of the oviparous,,
female of R. brittcni, covered with very short pale bristles in trans-
verse lines, and with three long bristles on one side and four on the
other. Hind tibiae swollen and set with large and small sensoria for
more than three-quarters their length. Lengthy 2.0 mm.

Rhopalosiphum persice, Sulzer. — Apterous viviparous females,
larvre, and nymphse were common on the under-surface of potato
leaves at Stirkoke, Wick, on 9th September. The nymphae developed
into winged viviparous females a few days later. Several of the
apterous females were found dead on the leaves infected by a
fungus which developed also upon other specimens kept under
observation. Mr A. D. Cotton has identified this fungus as
EiiipKsa [Triplosporiuni) Frese/U!, Nowakowski.

Genus Hyalopterus, Koch.

Hyalopterus Jlavus, Kittel {aquilegice^ Koch, and trikodus,
Walker}. — This species was abundant on columbine {Aqidlegia)
in the garden at Swordale, Evanton. In the beginning of July I
found only alate viviparous females and the young they had pro-
duced, but on examining the plants again on the 19th September I
found numbers of apterous viviparous females and nymphce; from
the latter I reared viviparous females. A few Syrphid and
Cecidomyid larvae were preying upon them, but had made small
impression on their numbers. This species also occurred at
Stirkoke, Wick, where I took a few apterous viviparous females on
the nth September.

Genus Aphis, Linnaeus.

Aphis adjecta, Walker. — Apterous viviparous females and young
occurred on chrysanthemum in the garden at Swordale, Evanton,
on 5th July. They were much parasitised by a Chalcid. I found
them also on Eryngiuin alpiniim in the beginning of September.

Aphis cardui, Linn. — Numbers of apterous viviparous females
and young, together with a few nymphae and alatae, were found

FURTHER NOTES ON APHIDES l6l

thickly clustered near the apex of the terminal shoots of thistle
{Cnicus arvensis?) at Swordale, Evanton, on 15th August.

Aphis grossularicB, Kalt. — I took alate viviparous females on
gooseberry at Stirkoke, Wick, on 9th September.

Aphis ilicis, Kalt. — I noticed in the beginning of September that
many of the holly leaves at Stirkoke, Wick, were curled by the
action of this species, and numbers of dead ap erous females and
a few winged ones were to be found on the under-surface of the
leaves. Each aphide was more or less covered with a greenish grey
mould from which the legs of the insect projected, and though
I searched carefully I could not find a single live specimen.

Aphis myosotides, Koch. — Apterous females and young were
abundant on Myosotis in the garden at Swordale, Evanton, on 15th
July. They occurred on the young flowering shoots, inside the
young leaves, and on the under-surface of the old ones, and the
growth of the plants was stunted in consequence.

Aphis pruni, Reaumur. — I found nymphas and alatte on plum
leaves at Evanton on nth July.

Aphis ri/f?iicis, Linn. — Alate viviparous females occurred on leeks
at Swordale, Evanton, on 12th August, and I took one at Stirkoke,
Wick, resting on a blade of grass on loth September.

Aphis viburni, Scopoli. — I found alate and apterous viviparous
females, larvae, and nymphce on Viburnum at Stirkoke, Wick, on
loth September.

Aphis achillece, F. — This species was originally described by
C. J. Fabricius in 1776 in his "Gen. Ins.," p. 302. His description
is as follows: — "flavescens, abdomine viridi, antennis pedibusque
albidis. Habitat in Achillea mi lief olio. Antennae filiformis, albids.
Alae albidiB. Anus, slytus et cornicula albida. Frequens kiliae."

As no further description has been made of this insect I here
describe it • —

Alate viviparous female. — Head dark brown, antenna blackish
brown, 0.899 ^i"^'^!- to 0.96 mm. long, about three-quarters the length
of the body; the third segment imbricated with fifteen to twenty
conspicuous sensoria with double contour distributed along it ;
fourth segment nearly half the size of the third, imbricated, and with
four or five sensoria with double contour; fifth segment shorter than
the fourth, imbricated, and with a large apical sensorium ; sixth
segment imbricated, and with rhinarium and two small sensoria
below it. Pronotum. brownish ochreous, meso- and meta-nota dark
brown, abdomen brownish ochreous, legs dingy brownish ochreous,
with the apices of the femora and tibi^ dark brown. Cornicles
brownish ochreous, short and thick, rather restricted at the base

93 AND 94 S

1 6a

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

when viewed sideways, but viewed dorsally with parallel sides only
slightly converging to the apex. Cauda brownish ochreous, about
the same length as the cornicle but much broader, with three long
bristles on each side. Proboscis reaching to the base of the second
coxK. Length 1.3 mm.

C

J-

FiG. III.

ApJiis achillecc, F.

A = Head and antenna of alate viviparous female magnified 60 times.

B = Third and fourth segments of antenna of same magnified 293 times.

C = Antenna of apterous viviparous female magnified 60 times.

D = Proboscis of apterous female magnified 60 times.

E = „ of alate ,, ,, „ viewed from side.

F = Cauda of apterous female, magnified 128 times.

G = Cornicle ,, ,, ,,

H = Cauda of alate female, ,, ,,

I = Cornicle „ ,, „ side view.

J = „ ,, ,, ,, dorsal view.

Apterous viviparous female. — Ochreous yellow; eyes black;
antennae very short, 0.48 mm. to 0.55 mm. long, ochreous, with the
apices of the fourth and fifth segments brown ; third segment
without sensoria; fourth, fifth, and sixth segments imbricated; fifth
segment with apical sensorium ; sixth with rhinarium. Cornicles
pale ochreous, rather short and broad, widest at the base and
gradually narrowing to the apex; cauda pale ochreous, short and
broad with three long bristles on one side and two on the other.
Legs ochreous, with the apices of the tibice and the tarsi brownish.
Proboscis reaching to the second pair of coxk. Le>igt/i, 1.2 mm. to
1.36 mm.

FURTHER NOTES ON ATHIDES 163

Foodplant. — Achillea millefolium, occurring on the flower-stalks.

Locality. — Beauly, Inverness-shire.

Notes. — I took a few apterous and alate viviparous females of
this species on milfoil on 17th August. Macrosiphum millefolii,
Fabr., was swarming on the plants, but Aphis achillece was not
nearly so common.

Genus Alyzjts, Passerini.

Myziis cratcegi, Walker. — Apterous viviparous females and
young, together with a few nymphs and alatre, occurred on the
under-surface of the leaves and on the young shoots of hawthorn at
Dingwall on 13th July. Cecidomyid larva had cleared off many of
the colonies of this aphis leaving nothing but the shrivelled brown
skins of their victims.

Myzus kiBtenbachii, Schon. — I swept a number of apterous
viviparous females from grass in which clover was growing at
Swordale, Evanton, on the loth July.

Myzus lactucce, Linn. — I took a winged male on currant at
Swordale, Evanton, on 13th July.

Myzus solani, Kalt. — I found apterous viviparous females on
the under-surface of potato leaves at Swordale, Evanton, on 30th
September.

Myzus whitei, Theobald. — In the beginning of August I found
an alate female of this species on gooseberry. It had been killed
by a fungus which has been identified by Mr A. D. Cotton as
Empusa Fresenii, Nowakowski. Alate viviparous and apterous
oviparous females occurred on currant at Stirkoke, Wick, on the
9th September.

Subfamily Callipterin^e.

Genus Callipterus, Koch.

Callipterus quercus, Kalt. — Alate viviparous females, nymphce,
and larvae were present on the under-surface of oak leaves at
Stirkoke, Wick, on the nth September.^

Genus Eucallipterus, Schouteden.

Eucallipterus tilice, Linn. — Alate and apterous viviparous
females, nymph ae, and larvae occurred on the leaves of a lime-tree
at Stirkoke, Wick, on the loth September.

' This species was erroneously recorded as Callipterus qtierceus, Kalt., in my
previous paper on " Notes on the Aphides of Ross-shire," The Scottish Naturalist,
April 1918, p. 87.

l64 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Subfamily Chaitopiiorin/E.

Genus Chaitophorus, Koch.

Chaitophorus aceris, Linn. — Apterous viviparous females and
young were abundant on the under-surface of the leaves of syca-
more at Stirkoke, Wick, on the 7th September,

Subfamily Lachnin^.

Mr H. F. Wilson has kindly identified the following species of
Lachninae. I collected them in various localities in England and
Scotland, principally in the summer of 191 7.

Genus Lachmis, Burmeister.

Lachnus costata, Zett. =Z. fasciatus, Burmeister. — I took
apterous viviparous females, larvre, and one alate female on spruce-
fir {Picea excelsa), at Wye, Kent, on nth July 1917. I also found
it abundantly at Crowborough on 26th May 1918. On the
5th October 191 7 brown apterous females and brown larvae, together
with pale green larvae and nymph.x, were abundant on a spruce-fir
tree at Beauly, Inverness-shire. The pale green larvs matured to
nymphae, and the latter emerged in a few days as winged males.

Genus Lachftiella, Del Guercio.

Lachniella ciiicica, Del Guercio. — Apterous viviparous females
and larvae were common on the bark of the older branches of silver
fir {Abies pectinata) at Rothes, Morayshire, on 26th September 191 7.
I took this species also at Beauly, Inverness-shire.

Lachniella juniperi, F. — I found apterous females and larvae on
juniper at Wye, Kent, on ist July 191 7. I also observed this
species at Swordale, Evanton, from the end of July to the beginning
of October, but I noticed no winged specimens.

Zachtiiella laricis, Walker. — Apterous and alate viviparous
females and young occurred on a young larch-tree at Wye, Kent,
on 28th June 191 7. It was also abundant on the branches of old
larch-trees at Swordale, Evanton, in the end of July, and I found it
at Rothes, Morayshire, in the end of September.

Lachfiiella pichtce, Mordwilko. — Alate and apterous viviparous
females, larvae, and nymphte occurred sparingly on silver fir {Al>ies
pectifiata) at Rothes, Morayshire, in the end of September 191 7.
They were to be found solitarily on the terminal shoots, resting in a
slanting position at the base of the needles, with proboscis inserted
in the stem. Their colour harmonised well with their surroundings,
the deep, dark green of their back being of the same shade as the

FURTHER NOTES ON APHIDES 165

upper side of the needles, while their ventral surface, covered with
white powdery substance, was identical with the silvery grey of the
under side of the needles.

Lachniella pi/ii, Linn. — I found apterous viviparous females
and a few alat^e common on Scotch fir {Pi/ius sylvesfris), at
Swordale, Evanton, in the end of July 191 7. They occurred
principally on the younger shoots. I also took this species at
Crowborough on 8th July,

Lachniella pinicola, Kalt = Z. abietis, Walker. — Common on
spruce - fir {Picea excelsa), occurring on the young shoots at
Swordale, Evanton, in July 1917; also taken at Wye, Kent, in the
end of June.

Lachniella piiiihabifans, Mordwilko. — This species swarmed on
the small twigs of a branch of Scotch fir {Pimis sylvestris) at
Rothes, Morayshire, on 28th September 1917. They only occurred
on the small, needleless branches, and so closely resembled the grey
colour of the bark that at first sight they were difficult to detect.
Apterous viviparous females were most abundant, but alatfe were
also present. This species seems to be local, as although I searched
many other fir-trees in the neighbourhood I could not find another
specimen.

Genus E?/lachfms, Del Guercio.

Etilachfuis agilis, Kalt. — I found apterous and alate viviparous
females on the needles of Austrian pine \Pinus lariceo var. Austriaca)
at Crowborough and Wye in the beginning of July 191 7. Both
green and grey varieties were common at Crowborough. I took
this species also on Austrian pine and Scotch fir {Pinus sylvestris)
at Swordale, Evanton, in the beginning of August, and at Rothes,
Morayshire, in the end of September.

Subfamily Schizoneurin/E.

Genus Eriosoma, Samouelle.

Eriosoma lanigera, Haussman. — I noticed that the elm leaves
at Stirkoke, Wick, were curled by aphis and took a nymph of this
species in the end of September 1918.

Subfamily Pemphigin^.

Genus Thecahius, Koch.

Thecabius affinis, Kalt.— On 23rd June I found apterous
viviparous females and larvje densely clustered at the base of the
stalks of buttercup {Raminculus) at Swordale, Evanton. Alata^
emerged from these on 13th July.

i66 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Fulmars nesting at Haskier.— It is interesting to be able to
record that the Fulmar is nesting this year (1919) on the Haskier
rocks, eight miles north-west of Griminish Point, North Uist. A
friend and I went there one day this June as he was keen to see
the colony of birds. We only went over part of the large island
and found four Fulmar nests with one egg each. — Arthur J.
Campbell Orde, Sponish, Lochmaddy.

Tree-sparrows nesting near Glasgo'w. — A pair of Tree-
sparrows nested here this year (1919) in a shed, on the wall under
the roof, and I handled one of the young ones which was able to
fly a little. I saw another pair building in a Rook's nest. — James
Bartholomew, Torrance, near Glasgow.

The Nightjar in Renfrewshire. — In past years it has been
our privilege to have annually one pair of Nightjars {Caprimulgus
europceus) in this district. Our usual pair returned this year. On
1 6th June 19 19 one of the gamekeepers found a nest with newly
hatched young. On the i8th a second nest with young was found
quite near the other. I visited these with the keeper on the
20th. He told me that in the area round his house he had located
six pairs of Nightjars this season. If Howard Saunders is correct
in saying eighteen days are required for incubation, it follows that
the first egg in the above nests must have been laid on 28th May.
Considering how far north we are, this is a surprisingly early
record. — T. Thornton Mackeith, Kilmacolm.

Quail in Midlothian. — On Monday evening, 7th July 19 19,
at 7.30, Major Taylor Cameron, 9th Royal Scots, and I heard a
Quail {Coiur/u'x communis) calling in a field of corn close to the
farm of Swanston. We listened to the bird for nearly half an hour,
and on re-passing the place an hour later, the bird kept uttering
the unmistakable " weet, weet, weet " for a considerable time. —
Bruce Campbell, 10 Greenbank Place, Edinburgh.

Observations on Carrion-crows. — On 22 nd May 1919 one
of my gamekeepers found a Carrion-crow's nest containing two
young ones and shot an old bird. On 24th May he sent his
assistant to wait near the nest and he, during the evening, shot
three old birds. On ist June the gamekeeper again visited the
nest, found one young bird dead in the nest, the other almost
ready to fly, and shot a fifth old bird. This is one of the most
remarkable instances of the provision of foster parents which has
come to my notice. — Hugh S. Gladstone, Thornhill,

ADDITIONS TO THE LIST OF SCOTTISH COLEOPTERA 167

ADDITIONS TO THE LIST OF SCOTTISH
COLEOPTERA.

By Anderson Fergusson, F.E.S.
The beetles mentioned in this paper are either additions
to the Scottish list or were considered doubtfully Scottish
by Dr Sharp in his " Coleoptera of Scotland " {Scottish
Naturalist, 1871-82). They have all been found within the
Clyde Faunal Area with the exception of Hydrobius fuscipes,
V. chalconotus, Steph., which was taken in the Forth Area.
The nomenclature followed is that of E. A. Newbery and
W. E. Sharp's Exchange List of British Coleoptera (191 5).

Hydrobius fuscipes^ L., v. chalconotus^ Steph. — One specimen of
this metallic variety occurred in a peaty pool at Cobbinshaw (Edin-
burgh) along with the type on 21st July 191 1. It has been
recorded from various localities in England as far north as Cumber-
land, and it appears to be rare.

Stenus palustris, Er. — Two specimens, which are referred to this
species by Mr E. A. Newbery, were taken at Brodick in Arran
(Clyde Islands), in a marshy spot, during September 1914. It has
hitherto only been recorded from the Fen Districts in England.

Triarthron maerkeli, Schmidt. — One example of this rare species
was taken at Lanark (Lanark) by sweeping long grass in a wood
during June 19 18. It seems to be principally met with in the
south of England, although there is a record of its occurrence in
Cumberland.

Scaphisoina agaricinu/ii, L.— A single specimen was taken by
beating faggots at Rowardennan (Stirling) in June 1913. Another
specimen was found under the bark of a felled birch in the same
locality in June 191 5, and in June 19 16 five were obtained from
the same tree. It has been recorded from as far north as the
Northumberland district in England, but according to Fowler
{Coleoptera of (he British Islands^ iii., 347) it appears to be
commoner from the Midlands southwards.

Aspidiphorus orbtculatus, Gyll. — One was taken by sweeping
over some rough ground at Rowardennan (Stirling) in July 19 15.
This is considered a rare insect in England, and the most northerly
record of its occurrence there is from Cumberland.

Chryso/nela brunsvicensis, Grav. {didy/iiata, Brit. Cat.). — This
species was taken in numbers during September 191 6 upon Hyperi-
cum at Whiting Bay, Arran (Clyde Islands). Another species of

i68 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

the same genus, C. hypericin F., occurred along with it on the
same plant but far more sparingly. Dr Sharp did not include
C. brunsvicensis in his " Coleoptera of Scotland," but Fowler {I.e. iv.,
308) mentions that it has been recorded by Stephens from Forfar-
shire.

Longitarsiis brtititieiis., Duft. {castaneus, Foudr. nee Duft.). — The
synonymy of this species and L. Ii/ridus, Scop., which immediately
succeeds it in the British list, is much confused. I think, however,
It is clear that the records under Z. brunnca, Duft., in Dr Sharp's
"Coleoptera of Scotland" refer to Z. luridus, Scop., which is the
commonest species of the genus in Britain, and that the true
Z. brjintieus, Duft., has not hitherto been recorded from Scotland.
Messrs Tomlin and W. E. Sharp, in their paper on the genus
{E. M. M. xlviii., 2), give no Scottish localities for the insect. At
Machrie Bay, Arran (Clyde Islands), I found a single specimen
during September 191 2 and another in September 19 13 which have
both been referred to brunneus, Duft., by Mr W. E. Sharp.

Longitarsus prateiisis, Panz., v. coHnris, Bed. — This variety of
pratensis, with infuscate thorax and dark posterior femora, occurred
along with the type at Machrie Bay, Arran (Clyde Islands), in
September 1912 and September 191 3. It has not previously been
noted from Scotland, but probably occurs wherever the type is
found.

Polydrosus mollis., Stroem. {mica/is, F.). — This weevil was re-
corded, in Murray's Catalogue of the Coleoptera of Seotlaf/d {18^^)^
from Edinburgh, Dalkeith, Roslin, Lanarkshire, near Hamilton, and
Berwickshire, but Dr Sharp {Scottish Naturalist., vi., 141) stated
that the species was unknown to him as Scottish, and that he was
inclined to suspect an error of determination. It has been found
not uncommonly upon young trees of various kinds at Lanark
(Lanark) during the summer-time since 1914, and specimens have
been seen by Mr Newbery.

Apion curtirostre, Germ, {humile, Germ.), v. medianiim, Th. —
This variety is much smaller than the type, with the rostrum shorter
and thicker and the elytra more inflated behind (Newbery,
E. M. M. xlix., 227). A few examples were swept along with the
type at Machrie Bay, Arran (Clyde Islands), during June 1916.
It is probably quite common.

Ehyfichites harwoodi, Joy.- — Two examples were beaten off old
birches at Machrie Bay, Arran (Clyde Islands), during June 1916,
and other two were taken, also off birch, in the same locality during
June of the following year. Mr Newbery {E. M. M. liii., 80) states
that he has always taken R. harwoodi and to?iie/itosus, Gyll., to-

ADDITIONS TO THE LIST OF SCOTTISH COLEOPTERA 169

gether, but fomentosus did not occur with hanvoodi in Arran, nor
has it been recorded from any other locaHty in the Clyde Area.
R. harwoodi has hitherto only been recorded from localities in the
south of England.

Anaspis gar/ieysi, Fow. — One specimen was taken off hawthorn
blossom at Balmaha (Stirling) in May 19 14. The most northerly
record for this species in England is from Cumberland.

I have to thank my friends, Mr E. A. Newbery and Mr
W. E. Sharp, for their kind assistance in the determination
of most of the species dealt with in this paper.

Mallard, Wigeon, and Lesser Black-backed Gull in
North Uist. — On reading Lieut. Beveridge's concluding observa-
tions on the "Birds of North Uist" {a/ite, p. 17), I notice one
or two statements which interest me, and on which I crave
indulgence to enlarge.

In writing of Anas boscas, Lieut. Beveridge states that he has
been informed that Sir Arthur Orde, Bart., introduced, by turning
down, several birds of the smaller foreign Mallard. I know quite
well the race to which he refers the small Mallard which visits
us from parts of Europe during winter. On the north-west coast of
England, we did not look for them until the beginning of December,
and I have shot many of them ; they are quite recognisable on the
wing, they fly faster, and, as Lieut. Beveridge remarks, they weigh
under 2 lbs. So far as my investigations go, this small race of
Mallard has a very restricted range and is confined as a breeding
species to Scandinavia, from whence it visits us in winter. It is
not only less in size and weight but has a smaller and narrower
beak (length 51-53 mm., wndth ig-20 mm.) and a shorter wing
(270-273 mm.) than the large race found in Britain, America,
Canada, Iceland, and apparently India (from measurements recently
supplied to me by Capt. C. B. Ticehurst, R.A.M.C., taken from
freshly killed birds). All the birds belonging to this large race,
including our British Mallard, are absolutely indistinguishable in
size: — Beak, length 57-59 mm., width 23-25 mm., wing 290-304
mm. ; and when we kill one of the large race here in winter there
is nothing to show us whether the bird is a foreigner or a home-

'&'

bred bird. I therefore consider the word " foreign " is misleading
as regards the bird to which Lieut. Beveridge refers, which is
obviously the small race from Scandinavia. It would be very
interesting to know how Sir Arthur Orde secured the birds he

93 AND 94 T

I70 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST .

turned down; perhaps they came from one of the few east coast
duck decoys still worked. That Lieut. Beveridge has shot the
small race of Mallard in North Uist is not, to my mind, proof
positive that they were descendants of the birds turned down ; they
were quite as likely to have been genuine migrants.

Mareca penelope. — I should not like to accept, as even probable
evidence of breeding, the fact that Wigeon were seen, and one, an
adult $, , procured in August. I have shot Wigeon in England,
both in North Lanes and Norfolk, in August, which I am satisfied
had not bred in the immediate neighbourhood where they were
killed, but were early migrants from farther north.

Larus fuscus. — Lieut. Beveridge does not draw any distinction
between our own western pale-mantled form of Lesser Black Back
{Larus fuscus affifiis) and the more eastern European black-mantled
bird {Larus fuscus fuscus), but quite irrespective of this, I doubt
his statement that the Lesser Black Back is a resident in North
Uist, or any other part of Great Britain for that matter ; the bird
is a summer breeding migrant to our coasts, and retires south in
August, September, and October, returning at the end of February,
and in March and April. You may see individual Lesser Black
Backs here in winter; if so, they are examples of the European
black-mantled form Larus fuscus fuscus, and are distinctly rare. —

F. W. Sm ALLEY.

The Fulmar Petrel at Poula Isle during Winter. — Desirous
of procuring some rough idea of the number of Fulmars found at
Foula Isle during Winter, I set out on 2nd January 191 9 to the
east side of the island. The day was not the best for observing,
being sunless and cold, while a stiff breeze blew from the north-east
which made the sea choppy. Starting at Durga-Ness, I slowly
skirted the brow of the cliffs in a southerly direction for little over
half a mile, then found I had proceeded far enough for my purpose.
Careful enumeration of the birds was no easy matter, for while
those settled on the cliffs were easily dealt with, many kept skirting
along them north and south, others again kept flying in circles,
then finally I added to my total a few groups swimming on the sea
lose by. Within the half mile I counted 500 Fulmars. It should
be borne in mind that the east side of the Isle is a pigmy in
comparison with that on the west, and it is on the latter side that
the immense numbers of Fulmars dwell. The bird appears to
be as plentiful at its habitat in the month of January as in June,
plus, of course, the young in the former month. — \\n. Harry
Greenaway.

CURRENT LITERATURE 171

Hawfinch nesting in Dumfriesshire. — On 4th July 19 19 I
identified a young but fully-fledged Hawfinch which had that day
been picked up dead in the grounds of the Crichton Royal Institution,
near Dumfries.— Hugh S. Gladstone, Thornhill.

Wigeon nesting in Ross-shire. — For the last six years I
have spent a few weeks of the month of June in the mountainous
part of Ross-shire, not far from the "divide" but in the Moray
basin, and near the source of the Farrar, affluent of the Beauly,
Orrin, Meig, and Bran, affluents of the Conon. It may be interest-
ing to note that I found the commonest nesting species of duck in
the district to be the Wigeon {Mareca penelope). — D. Macdonald,
Glasgow.

CURRENT LITERATURE.

Sheep and Natural Conditions in Scotland. — Dr James
Ritchie traces the results which have followed upon the introduction
of sheep to Scotland and the great increase of sheep breeding.
With the aid of historical references he indicates the varied
influences which have affected forests, vegetation in general, and the
native fauna of the land. In the last connection he shows how,
directly and indirectly, sheep have in some cases, such as those of
the Red and Roe Deer and of the larger birds of prey, been the
cause of great restriction in range and reduction in numbers or even of
extermination ; while in other cases, such as that of the Green-bottle
Fly, sheep have given rise to an extended and extending distri-
bution.— Scot. Jflurn. Agric, April 19 19, p. 190.

Sheep-breeding and New Varieties of Wool. — Prof. Cossar
Ewart gives the results of his experiments in the crossing of various
breeds of sheep, and dwells especially upon the influence of crosses
on the economic qualities of the wool, and upon the suitability of
the cross-breed for food purposes. The wool of Southdown-Soay
crosses was found to be "superior in every respect to that of their
parents," and "admirably suited for the manufacture of high-class
cloths"; and the quality and quantity of the coat of a Southdow^n-
Blackface cross was such as to fetch before the war the price of
three fleeces of pure-bred Blackface sheep of like age. The paper
is w^ell illustrated. — Scot. Joiirn. Ag?-ic., April 1919, p. 159.

Great Tit — its Economic Iisiportance. — The general sense
of naturalists has long been against the opinions of gardeners and
fruit-growers as to the economic significance of the Great Tit. The

172 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

latter have considered visits to fruit-buds as evidence of evil-doing,
and have condemned Tits in general. Dr W. E Collinge {^Country
Life, 29th March 191 9) shows from an examination of the food
content of thirty-two specimens collected in 19x7-18, that the visits
to fruit-buds are all in favour of the fruit grower since the Tits are
on the search for insect food. Of the total bulk of food 77 per
cent, was found to consist of animal matter, 23 per cent, of vegetable
matter. "Of the former 66.5 per cent, is composed of injurious
insects, 4 per cent, of beneficial insects, 5.5 per cent, of neutral
insects, and i per cent, of spiders. The bulk of the vegetable food
consists of wild fruits and weed seeds," only 3 per cent, of fruit pulp,
1.5 per cent, of buds and scales, and 1.5 per cent, of wheat. To
summarise: "66.5 per cent, of the food is beneficial to the fruit
grower and the gardener, 23.5 per cent, is neutral, and only 10 per
cent, injurious."

Economic Value of the Blue Tit. — In the article referred to
above, Dr Collinge also discusses the nature of the Blue Tit's food.
Very strong circumstantial evidence has been cited against it. One
correspondent wrote : " We have shot dozens, for they are a dreadful
enemy to our fruit and peas." From this correspondent Dr Collinge
obtained three specimens which presumably had been observed "in
the act of opening peapods." The three stomachs were "packed
with the caterpillars of a small moth, numerous aphides, and
fragments of dipterous flies, but of vegetable matter there was no
trace whatever." Examination of the food content of fifty specimens
gave the following volume percentages: 79 per cent, animal matter
(78 per cent, injurious insects, i per cent, spiders), 21 per cent,
vegetable matter, of which only 6 per cent, was fruit pulp, 2 per
cent, blossom buds, 2 per cent, wheat, and 8.5 per cent, weed seeds
and wild fruit. So that on the whole 78 per cent, of the Blue Tit's
food is useful destruction, 10 per cent, had better have been left
alone, and 12 per cent, is neutral.

A Rare Dragon-fly, Stomatochlora arctica, Zett., in Argyll. —
Several specimens of the above species were seen or captured by
K. J. Morton and J. W. Bowhill on 17th June in Glen Nant,
Argyll, a locality which, since it is farther south than Glen Lochay
In Perthshire, must be regarded as the southern known limit of
this species in Britain. — Ent. Mo. Mag., Aug. 19 18, p. 185.

Insect Pests of Plums and Apples. — Two recent leaflets of
the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries discuss special insect pests

CURRENT LITERATURE 173

of plum and apple trees. In the first leaflet (No 308) the damage
caused by several species of Plum Aphides {Aphis priini, Hyalop-
terus pruni, and Phorodon hiiimili) is described, the life-history of
the insects is summarised, and methods, such as lime, sulphur, and
nicotine washes, are suggested for keeping the pests under control.
The second leaflet (No. 319) describes Apple Capsids {Plesiocorts
rugicollis) as among the most dangerous pests of the apple. In
natural conditions this species is widely distributed throughout the
country on willows and sallows, but its invasion of orchards is still
limited in extent. The piercing of the outer layers of twigs, leaves,
and fruit by the bugs in their efforts to reach the plant sap within,
causes local damages which may checlc the growth of the leaves,
kill the young twigs, and reduce as well as render unfit for market
the fruit crop. A nicotine spray applied a week before the opening
of the blossom is the surest remedy.

Lepidoptera of Rannoch. — Rev. J. W. Metcalfe gives an
account of the Lepidoptera of Rannoch as he found them during a
month's sojourn in June and July 19 18, The captures are discussed
according to their local habitats — heather-moor, meadow, black
wood, foothills, birch wood, or mountain-side — so that the paper is a
useful guide to the possibilities of the Rannoch area. {Entomologist^
December 1918, p. 262.)

In the Entomologist for April and May 1919 (pp. S3-88 and 106-
112) J. J. Lister, F.R.S., F.E.S., writes "On some North-Country
Species and Forms of Lepidoptera." The Scottish locality selected
for investigation was Loch Rannoch and its immediate neighbour-
hood. The visit extended from 4th July to 12th July, and the
article gives details of the capture of Cxnonyviplia tiphon var.
laidion, Bork., in two or three localities around the loch at an
elevation of about 1700 feet above sea-level. Erebia epiphron,
A?-icia mcdon var. artaxerxes, Polyommatus icams (interesting forms
of the female), Argyn?iis aglaia, and Brenthis sekne were also taken,
and a specimen of Euvanessa aiitiopa reported to have been seen at
Kinloch Rannoch on 6th July. Several species of Geometrid
Moths are recorded, but nothing of outstanding importance is
included.

Nyssia lapponaria in Inverness-shire. — In the Entomolodst

o

for June 1919 (p. 141) R. A. S. Redmayne, M.B.. records the
capture, on 21st April, of four males of this species of moth at
Invergarry. According to the author of this note (and also so far
as our own information goes) the species has hitherto been recorded
only from the county of Perthshire.

174 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

"Singing" of Syrphus ribesii. — In the Ent. Mo. Maf;. for
January 191 9 (p. 18) A. E. J. Carter has an interesting note on
the "singing" of the fly Syrplms ribesii L. while at rest. Observa-
tions were made by Mr Carter in his garden in the late summer
of 191 7 and again in 1918. So far as he could ascertain, the
"singing" was confined to S. ribesii., since he also paid close
attention to other species of the genus, such as S. hiniger Mg.,
S. balteatus Deg., and S. corollcz Fab. The sound is apparently
only produced by the males, and apparently it had no attractive
influence on the opposite sex, but in the words of the author
"was an expression of the insect's joy in life." The brighter
the sun, the more active the insects were, and the more they
" sang."

In the February number of the same journal a further note
appears on this subject (p. 33). E. F. Wallis writes to the effect
that the wings of these flies are really vibrating rapidly while the
singing noise is being produced, but this is only noticeable on very
close observation. The effect to the eye is that the wings suddenly
appear out of focus when the song is commenced, but immediately
upon its cessation the outline of the wings becomes suddenly sharp
and distinct.

Hive Bees. — Two papers on Bees have a place in the Scot.
Joiirn. Agric. for April, the first by Mr J. Anderson dealing with
Beekeeping, and the second by Dr J- Rennie and Miss E. J.
Harvey discussing experiments devised in order to discover the
range of infectivity of Isle of Wight disease. The results of
the experiments suggest " that infection takes place most readily
through contact with sick bees, and that this may occur in the early
stage of the adult condition, before the bee has commenced to
forage."

"O^

On "Filograna," a Common Marine Polvchaet Worm. —
In discussing the history, distribution, structure, and general
import of Filograna, Prof. W. C. M'Intosh gives many Scottish
records, and shows to what extraordinary extent variation may
occur in even a limited area. On the same site he has found
individuals with and without opercular coverings to their tubes, with
and without enlarged tips to the branchiae, with and without eyes,
with few anterior bristles and hook rows, and with many, and so on.
This range of variation leads him to believe that the Filogra?ta
individuals spread throughout the whole globe, belong to one species
"endowed with a capacity for variation almost unequalled in the
animal series" {Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Jan. 1919, p. 125).

BOOK NOTICES 1 75

BOOK NOTICES.

Proceedings of the South London Entomological and
Natural History Society, 1918-19. London. Price 4s.

Judging from the hundred and twenty odd pages which make up its
latest Report the members of this Society have, in spite of war con-
ditions, shown a remarkable activity and keenness for outdoor science
during the session. The meetings and field excursions were held
regularly, and the former were characterised by innumerable exhibits
of interesting varieties of Lepidoptera and a great variety of insects of
all orders too numerous to be detailed here, but too important to be
passed over by the student of distribution. The major articles in the
volume include the Annual Address of the President (Mr Stanley
Edwards) on Economic Entomology, and papers on the Tortricina,
the genera Cerostoma and Spilosoina, variation in Epinephele tithonus
and Eniaiurga atomaria, the colours of Orthoptera, etc., by various
members.

Manual of Vegetable-Garden Insects. By Cyrus Richard
Crosby and Mortimer Demarest Leonard. New York: The
MacmiUan Company, 1918. 8vo, pp. 391. Price I2.50.

This is one of the " Rural Manuals " edited by L. H. Bailey, of
which eleven have now appeared. It forms an excellent epitome
of the life -histories of the numerous species of insects which attack
our growing vegetables, and at the present moment, when so much
attention is being paid to the cultivation of small allotments, it will
prove an extremely useful and handy guide to the thousands who have
recently taken up seriously the task and hobby of raising good food-
crops at or near their homes. Although the volume is primarily
intended for gardeners and others in North America, yet it may be
pointed out that out of the 195 species dealt with no fewer than 49, or
nearly 25 per cent., are natives of Europe, having been introduced at
various dates into the New World, and hence directly concern the
British farmer and allotment-holder. Details are fully but precisely
given regarding the distribution, habits, life-history, damage, and
methods of control of almost every species.

The book is well printed, with an abundance of excellent illustra-
tions and a comprehensive index. We can cordially recommend it to
the notice of our readers and such of their friends as are interested,
directly or otherwise, in the all-important question of our vegetable
food-supply.

An ABC OF Common Birds.

This little book, of sixty-four pages, is published at sixpence by the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and, as it measures less than
35X5 in., can easily be carried in the waistcoat pocket. It only claims
to "give a short and simple description of the commonest birds of the
country from which they may be identified by the non-scientific person,

176 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

together with notes on the food they eat that may be considered as
' pro ' and ' con ' the interests of husbandman, gardener, or gamekeeper,
and also their local names." A great deal of general information is
given in very small compass and at this time, when the economic
importance of birds may be said to be on trial, the booklet may be
welcomed as dealing very fairly with the eighty species enumerated.

H. S. G.

Birds and- the War. By Hugh S. Gladstone, M.A., F.R.S.E.,

F.Z.S., etc. Price 5 s,

Captain Gladstone has given us a charming little volume on this
subject : it is divided into five sections, I. The Utility and Economy of
Birds in the War ; II. Sufferings of Birds in the War ; III. Behaviour
of Birds in the War Zone ; IV. Effect of the War on Birds ; V. Con-
clusion, which comprises what is really a roll of honour of British
ornithologists. The author has collected a vast amount of information
from scientific publications, as well as from the daily press, and has
welded it together into readable form. We note, with interest, that he
holds that migration was not seriously affected by the War. This
entirely coincides with our own experience, and we cordially support
Captain Gladstone in his assertion. Too many writers have found an
easy way out of all their difficulties by assigning any rather unusual
occurrence to the " War " when a little research into the meteorological
conditions would have furnished the correct answer to the problem. The
book is light and pleasant reading, and we think it is an excellent thing
that the facts therein contained should have been collected together
and published in book form so soon after the close of hostilities.

A Practical Handbook of British Birds. Edited by H. F.

Witherby, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. Parts I. and H. Price 4s. per

part.
This, the beginning of what promises to be a valuable addition to
the literature of the British avifauna, has been written largely by the
same ornithologists who wrote the Hand List of British Birds published
in 1 91 2. Their new work is compiled on very much the same lines but
is wider in its scope, including under each species a description
of all stages of plumage, characters and allied forms, field characters,
breeding habits, food, distributions, and migrations. A great deal of
information on each of these subjects is compressed into each para-
graph, and the book should prove a most useful one. Perhaps its
greatest value will be in bringing up to date and rendering accessible
to field workers the descriptions and distribution of the British and
allied subspecies recently differentiated, and the plates of immature and
winter plumages should also be helpful. For beginners, too, the illus-
trations of the method of measuring the various parts of the birds, the
scale of millimetres and inches, and the glossary of terms will be of
great assistance. We shall look forward with interest to the future
numbers of this handbook.

{Authors are responsible for nometulaiure used.)

The Scottish Naturalist

Nos. 95 AND 96.] 1919 [Nov.-Dec.

THE FIELD MOUSE OF FOULA.
By Martin A. C. Hinton, British Museum (Natural History).

I HAVE to thank Dr Eagle Clarke for allowing me to study
some Field Mice collected on the island of Foula chiefly by
Mr W. H. Greenavvay. Foula lies out in the Atlantic sixteen
miles west of the nearest point of the Mainland of Shetland.
It is three miles long and one and a half miles wide, with an
area of a little more than five square miles. Rising from the
sea in lofty cliffs, which swarm with sea-fowl during the
breeding season, its highest point attains an altitude of 1372
feet.

As is now well known, Field Mice of the Apodeimis
sylvatiais group have been differentiated into a considerable
number of insular forms as the result of segregation in the
Shetlands, Hebrides, and St Kilda. It is no matter for
surprise, therefore, to find that the Field Mouse of Foula has
some peculiarities of its own which entitle it to recognition
as a distinct sub-species at least. On the whole its characters
make a nearer approach to those of A.fridariensis than to
those of any other species. A.fridariensis from Fair Isle was
originally described as a sub-species of sylvatiais by Kin near ;
but later Miller accorded it full specific rank. The present
writer has described a sub-species, A. f. grantii, from Mid
Yell, Shetland. It is proposed to treat the Foula Mouse as
a second sub-species, for which the name A. f. tJiiileo is
suggested.

95 AND 96 U

178 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Apodennis fridariensis thuleo, subsp. n.

Habitat.— The island of Foula (the Ultima Thule of
Tacitus).

Material examined.— Fourteen skins, twenty-two in
spirit, and a skeleton; collected by Mr W. H. Greenaway
and the Rev. J. Robertson.

Type. — An adult female, collected November 1917 ;
original number, 5.

Description.— In general external appearance this
animal closely resembles A. f. fridariensis but differs in its
smaller size and larger hind-feet.

Size small, the head and body measurement being
scarcely greater than in A. sylvaticns and therefore con-
siderably less than in A. f. fridariensis. The tail is about
equal to the head and body in length when all the specimens
in adult pelage are averaged ; but it is slightly shorter
relatively in the larger or older specimens. The hind-foot is
very large, its absolute size being as great as in A. hirtensis
(the St Kilda Field Mouse), while its relative size is larger
than in any other British form. The sole-pads are small as
in fridariensis.

In colour the Foula Field Mouse agrees exactly with
typical fridariensis. The flanks are dark, the lateral line of
demarcation being regular and sharply defined. The ventral
surface is of a dull bluish white, without any trace of a buffy
suffusion. Normally there is no trace of a pectoral spot.
The tail is strongly bi-coloured, dusky above, white below.
Dorsal surfaces of feet white.

A direct, comparison of the skulls suggests a closer
affinity between A.f. tJmleo and A. f. grantii than between
the former and true fridariensis. The bullae are as small,
and the masseteric plate projects as little anteriorly as in
A. f. grantii ; while the brain-case appears to be still broader,
rounder, and more depressed than in the latter sub-species.
In the mandible the coronoid process is very feebly
developed as in each of the two sub-species oi fridariensis
hitherto known ; but its angular process shows no trace of
the remarkable elongation characteristic o{ f grantii.

The measurements confirm these impressions derived

THE FIELD MOUSE OF FOULA

179

from mere inspection ; in addition they show that the skull
of A.f. tJiiileo has some small peculiarities of its own. The
absolute size of the skull is about as in f. grantii ; the
occipitonasal length, interorbital width, nasal length and
width, and the length of the anterior palatal foramina, are
dimensions which tend to be smaller relatively than in either
of the other two forms of fridariejisis ; on the other hand,
the zygomatic breadth, cranial width, and post-molar length
tend to increase in relative value. The rostrum is relatively
wider than m/./ridariensis, narrower than \\-\ f. gra?itii ; the
masseteric plate is relatively narrower than in f. grantii,
much narrower than in \.r\xQ fridariensis ; the length of the
tooth-row is nearly as in f. fridariejisis, distinctly shorter
relatively than \nf. grantii.

The following tables of measurements furnish material
for exact comparison with other British members of the
sylvatiais group : —

I. EXTERNAL MEASUREMENTS.

M

ALES.

Females.

Xo.

Date.

Head

ami

body.

Tail.

Hind-
foot.

Ear.

No

Date.

Head

and

body.

Tail.

Hind-
foot.

Ear.

SXinf.

UkUu.

1

Oct. 1917 .

9G

24-2

16

5

Nov. 1917 .

101-5

102

26

4

Nov. 1917 .

95

94

25-5

6

,, 1917 .

93-5

90-5

24 7

7

„ 1917 .

S7'5

92

26

(juv.)

8

,, 1917 .

103 -5

88

24-7

9

Dec. 1917 .

97

91

25

15

B

,, 1917 .

98

98

25

16

11

„ 1917 . .

100

93

26

15-6

10

Dec. 1917 .

104

94-5

25-3

15'5

12

„ 1917 . .

98

96

25-5

15-5

13

,, 1917 .

91

92

25

14

15

„ 1917 .
In sjiirit.

90

88-5

25

15-5

14

„ 1917 . .
In spirit.

90

90

25

14

April 9, 1917

89

92

23

15

April 1917 .

81

82

23

15

„ 9,1917 .

86

97

24

15-6

„ 1917 .

86

83

24

15

■

,, 9, 1917

77

83

23-5

16

„ 1917 . .

96

95

23 5

16

„ 9, 1917

84

96

25

15

Nov. 1917 .

80

81

23-6

14

,, 9,1917

83

78

24

15

„ 1917 . .

77

77

23

13-5

Xov. 1917 .

82

82

23

15-5

,, 1917 . .

82

81

22-5

13-5

„ 1917 .

8(5

92

25

15

„ 1917 . .

81

86

24

16

,, 1917 .

85

84

24

15

,, 1917 .

91

98

24

16

.Jan.-Feb. 1918 .

94

25

15-5

„ 1917 . .

87

24

14-5

1918 .

86

87

28-5

15

Jau.-Feb. 1918 .

90

94

24

16

Mar.-Apr. 1918 .

98

95

24-5

16 5

1918 .

88

95

23-5

15

Skeleton.

2

Oct. 1917 .
Average of 20:—

101

••

25-2

16

Average of 17 :—

90

90-2

24-5

15-4

••

90

89-5

24-2

14-9

i8o

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

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II 11 II II II II II II 11 II II II II II II II II
rHClCO-^iA-sOt-COOiO-HCieO-^iOtOl^

THE FIELD MOUSE OF FOULA i8l

List of measurements recorded in preceding table : —

1. Condylo-basal length.

2. Occipito-nasal length.

3. Zygomatic breadth.

4. Interorbital width.

5. Cranial width.

6. Cranial depth, in middle.

7. Post-molar length ; condyle

to m. 3.

8. Condyle to front surface

of bulla.

9. Nasal length.

3. COMPARISON OF EXTERNAL MEASUREMENTS.

10.

Nasal width.

II.

Palatal length.

12.

Diastema.

13-

Length of anterior palatal

foramina.

14.

Width of anterior palatal

foramina.

15-

Rostral breadth.

16.

Width of masseteric plate.

17.

Cheek-teeth, coronal length

Absolute (iu

millimetres).

Relative (Head and body =

100).

A.fridariensis thuleo.

Average of 9 adult males .
,, 10 ,,. females

H. & B.

96-5
95-8

T.

93

94-2

HF.

25-1
24-7

E.

15-7
15-3

H. & E

= 100
= 100

. T.

96-5
98-5

HF.

26-1
258

E.

16-3
IS

A. fridariensis fridaritnsis.
Average of 6 adults .

109-5

103-2

24-1

16-1

= 100

94

22

14-7

A. fridariensis grantii.
Average of 10 adults .

101-5

91-S

24

16-2

= 100

90

23-6

15-9

Nearly all the material upon which this contribution is
based was collected by Mr W. H. Greenaway at the request
of Dr Eagle Clarke, and the latter desires that these services
should be fully and gratefully acknowledged. Mr Greenaway
found the Mice, which are termed "Hill Mice" by the
inhabitants, on rough ground from the foot of the hills up to
1000 feet above sea-level, and remarks that it is surprising
how they survive the storm.s and trials of the Foula winter.

Number of Young in Stoat's Family. — On 8th May 191 9

I found a Stoat's nest in a tree-root. I returned in an hour and
shot the female carrying away a young one. I then got the nest
dug out and it contained ten young ones. There were, therefore,
at least eleven in the litter and the female may have carried away
one young one before she was shot. In Bell's Quadrupeds the
size of a litter is given as about five, and in Lydekker's Handbook
to the British Ma/n/nalia as five to eight. — James Bartholomew,
Glenorchard, Stirlingshire.

[There are records of as few as two and as many as twelve and
thirteen, but the usual number of young is from five to eight. — Eds.]

i82 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Behaviour of Birds under Abnormal Conditions. — Now

that the War is happily over, we feel we may place on record what
we noticed of the behaviour of birds here, during the Zeppelin raid
on Edinburgh on the 3rd of April 191 6. Even at this distance
(23 miles) the noise of the guns and bombs was very great, and the
concussions caused the windows and doors to shake and rattle.
Great disturbance was evident among the birds during this bom-
bardment ; the Tawny Owls, which had been perfectly silent, began
to hoot loudly. Partridges were to be heard calling in the iields all
round. Pheasants uttered their characteristic crow, while the Gulls
on the shore kept up an incessant clamour. As the bombardment
died down, so did these noises in the night, the birds apparently
resuming their interrupted slumber as soon as sufficient quiet
reigned. Mr Evans has kindly informed us that at Comiston,
immediately to the south of Edinburgh, the Rooks rose from their
nests in a body, cawing vociferously, and the Pheasants in the
neighbouring woods " crowed " all through the raid. We might,
perhaps, also mention the fact that all through the War, whenever
there was gunfire in the neighbourhood, the Pheasants crowed loudly ;
this has, of course, often been recorded, but it interested us to notice
that they never got accustomed to the gunfire, but called as loudly
at the end of the four and a quarter years as they did at the
beginning. Another thing we have noticed during the last four
years is, how much more frequently the Tawny Owls hooted in the
daytime than they did before. Here, the hooting of an Owl in the
daytime is believed to be a forerunner of disaster, but we wonder
whether distant detonations, perceptible to the wonderful ears of
the Owls, though too far off to reach our duller senses, might be the
cause. Loud gunfire did not invariably make the Owls call as was
the case with the Pheasants, but since the end of the War we have
but rarely heard Owls hoot in the daytime. Dr Charles Davidson
{Nature, ist February 191 7, p. 439) says that Pheasants showed
great signs of unrest over wide areas, both during the Jutland Battle
and during an explosion in a munition factory. AVe were very
much interested in his remarks on the subject in view of what we
ourselves had observed, but could not publish our notes because
the exact locality of the raid had not then been stated officially.
It is not only unusual sounds which cause birds to call in this
way ; for instance, an eclipse of the sun may have this effect.
During the partial eclipse on 21st August 1914, we heard Curlew
calling loudly and continuously, this ceasing Avhen the shadow
passed. — Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul,
Largo, Fife.

STARLINGS OF SHETLAND, FAIR ISLE, AND ST KILDA 183

THE STARLINGS OF SHETLAND, FAIR ISLE,

AND ST KILDA.

In a recent issue of Novitates Zoologicce (vol. xxv. pp. 327-
337), Dr Hartert reviews the various forms of the Common
Starling {Sturnus vulgaris) and adds several new sub-species,
making the total number of races now recognised to be
nineteen in number. Among the new forms is Stiirmis
vulgaris zetlandicus, the Starling of the Shetland Isles ; but
the peculiarities of the Starlings which are natives of Fair
Isle and St Kilda are also described.

In his preliminary remarks, Dr Hartert tells us that ''' the
Starlings are one of the most difficult genera of Passeres
with regard to their sub-species. Some have a very wide
distribution and are enormous migrants, while others are
fairly local and resident, and their plumage varies very much
according to season and age."

The Starling of Shetland, he finds, comes nearest to that
of the Faroe Isles — the 5. faroensis of Fielden — from which
it differs in having the " bill not so wide and long, though
wider (only sometimes longer) than in 5. v. vulgaris. First
primary not so broad as in faroensis. Wings 131, 131, 132,

133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 137-5, 138 mm- (In twelve adult
faroensis wings 133-136, in 200 vulgaris only 1 28-132,
exceptionally up to 134 mm.) Juv. as a rule, as dark as
those oi faroensis, much darker than those of vulgaris. . . .
Mr Ogilvie Grant (Bull B. O. Club, xxxiii., p. 6^,) first called
attention to the dark colour of the Shetland Starlings, but
he said the adult ones did not differ from common British
Starlings." Mr Ogilvie Grant's remarks were criticised by
Dr C. B. Ticehurst in the Scottish Naturalist {igi$, pp. 3-4),
where he demonstrated that some of Mr Grant's distinguishing
characters were not confined to Shetland birds. It will be
observed that so far as the plumage of adults is concerned
Dr Hartert claims no peculiarity for .S". zetlandicus.

Dr Hartert's remarks on the native Starlings of Fair
Isle and St Kilda are also interesting. Those of Fair
Isle — an island midway between the Orkney and Shetland

I84 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

groups, being about 26 miles distant from either — are
regarded as puzzling. Of the four adults examined, he
finds that " some have bills as in zetlandicus, others as
in vulgaris, also the wings vary, measuring ? 126-5,
$ 128, (^ 137, c? 131- Of the four young in full juvenile
plumage one is of the darkest colour (as dark as young
faroensis and zetlandicus), another as light as young vulgaris^
the two others darker than usual vulgaris but not quite so
deeply coloured as the first ; three more are in full moult
and difficult to judge, but evidently rather dark, though not of
the darkest type. One must therefore say that these birds are
on the whole intermediate between v?ilgaris and zetlandicusr

The St Kilda Starlings examined were " most of them
in moult, and I could only measure four with confidence
which have wings from 127 to 135 mm., while the bills vary
as in the Fair Isle specimens, as does also the first primary.
I have not seen specimens in full juvenile dress, but the
head, neck, and part of the back in a moulting one appear
to be dark, as in the intermediate Fair Isle ones. Therefore
it seems that here, too, we have not yet a fixed race, possibly
for similar reasons as on Fair Isle, i.e. comparatively recent
immigration." They were first mentioned as natives of
St Kilda in 1758.

Racial forms which are based upon bill and wing
measurements which overlap those of other races are un-
satisfactory in one important respect, namely, that should
they occur beyond their patria it would be impossible
to distinguish them from individuals of other forms which
present similar dimensions. In this connection it may
be mentioned that the measurements of the wings of
53 Starlings killed at the Eddystone lighthouse on the
night of I2th/i3th October 1901 ranged from 123 to no
less than 136-5 mm., and thus the largest closely approached
the maximum dimensions of Dr Hartert's Shetland race, and
far exceeded the same author's measurements of the typical
bird ; yet one would hesitate to claim that we had here
evidence in favour of zetlandicus being, even occasionally,
a migratory bird. Nor should too much importance be
awarded to the dark colour of the first plumage — the only

STARLINGS OF SHETLAND, FAIR ISLE, AND ST KILDA 185

plumage peculiarity of both the Faroese and Shetland races.
Similarly coloured birds have been obtained in areas far
removed from these northern islands, namely, at Kew in
Surrey, and at Spean Bridge in West Inverness-shire (23rd
June 1903); and it is probably at present more prevalent
than is suspected. It would seem that in its first plumage
the Starling is dichromatic, and that while the dark phase is
more frequent among the birds of the northern archipelagoes
of Faroe and Shetland than elsewhere, it is not confined to
them. On the other hand, since the brown phase occurs in
Fair Isle, which ranks as the southmost of the Shetland
group, there can be little doubt that it also occurs among
the birds on the other islands of the archipelago, which are
only a few miles farther north and in sight of it.

An interesting fact deserves to be mentioned concerning
these insular Starlings, namely, that although the}' are
sedentary (they are not known to quit their native isles), yet
their wing measurements are in excess of those of the typical
form, vast numbers of which bi-annually undertake extensive
migratory journeys between their summer quarters and their
winter retreats. As a rule the wings of birds peculiar to
islands are shorter and more rounded than in those species
or forms which are more widely distributed, — W. E. C.

Great Spotted Woodpecker in ArgyU. — In July 1919 Sir
Archibald Campbell sent me for preservation a female example of
Dryobates major, which had unfortunately found its way into a trap
at Minard on the 15th of the month. In response to a request for
further information, Mr Rae, who has been keeper there for over
twenty-five years, tells me that he has never seen the bird there
before, but he thinks it may have nested in some old birches near
the place where it was accidentally trapped. This bird is new to
the avifauna of Argyll and Western Scotland generally, as a summer
and presumably a resident species. — Charles Kirk, Glasgow.

The Status of the Redshank in the Outer Hebrides. —

Referring to the above species on p. 227 of the B.O.U. list (1915)
we find the following remarks : — " A resident, generally distributed
during the breeding season, though less common in the Shetland
Islands and in Wales, and rare in the Outer Hebrides."

95 AND 96 X

i86 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

This reference seems slightly confusing as to the Outer Hebrides,
and is apt to mislead. I would like to adduce some facts with a
view to amending the above, and in order to pursue the subject,
let us turn to other and older works : —

I. Yarrell (2nd edition), 1845, makes no mention of the
species in the Outer Hebrides.
II. Harvie-Brown and Buckley, Verf. Fai/na, Outer Hebrides,
1888, p. 135: — "Recorded as occurring only in the
winter in 1830. Seen, however, in pairs at Taransay,
in June, and at Vallay in August, and shot on Berneray
in May 184 1, but no nests found. Occurred at
Mhorsgail, and at or near Stornoway in 1879; and Mr
Greenwood found it in the Hebrides, but not in great
numbers. We cannot recall ever having met with the
species in the Outer Hebrides in summer, not even
during visits specially made to the localities mentioned
by MacGillivray."
III. Saunders (2nd edition), 1899, p. 615: — ". . . while in the
most of the Outer Hebrides it is chiefly an autumnal
visitor."

From personal experience T. totanus is found to be common
and resident (though breeding in no great numbers) ; during the
latter half of August a considerable increase may be noted, but
these fresh arrivals depart during February or March of the
following year. From April to mid-August the bird is still very
numerous; a day seldom passes without its being noted, and so we
cannot label the species other than "common." Thus I., II., and
III. are almost entirely out of harmony with the present conditions.
Yet I can well imagine the Redshank to be scarcer in Lewis, Harris,
and Barra, owing to those localities being less suited to the bird's
habits, than Benbecula and North and South Uist.

Thus we may safely say that the present status of T. totanus in
the Outer Hebrides has greatly changed since the middle of last
century. That the species has fluctuated in numbers from time to
time might also be suggested ; for instance, during last February
and March the Redshank was considerably less in evidence than
during the corresponding months of former years.

Apropos of this type of change I may here mention that the
Dunlin {Tringa alpi/ui), formerly a common spring migrant, has
become comparatively scarce during that season. This tends to
show existing conditions still less in agreement with p. 222 of
the B.O.U. list than my initial comparison. — F. S. Beveridge,
Dunfermline.

SOME BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTH UIST 187

SOME BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTH UIST.

By Donald Guthrie.

Continued from page 1 50.

The Brent Goose. — Brent Geese are rare in Barra,
South Uist, and Benbecula, the only three I have seen in the
Outer Hebrides were shot in South Uist.

The Barnacle Goose. — Barnacle Geese arrive in the
Hebrides about 15th October and leave almost to a day
on 1st or 2nd May; on arriving at the islands they come
from the south, flying low along the Atlantic sea-board.
My idea is they fly south far out at sea and then, when
about Barrahead, turn north to settle on their favourite
haunts ; they come in from the sea very often at dusk.
White-fronted Geese, on the other hand, arrive from the
north-east, year in, year out. It is exciting work stalking
a large gaggle of Barnacle Geese as the}' make a con-
tinual cackling noise which makes one fear they are on the
point of rising ; they are easier to kill than other kinds
of geese as their feathers are easier to penetrate. It was
very interesting to watch the Barnacle Geese congregate
into one huge flock during the last days of April preparing
for their spring migration ; I have seen a large plain covered
with geese in the evening and by next morning not a single
goose was to be seen, even wounded geese disappeared
mysteriously. They left almost for certain on or about ist
or 2nd May, that is if not harassed by shooting too much
during the spring. During frost Barnacles take to the sea-
strands but return to the fresh water when possible at dusk
and during the night. In hard frost one winter I went to
an open sheet of water at the mouth of a large drain a little
before dusk and hid myself in a large stone butt. In a very
short time Teal began to come, then Snipe and a few Wood-
cock walking along the sides, then Wigeon, Goldeneye,
Scaup, Pochard, Mallard, Tufted Duck, and a few Pintail, so
that the sheet of water was covered. Just as the moon
began to shine brightly the Barnacle came, in hundreds,
some settling on the ice, some on the water, others on the

l88 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

shore. Next a flock of Grey Geese and then Whooper
Swans, settling on the ice and walking majestically towards
the water all anxious to quench their thirst. The Swans
soon began to feed, diving their heads and long necks into
the water and bringing up their favourite weed ; round every
Swan swarmed the Wigeon and Teal to partake of the food
the Swans brought to the surface. I lay so long watching
them that I could scarcely walk, but managed to crawl away
without disturbing the pretty scene.

The Canada Goose. — Seven of these geese appeared
one winter, when we were fortunate enough to procure two
specimens though they were extremely wary, scarcely leaving
the little hill-tops.

The Sheld-duck — This handsome bird is very numer-
ous in the Hebrides both on the Atlantic and the Minch
sea-boards ; many stay all the year round, but they are
most numerous during the nesting season. On the western
sea-board they lay their eggs in rabbit holes not far
from the sea, where they take their young immediately,
but on the Minch side they have their nests, as a rule, in
peaty banks split open by the summer heat. Once I found
two nests, both with the full complement of eggs and having
the same entrance, branching off a few yards in. It is very
amusing to see them dance, we had eight young at one time
hatched under a hen and when hungry they would come to
the doorstep and begin their little performance, like soldiers
learning " left-right," arching their necks the while, this being
their method of squeezing the tiny worms out of the ooze on
the seashore. Another time we had four young Sheldrake
which disappeared towards the end of autumn ; three months
later we were greatly surprised to see three draggled-looking
Sheldrake walk into our kitchen and begin their performance
in front of the stove. It was a severe snowstorm, so they
stayed with the poultry until the thaw set in, when they
disappeared, never to return.

The Mallard. — South Uist is specially adapted for
Wild-duck, and Mallard are very common there all the
year round. They nest chiefly on the islands in the
lochs, .some, however, breed on the hills, bringing their

SOME BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTH UIST 189

broods down the streams into the marshes on the low
ground. During the transit many of the young are lost, as
the Mallard seems quite content if one of her young follow,
leaving the others perhaps behind a stone wall or low turf
dyke. In fine weather the great majority of the Mallard went
out to the Atlantic during the day and flew in again at dusk.

The Gadwall. — This duck arrived in late October and
stayed on to April, but as far as I could see never nested.
In their habits they are very like the Wigeon and Pintail,
if unmolested they become very confiding, feeding in shallow
bogs on their favourite lochs quite close to people working
in the fields.

The Teal. — Teal are common, both as a breeding bird
and migrant ; they gather into large flocks during the winter,
betaking themselves to the sea lochs on the Minch side, where
they obtain good shelter ; they also frequent the inland waters.

The Wigeon. — Wigeon arrive in October and leave in
early April, some years a few stay all summer but I never
saw or heard of one nesting. They frequent the shallower
lochs where their favourite weed abounds and keep company
with the wild Swans, which help them greatly in getting the
weed from the bottom.

The Shoveller. — The Shoveller is far from common,
but a few breed ; as a rule, they keep company with the
Wigeon. They keep to the shore, although going inland
to nest, which they do in long dry grass and rushes, always
near a marsh, where they can take their young for safety.

The Pintail. — In the Hebrides, Pintail are not numer-
ous, they are more plentiful in Benbecula in the winter than
in South Uist, where, however, a few nest. Both the male
and female look after the brood and they take them right
on to the middle of the lochs at the least sign of danger,
quite different from the Mallard.

The Pochard.— a small flock of Pochard frequented a
small pond near my house every winter ; as we never inter-
fered with them they got very tame.

The Scaup. — A pair of Scaup nested near Grogarry,
South Uist, but the species is chiefly a winter visitor being
very numerous at that season. When flighting they move

igo THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

in one huge lot and one can never get more than two shots
at them.

The Tufted Duck. — The Tufted Duck frequented the
Hebrides in hundreds in the early eighties, then for a few
years got very scarce ; after a time they began to get more
numerous again and curiously enough began nesting in South
Uist. They make their nest on little grassy islands in quiet
corners and on the mainland near a pond under a bush or
long rushes.

The Long-tailed Duck.— Common on the Atlantic side
in winter but seldom or never found on the Minch ; after
a hurricane on the x'\tlantic, storm-driven birds are occasion-
ally found on the inland lochs.

The Eider. — The Eider is very common, often going a
considerable distance inland to nest, even to the moors
among the heather ; others nest in the long bent grass, not
far from the seashore. This species was very much on the
increase, more being seen every year. It is known in the
Hebrides by the name of " Heisker big duck," the belief being
that the first ducks came off a vessel wrecked on Heisker
long before the Monach lighthouse was built.

The Common Scoter. — Is very common on the Atlantic
coast, seldom or never coming inland.

The Goosander. — The Goosander is very rare in the
Outer Hebrides ; I never saw i-ts nest there, in fact it was
only seen on rare occasions.

The Merganser. — This duck is very numerous in the
Hebrides and may be classed as a true native, nesting all
over the islands. They lay from ten to twelve eggs and
their nest is often made under a peaty bank, something like
the Sheldrake, but as far as my observations went they did
not lay their eggs so far underground. The Merganser is
very destructive to fish of all kinds and under no conditions
should they be allowed to frequent valuable trout lochs or
streams. Sometimes towards the end of autumn, flocks
containing hundreds may be seen in the creeks and bays
of the Minch, and often frequent the trout lochs, where they
cause great havoc.

Red-Necked PliALAROPE. — This beautiful little bird

SOME BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTH UIST igi

comes to the Hebrides as a summer visitor. At one time we
knew of as many as forty pairs, but I fear very much their
numbers are now less, as that bane of bird life, the egg-
collector, found out their haunts.

The Woodcock. — The Woodcock is an abundant winter
visitor to the Outer Hebrides, arriving about mid-October
and staying till late February or early March. They frequent
the deep wild ravines and sides of mountain streams, where
good heather covert and overhanging rocks afford all the
shelter they require ; in fine weather they are found all over
the open moor among the Grouse and afford capital sport,
especially in November and early December, when the
migratory Snipe are all over the moor along with them.
After the exceptionally severe winter of 1897-98, Woodcock
were never so numerous, as all birds suffered severely,
especially those living by suction. The " Cock " frequented
the same haunts year after year, in fact the same holes on
a stormy day. They are very shy birds especially when
migratory, and should always be allowed to settle for at least
a fortnight in their winter quarters before being shot at ; the
same ground should not be disturbed often as no bird is so
easily scared. The Peregrine and Merlin follow the birds
from the far north and exact a terrible toll, especially when
they are tired on landing.

The Snipe. — Breed all over the low-lying moors and
green grazing ground between the " Machrie" and the moor,
and numbers of migratory Snipe arrive in October. There is
very good Snipe ground all over Barra, South Uist, and
Benbecula.

Jack Snipe. — 'These arrive in October and the number
migrating to the Hebrides every year is marvellous. How
they manage to weather the storms of the North Sea is a
mystery to me, they seem so weakly.

The Dunlin. — Stays all the year round and nests freely
on the plains near the Atlantic shores.

The Redshank. — This bird is very common in the
Outer Hebrides, especially during winter and spring, but is
not so numerous in the nesting time, as many leave the
islands to breed elsewhere.

192 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Greenshank. — The Greenshank is very rare in
South Uist, and I never saw its nest there although I was
told it bred in the islands.

The Curlew. — I never saw anything approaching the
huge flocks of Curlew which arrived in the Hebrides by the
end of July and stayed till April ; it can only be described as
a winter visitor as I never saw or heard of its nest. Owinfj
to the Curlew feeding so much among the sea-weed its flesh
is very rank and fishy, and no bird got so hard up during
frost, even worse than the Snipe or Woodcock.

The Whimbrel. — Is only a visitor to the outer islands,
arriving in late April and May ; it was called by the natives
"may fowl," and in the old days was looked on as a great
asset by native sportsmen. They were quite tame on
arriving and only stayed for a few weeks. I never saw their
nest.

The Golden Plover. — The Golden Plover was very
numerous in South Uist, but very few stayed to nest which
was strange as the nesting grounds seemed ideal. Many
migrants arrived in September, and one day, early in
October, I was fishing on a long narrow loch running east
and west, and the numbers of Golden Plover which passed
me that day were beyond anything I have ever seen. They
crossed the loch about the middle, coming from the north-
east and going ofl" due south, in lots of a score or more, all
day without ceasing. Next day none were to be seen.

The Lapwing. — This well-known bird is a thorough
native of the Hebrides, staying all the year round and
nesting in thousands. They are much tamer than in other
places as they are rarely if ever molested.

The Ovstercatcher. — A numerous resident ever}--
where in the Hebrides.

(Z(? be continued.)

ORTHOCLADIUS, Spp., BREEDING IN THE SEA 193

ORTHOCLADIUS, Spp., BREEDING IN THE SEA.

By Richard Elmhirst, F.L.S., Superintendent of the Millport
Marine Biological Station.

In a recent conversation Mr H. M. Fox (Ray Lankester
Investigator on Marine Insects at the Plymouth Laboratory)
suggested I should pubHsh a short account of observations
on marine breeding insects, particularly Chironomids, in the
Clyde area.

Species I. Orthodadius sordidellus, Ztt.

The larvae of this species occur frequently amongst
EnteromorpJia intestinalis and are generally found inside the
hollow fronds of the Enteromorpha. The habits of this
larva have been described by Mr T. H. Taylor in Trans. Ent.
Soc. Lond., 1904, pp. 521-3.

The larvae occur in brackish and salt water and may be
reared in fresh, brackish, or salt water. The pupal stage
lasts about two days in summer but longer in cold weather.
Emergence of the imago takes a few minutes, and the imago
can fly within a similar time. Flies emerged 2ist August
1914, mated 11 A.M. 22nd, and the female deposited a mass
of ova by noon. The ova are about -24 mm. x-i2 mm.,
rather irregularly placed in a tube within a thick gelatinous
covering generally curved and about 4 mm. x -5 mm.

On summer evenings the flies occur in large flights about
the shore and are attracted by the lights of houses. Early
in August this year I collected a number of them associated
with Cnlicoides pulicaris ovi a wall near a gas bracket. I have
seen Ceratinostoma osfiorum, Hal., devouring an egg-laying
female O. sordidcllus. Bats feed along the shore when the
flies are abundant.

Species II. Orthodadius, sp.?

The larvae occur chiefly amongst PolysipJionia fastigiata
but also amongst Zostera and other weeds, at all tidal levels ;
they have also been taken in the surface tow-net, but these
95 AND 96 Y

194 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

specimens undoubtedly came from weeds drifted off the
shore. This larva I take to be the species erroneously
described as a worm, Canipontia cruciforniis, by Dr Johnston
in British Non-parasitical Worms, 1865. The life-history is
similar to that of the preceding species. The flies, 2 mm.
long, are yellowish with brown markings on the thorax.

A third species of Orthocladius larva with characteristic
blue markings occurs in a brackish pool which is at present
dried up. A Culicid and a Chironomid with four anal gills
were found in a brackish pool in 1914.

I am indebted to Mr P. H. Grimshaw for the identification
of the flies.

Ha"wflnch in Dumbartonshire. — On 5th August I received
from Colonel Sir R. C Mackenzie a male Hawfinch {Coccothraustes
coccothraustes), a bird of the year, which was caught in a fruit net at
Camiseskan, Dumbartonshire, two days previously. This species
is, I believe, a new bird for the Clyde area. — Charles Kirk,
Glasgow.

Nesting of the Pied Flycatcher and Garden Warbler in
Ross-shire. — On the 22nd of May 1919, as my son and a ghillie
were coming along the Blackwater River in the parish of Contin,
East Ross, they heard the singing of a bird which they did not
recognise. Two days later I visited the spot, heard the bird and
saw it— a male Pied Flycatcher. The bird sang for a long time
and then suddenly became silent; this happened each time I
observed it. On the 25th, after watching the male for three hours,
we found the nest in a hole in a birch-tree 12 feet from the ground;
the male had sat where the nest was several times, but we did
not see the female till she flew out of the hole. Though the Pied
Flycatcher breeds in small numbers in Southern Scotland it is
most uncommon in the Highlands, and I know of only one other
breeding record in the Moray Area, namely in East Inverness in
1912. The nest found in East Ross, therefore, extends the birds'
breeding range in Scotland considerably north of any previous
record. I have also to report the breeding of the Garden Warbler
in the same parish, in the garden of the lodge in which I was
living. The nest was found on 24th May 1919, and on the 29th
it had four eggs. I had seen the bird there the previous summer,
and heard it singing as early as 5 a m., but failed to find the nest.
This is the first time the Garden Warbler has been found breeding
in Moray. — D. J. Balfour Kirke, Burntisland.

NOTES 195

Unusual Nesting-place of Grey Wagtail. — A pair of Grey
Wagtails nested this year (19 19) in the porch at Poltalloch, Argyll-
shire. This is at present lined with Thuya trees in pots, in one of
which the nest was built, about 5 feet from the ground. The female
struck the glass door of the house and was killed, but the male took
charge of the young which flew safely a few days afterwards. —
G. AV. Malcolm, of Poltalloch.

Albino Spotted Flycatcher.— On 17th July 1919, a pure
white young Spotted Flycatcher was captured in Dumfries, and after
being kept three days in a cage, where it died, it was sent to me. —
Hugh S. Gladstone, Dumfriesshire.

Pied Flycatcher in Aberdeenshire. — On 8th May 1919 a
Pied Flycatcher {Muscicapa atricapilla) in male plumage was received
at Aberdeen University from the Newburgh district. I have not
personally met with the species locally until this occasion, and Sim
{Vertebrate Fauna of Dee, 1903) gives only a few scattered records.
— A. Landsborough Thoklson, University of Aberdeen.

The Whinchat as Imitator. — ^To The Scottish Naturalist for
1916, p. 282, I contributed some observations on the Whinchat
imitatinu: the Swallow's notes. To these I would like to add
further instances of the Whinchat's powers as imitator.

Near Giffnock, on 22nd May 191 7, within the space of twenty
minutes or so, I heard from a single bird good renderings of the
Pied Wagtail's call-note, the Sand-Martin's chatter, the ratchety
note of the Wren, the song of the Corn-Bunting — especially the
jangling part at the end — and the call of the Common Redshank,
though not so loud as when uttered by the Redshank itself. On
the same evening I had a second Whinchat under observation,
which, as it flew with fluttering or quivering wings from a beech-
tree to the telegraph wires, sang a finch-like song, a curious
compound of the songs of the Goldfinch and the Chaffinch. These,
with what I could recall from previous experience, accounted for
imitations of the notes of at least eight different species, and, of
course, the Whinchat has its own little song and notes as well. —
John Robertson, Glasgow.

Golden Eagle in North Uist. — Thanks to Mr Anstruther-
Gray's kind information, I can now record the Golden Eagle, within
recent years, from the neighbourhood of Lochmaddy.

Whilst stalking on North Lee (6th October 191 3) my informant,
along with several others, observed a single bird, which, having
settled within 150 to 200 yards, was in full view — his telescope,

196 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

and ihe bird's proximity, making any mistake as to its identity
impossible.

This, I gather, is the latest authentic example from the district. —
Fred S. Beveridge, Dunfermline.

The Whooper Swan in Ross-shire in June. — The occur-
rence of the Whooper Swan {Cygniis imisictis) anywhere in the
British Isles in the month of June is sufficiently rare to make the
following visit of the species worthy of record. On 5th June 1919,
at g A.M., I was proceeding to fish on Loch Beannachavan, a loch
on the Meig, one of the upper affluents of the river Conon, when I
was greatly surprised to see thereon a Whooper Swan that had
unquestionably arrived overnight. It remained on the loch until
the morning of the 13th, paying visits in the interval to neighbouring
smaller hill lochs, and no evidence was shown that its power of
flight was in any way impaired. The plumage was that of an adult
bird, but the upper mandible did not have quite the lemon-yellow
tint of the mature bird, being rather of a creamy yellow, thus
showing traces of immaturity. I may state that the hills in the
neighbourhood were covered with mist on two days previous to its
arrival, and that the bird was very shy of allowing a near approach
when I was on foot, but appeared to be less scared of a vehicle. —
D. Macdonald, Glasgow.

Wild Swans observed in the Western Highlands in
Summer. — During a visit to Western Inverness-shire in June 1919,
Mr T. G. Laidlaw and myself were greatly surprised to observe on
several occasions two adult Whooper Swans {Cygniis musicus) on
Loch Trieg. At first only one was seen which stayed a day or two,
and then left. On the 26th it returned accompanied by another.
These on and off visits continued down to early July, when our
residence in the district came to an end. During these sojourns
the birds frequented a broad belt of weedy shallows on the west
side of the loch, which afforded them the only suitable feeding
ground.

On making inquiries of the keepers, we learned that the two
birds arrived at Loch Trieg in the late autumn of 19 18, and were
seen there at intervals during the winter and early spring. In April
one of them disappeared, and the two were not seen in company
again until late in June. Both were strong on the wing and visited
other lochs in the neighbourhood, some at high altitudes, which
offered suitable feeding haunts. This was all we could learn
regarding the birds.

We found the birds somewhat wary, inasmuch as they betook

NOTES 197

themselves towards the centre of the loch on our approach, and
frequently uttered their characteristic notes, whoops whoop. We had
several opportunities of examining the birds under most favourable
conditions, and by the aid of binoculars observed that the yellow
of their bills was fully developed as regards its intensity, and was
not "creamy yellow," as in the case of the bird seen in Ross-shire
some 40 miles farther north by Mr Macdonald, as recorded above.
Both birds were strong fliers, and hence there seems to be no
reason, if they were originally immigrants from overseas, why they
should not have returned in the early spring to their native sub-
arctic haunts. It would be of great interest to know more of the
history of these Highland Wild Swans, and it is to be hoped that
further information may be forthcoming regarding them — Wm.
Eagle Clarke, Edinburgh.

Common Scoter on Duddingston Loch in May. — On 5th

May 1919 I saw a male Common ^coIqy {(Ed e mi a nigra); it was
resting on the water, near, but not among, some Coots. I had a
good view of it with a field-glass and watched it for some time. —
John Currie, Edinburgh.

The Great Crested Grebe in Scotland.^ — In Misses Baxter
and Rintoul's article in your last number, the Great Crested Grebe
is given as a rare visitor to the Orkney Islands. This may have
applied some years ago, but for some years prior to 1909 it was
known as a regular visitor to Lochs Stennes and Harray on
migration, and although one or two sometimes remained until well
on in the spring, I know of no evidence of their nesting.

The date given for Cobbinshaw Reservoir, Midlothian, is 1907,
but I feel sure that there was a pair there in the summer of 1905,
and also another pair in the same year on Pressmennan Loch in
East Lothian. Duns Castle Loch in Berwickshire also, I think,
had a pair either in 1905 or 1906, for I remember going up there
one evening to see them. They were already established on the
Urummond Castle Loch in 1906, but whether nesting in any of
these places I cannot say. I think that I am also right in saying
that the bird has been seen on Duddingston Loch, Midlothian.

The Red-necked Grebe also occurs in Orkney on the spring
migration, as I mentioned in the Scottish Naturalist (1909),
p. 185. — H. W. Robinson, Lancashire.

[We are much indebted to Mr H. W. Robinson for the above
interesting information. In endeavouring to trace the spread of
the Great Crested Grebe as a breeding species in Scotland, we only
dealt with definite records of the finding of the nest or young of

198 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

these birds on the various lochs. The presence of Great Crested
Grebes on a loch in summer is not sufficient evidence of their
breeding there, as has many times been proved. — E.V. B. and L. J. R.]

Black-tailed Godwit in Forfarshire. — On 3rd September
I had an opportunity of observing a fine specimen of the Black-
tailed Godwit on the seashore at Elliot. I watched the bird very
closely with the aid of a binocular from 12.30 to 1.30 p.m.
Though at first rather shy, it eventually allowed me to approach
within 25 yards or thereby. Having apparently just arrived from
oversea, it fed very eagerly on certain small marine creatures borne
up the sand by the shallow waves. Occasionally it bored its long
bill with a screw-like motion into the sand in search of worms, its
head being entirely immersed in the operation. After feeding, it
bathed in several inches of water, then very methodically preened
its plumage, and thereafter went to sleep for ten minutes, standing
the while on one leg with its beak inserted in the feathers of its
back. On awakening it picked up a few more morsels then
resumed its journey southwards, flying low over the water, its flight
resembling that of the Curlew. As recorded in the Report on
Scottish Ornithology in 191 6, I saw a specimen of this bird on 7th
September 19 16 at the same place and at the same hour of the day.
It went through exactly the same proceedings. — Douglas G.
Hunter, Rosebrae, Arbroath.

Woodcock and Young. — I have been watching a Woodcock's
behaviour with her young with considerable interest of late. The
first nest with four eggs was destroyed, and this is her second effort,
which accounts for the lateness of the date. The best view I have
had of her was this morning (5th July 1919), before breakfast. My
retriever flushed her in some long grass in the bog-garden, and she
flew past me, only a few feet away, with legs hanging straight down,
the thighs pressed close together, and the tail spread out and
pointing downwards. She pitched on the grass walk a short
distance ahead, and when on the ground looked as if she were
brooding or hiding her chick. She let me approach quite close
when she rose and flew further down the path. Her flight was
exactly like that of a partridge or grouse with a broken back — low
and undulating and in a very upright position. Three times I got close
to her on the ground — close mown grass path — but never a young
one did I see. All the time she kept up a loud screech. Her very
laboured flight and the extraordinary position of the legs and thighs
were what struck me most, and no one ever had a better view of a
Woodcock. — James M'L. Marshall, Bleaton Hallet, Blairgowrie.

NOTES 199

Colias edusa and its var. helice in the Edinburgh
District. — The hot weather we had at the end of May and through-
out June seemed to me to give promise of a good butterfly season,
so every week I went to a favourite hunting-ground of mine on the
coast of East Lothian. While collecting there on 14th June 1919 I
met another entomologist ^ who told me he had seen what he
thought was a Clouded Yellow {Colias edusa) that day about half a
mile from where I was. At first I was rather incredulous, but on
reflection reasons for giving more credence to the report occurred to
me. So on 21st June I again went down to the locality, and to my
delight saw a Clouded Yellow. I did not catch it, however, as it
was in full flight and I was unable to chase it quickly owing to the
nature of the ground. About an hour later I atoned for this by
netting a fine specimen of C. edusa var. helice^ the white variety of
the female. Its identity has been confirmed by the Editors of this
Magazine. Again on 4th September I saw and chased a fine male
edusa, but as it took refuge behind a clump of sweet briar about 4
feet high and several yards wide, I unfortunately did not get it. —
Ian G. W. Hill, Edinburgh.

[It is interesting to note that in 1877, the year of the big immigra-
tion of Colias edusa, specimens were obtained in the same locality
(Longniddry Links). Cf. Proc. Berzvicksh. Nat. Club, vols, viii.
and ix. — Eds.]

Colias edusa in Forfarshire. — While walking over the
extensive coast sand hills lying between Monifieth and Carnoustie
on 31st August 1 9 19, the day being warm and bright, I was surprised
to see some half dozen specimens of this beautiful butterfly flying up
and down a long sheltered hollow lying quite near the sea-border of
the sand hills. A specimen settled near me, and seemed to be in
fine condition. They were ai^ain seen a week later, when a male
was under close observation for some time. I am not aware if this
species has been noticed in this county before. Meyrick, I see,
records it from " Britain to the Clyde (rarely stragglers further
north)."— A. E. J. Carter, Monifieth.

Boarmia gemmaria in the Forth Area. — There being
apparently no published record of the occurrence of Boar?)iia
geininaria, Brahm (rhoniboidaria Hb.), in the Forth district, I may
state that it has occurred in my garden at Morningside, in the
southern suburbs of Edinburgh during the last two summers.
Between the 25th and 28th of July this year five were captured and
as many more seen, and on 15th August a worn specimen came into

1 Mr K. J. Morton, F.E.S.— Eds.

200 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

the house. These all bclonu; to the smoky-grey variety known as
wax. perfi/maria. In 1918 Mr J. W. Bowhill showed me a specimen
he had recently taken in his garden in the (Irangc district of
I'^dinburgh, and Miss Balfour tells me she has taken the species at
Whittingehame in East Lothian ; while I believe I have seen a
specimen from West Fife in Dunfermline Museum. — William
Evans, Edinburgh.

The Kentish Glory Moth on Deeside. — A Kentish Glory
Moth {Endromis versicolor) was found on a fir-tree on the east side
of Birsemohr Loch, near Aboyne, on the evening of 17th April 1919,
by Mr Christie, Millbank, Birse Aboyne. It was sent to the Royal
Scottish Museum. — Jane Gowan, Cullen.

[Though Kentish Glory Moths have been already recorded from
Aberdeenshire, the above is of interest. — Eds.]

Caterpillars of the Pale Mottled Willow Moth in Flax. —

When visiting the station where the flax is deseeded, at Silverburn,
near Leven, I was interested to notice large numbers of caterpillars
among the refuse wliich remained after the deseeding process. The
caterpillars had evidently been living in the flax, and I was struck
by their marvellous vitality in coming, unhurt, through the various
operations necessary for deseeding. These comprised crushing
between rollers and passing through the winnowing machine; it was
among the small stones, broken husks, and other debris that the
caterpillars were found. A good many of them were caught and
reared and proved to be caterpillars of the Pale Mottled Willow
{Caradrina ciibiciilaris). ^^'heat stacks and pea haulms are known
to be sometimes infested by this caterpillar, but I can find no
previous record of it in flax. — George Russell, Lundin Links.

Aspidiphorus orbiculatus, Gyll., in Scotland. — In dealing
with this beetle in the paper on additions to the list of Scottish
Coleoptera {^Scottish Naturalist, 19 19, 167), I omitted to mention
that it had previously been recorded by Andrew Murray in his
"Catalogue of the Coleoptera of Scotland" (1853), as occurring in
moss in Berwickshire and at Kirkpatrick-Juxta in Dumfriesshire.
For some reason or another it was not included in Dr Sharp's
" Coleoptera of Scotland," but the Stirlingshire record has the effect
of re-establishing it as a Scottish species. — A. Fergusson, Glasgow.

Staphylinus caesareus, Ceder., in Main Argyll — This fine
Staphylinus is decidedly scarce in the Clyde area, and I was
accordingly glad to find a beautiful specimen running across the
road in Glen Goil, Lochgoilhead, during September 1915. —
A. Fergusson, Glasgow.

CURRENT LITERATURE 201

Halyzia 16-guttata, L., and Coccinella conglobata, L., in
Main Argyll. — One example of the scarce ladybird, H. i6-Gicttata,
was taken by beating birches in Glen More, Lochgoilhead, dur-
ing September 191 5. In the Clyde area it has only previously
been found at Luss (Dumbarton) by the Rev. J. E. Somerville.
C. conglobata, another scarce species of the same group, occurred in
Glen More at the same time on Hazel. Curiously enough it has
also been recorded from Luss, where two specimens were taken by
Mr A. A. Dalglish in 1900. The only other Scottish record for
this species is from Aberfoyle (West Perth), where Mr Evans found
two specimens, one on oak in May 1896, and the other in September
1897.— A. Fergusson, Glasgow.

CURRENT LITERATURE.

The Food of the Bullfinch. — Dr Collinge, on evidence
gathered from an examination of 484 adult Bullfinches and 34
nestlings collected in four Midland counties of England, condemns
the Bullfinch {Coioitry Life, 3rd May 1919). He finds that
" practically the whole of the food consumed is vegetable matter,"
and that " of the total bulk found in these birds 41 per cent, consisted
of cultivated fruits, 15 per cent, of wild fruits, and 44 per cent, of
weed seeds." This makes up the full 100 per cent. ; yet, curiously
enough, although almost half of Dr Collinge's adult birds (228 out
of 484) were collected in April and May, and although a main
antipathy of gardeners to the Bullfinch is due to its destruction of
blossom buds in the springtime, Dr Collinge appears to have found
no trace of such vegetable matter at all. From replies to queries
he has learned that the Bullfinch is increasing in numbers, that for
half the year it is "most destructive" in fruit orchards, and that
fruit-growers would welcome any measure that tended to reduce the
numbers of the bird.

Deronectes depressus and D. elegans. — An interesting
paper' on Deronectes depressjis, Fab., and D. elegans, Panz., two
British Water-beetles, appears in the Annals atid Magazine of
Natural History for April (pp. 293-308 and pis. vii.-viii.). The
author is Frank Balfour-Browne, who, after a careful examina-
tion of a long series of specimens, comes to the conclusion that
the species named are distinct but closely related. Both forms
have hitherto been included by British authors under the name
95 AND 96 Z

202 TPIE SCOTTISTT NATURALIST

D. depressJis, but they may be separated by the difference in the
shape of the thorax in both sexes, by the different curvature of the
anterior tarsal claws of the male, and by the difference in the
breadth of the apex of the pedeagus. The distribution of both
species in Britain is discussed in considerable detail.

The "Egg-Burster." — In the Annals and Magazine of Natural
History for April (pp. 372-376) F. W. Edwards draws attention to
the presence in the larvae of several diptera, belonging to different
famihes, of a curious organ knowMi as the "egg-burster." It consists
in general of a chitinous disc armed with a small pointed peg,
situated on the head of the larva but only present in the first stage,
i.e., before the first moult takes place. This apparatus, whose
function is to pierce and cut the egg-envelope and thus facilitate the
exit of the grub, has only hitherto been observed among diptera in
the family Culicida^ (Gnats), but Mr Edwards has discovered it
also in Siniitlii/nt, Chironomi/s. and two genera of Mycetophilidffi
(Fungus-gnats). In other orders of insects the egg-burster has long
been known, assuming a variety of forms.

Frit-fly {Oscinis frit) in Scotland. — In the July number of
the Scottish Journal of Agriculture., Dr James Ritchie gives illustra-
tions of the amount of damage to oats caused by the Frit-fly in the
south of Scotland, and summarises recent investigations bearing
upon methods of combating this pest.

Horse Bot-flies in Britain. — In view of the increase of Bot-
flies due to the unusual bunching of horses in paddocks and fields
during the war, and because of the possible spread of Bot-flies and
bot-diseases in Britain through the dispersal of infected horses, Dr
James Ritchie gives a short illustrated summary of habits of the
flies, of their effects upon horses, and of measures which have been
recently adopted with effect in preventing and curing bot-disease
{Scot. Jour n. Agr., 1919, p. 354).

Diptera at Aberfovle. — In a note in the Entomologisfs
Monthly Magazine for October 1919 (p. 233), A. E. J. Carter
records the capture of the following Diptera during the past summer :
Oxycera dives., Liv., and Physocephala nigra, Deg., at Aberfoyle ;
Sytnphoromyia crassicornis, Pz., at Balquhidder ; Therioplectes micans,
Mg., T. distinguerdus, Verr., Hcetnatopota crassicornis, Whlbg., and
Chrysops relicta, INIg., at Loch Voil (the last-named also at Loch
Lubnaig) : Isopogon brevirostris, Mg., Polietes hirticrura, Mde (both
sexes), and Hydrotcea pilipes, Stein, at Callander.

BOOK NOTICES 203

BOOK NOTICES.

Birds Beneficial to Agriculture. By F. W. Frohawk,
M.B.O.U. Pp. vi. +47. London: Trustees of the British
Museum. Price 2s.

This fresh addition to the Economic Series of pamphlets issued by
the British Museum (Natural History) comes at an opportune moment,
when the effects of the disastrous warfare against small birds in this
country begin to wear off, and the man behind the gun has to be
reminded that in the case of birds "they that be with us are more [far
more] than they that be against us." Mr Frohawk calculates that of
the birds which regularly inhabit Britain, " 120 species may be regarded
as decidedly beneficial to agriculture generally." Of these he describes
44, and depicts 22 in his own graphic and accurate way. In addition
to short accounts of the specific characters of the selected birds, of their
times of migration, of nesting and feeding habits, he has contrived to
add a general introduction on the relationship of birds to injurious
insects and to agriculture generally. The pamphlet lays the proper
stress on the activities normal to most of our birds and will be appreci-
ated by naturalists as well as by farmers ; but a stronger insistence on
and examination of the detailed relationship of each bird to agriculture,
would have brought it better into line with the retnainder of the
Economic Series. J. R.

The Seashore : Its Inhabitants and How to Know Them.
By Forster Robson. Pp. 11 1 (illustrated). London: Holden
and Hardingham. Price is. 6d. net.

This small book is intended to guide children and their parents to
some slight knowledge of the commoner animals, seaweeds, and flowers
likely to be met with on a holiday by the seashore. The intention is
good ; and many will, no doubt, find here information which in its
freshness and variety will add to the enjoyment of an afternoon on the
rocks. But while the information, which naturally is elementary, is on
the whole accurate, there are several mistakes, as when the Ship Worm
is said to be attached by a " sucker-like mouth " at the end of its
" neck," or when the simple structure of a Hydroid is attributed to Sea-
mat individuals, or when the " Long Worm " (Lineus) is described as
"tape-like." The letterpress also shows careless workmanship; mis-
prints are frequent — there are three different spellings of the word
Coralline, and none is correct ; the description of the colour of the
Weaver has been forgotten, some of the figures such as the " Sea
Urchin'"' and the "Worm-pipe Fish" are very poor, while the figure of
an unrecognisable Hydroid is labelled with the unrecognisable name
" Sinu." A little more attention would have added to the usefulness of
the book. J. R.

INDEX

(^See also special index to the " Report on Scottish Ornithology in 1918,' pp. 141-144)

Alosterna ta^acicolor^ De G., in Lanark-
shire, 30

Anderson, Peter, White Snipe and
Ruff in Tiree, 156

Animals and Man, 33

Aphides, collected principally in the
Scottish Highlands, Further notes
on, 157

Aspidiphorus orbiculatus, GylL, in Scot-
land, 200

B

Bartholomew, James, Bank Voles
in Clyde, 48 ; Tree-sparrrow
nesting near Glasgow, 166 ; Num-
ber of Young in Stoat's Family, 181

Baxter, Evelyn V., and Rintoul,
Leonora Jeffrey, A Creche of
House-mice, 36 ; Hebridean or
Continental Song-thrush? 66 ; On
the Great Crested Grebe as a
Scottish Breeding Species, 67 ;
Report on Scottish Ornithology in
1918, 97 ; Behaviour of Birds
under Abnormal Conditions, 182

Beetles, Parasitic, in Scottish Homop-
tera (Curr. Lit.), 32

Best, Mary, G. S., Smews off the
Aberdeenshire Coast, 94

Beveridge, Fred. S., The Birds of
North Uist (concluded), 17; Ad-
denda and Correction to List of
North Uist Birds, 94 ; The Status
of the Redshank in the Outer
Hebrides, 185 ; Golden Eagle in
North Uist, 195

Bird Notes from Lauderdale, 29

Bird Notes, Some, from South Uist,
145. 187

Birds, Addenda and Correction to List
of North Uist, 94

Birds, Behaviour of, under Abnormal
Conditions, 182

Birds in Shetland (Curr. Lit.), 31

Birds of North Uist (concluded), 17

Boarmia gemmaria in the Forth Area,
199

Book Notices : An Ornithologist's Field
Notebook, Hugh S. Gladstone,
M.A., F.R.S.E., F.Z.S., etc., 32 ;
Proceedings of the South London
Entomological and Natural His-
tory Society, 1918-19, 175 ; Manual
of Vegetable - Garden Insects,
Cyrus Richard Crosby and
Mortimer Demarest Leonard, 175 ;
An A B C of Common Birds, 175 ;
Birds and the War, Hugh S. Glad-
stone, M.A., F.R.S.E., F.Z.S., 176 ;
A Practical Handbook of British
Birds, edited by H. F. Witherby,
. M.B.E., F.Z.S., etc., 176; Birds
Beneficial to Agriculture, F. W.
Frohawk, M.B.O.U., 203 ; The
Seashore : its Inhabitants and how
to know them, Forster Robson,
203
Broc'-, The Late Captain Sidney E., 27

Brooksbank, G., Woodcock and the

Safety of their Young, 95
Bullfinch, Food of the (Curr. Lit.), 201
Butterflies of the Island of Coll, Inner
Hebrides, The, 64

Campbell, Bruce, Quail in Mid-
lothian, 166
Capercaillie in Montrose, 156
Carter, A. E. J., Rare Diptera in

204

INDEX

205

Forfarshire, 63 ; Sirex nociilio, F.,
in Forfarshire, 63 ; Colias edusa in
Forfarshire, igg

Caterpillars of the Pale Mottled Willow
Moth in Flax, 200

Clarke, William Eagle, LL.D.,
F.R.S.E., etc., Note on the
Identification of Ducks' Eggs, 24 ;
An Old-time Record of the Breed-
ing of the White Stork in Scot-
land, 25 ; The Starlings of Shet-
land, Fair Isle, and St Kilda, 183 ;
Wild Swans observed in the
Western Highlands in Summer,
196

Coccinella conglobata, L., and Halyzia
ib-giittata, L., in Main Argyll,
201

Coleoptera, Additions to the List of
Scottish, 167

Colias edusa and its var. /lelice in the
Edinburgh District, 199

Coitus edusa in Forfarshire, 199

Crows, Carrion, Observations on, 166

CURRIE, John, Common Scoter on
Duddingston Loch in May, 197

Cycliramus luteus, F., in Lanarkshire,
96

D

Deronectes depressus and D. elegans
(Curr. Lit.), 201

Diptera at Aberfoyle, 202

Diptera, On the Collection and Preserva-
tion of, 55, 151

Diptera, Rare, in Forfarshire, 63

Dorytomus longimanus, Forst. (ivrax,
Fab.), in Ayrshire, 93

Ducks' Eggs, Note 011 the Identifica-
tion of, 24, 86

Eagle, Golden, in North Uist, 195
Eagle, The Golden, in Galloway, 47
" Egg-Burster," The (Curr. Lit.), 202
Elmhirst, Richard, F.L.S., Ori/io-

cladiusy Spp., Breeding in the Sea,

193

Eucarida (^Decapodii) and Peracarida
(^Mysidaced) of St Andrews in a
Living Condition, Notes on some,79

Eupithecia helveticaria and Lyccena
artaxerxes in East Lothian, 96

Evans, William, F.R.S.E.,M.B.0.U.,
The Late Captain Sidney E.
Brock, 27 ; The Great Crested
Grebe in Forth, 49 ; Woodcock
and the Safety of their Young, 51 ;
On the Occurrence of G/oineris
perplexa, Latz., near Edinburgh,
with a Revised List of Forth
Myriapods,87 ; Lyccena artaxerxes
and Eiipithecia helveticaria in East
Lothian, 96 ; Boarmia gemmaria
in the Forth Area, 199

Ewart, R. W. Thomas, Capercaillie
in Montrose, 156

F

Fergusson, Anderson, F.E.S.,

Alosterna tabacicolor^ De G., in
Lanarkshire, 30 ; Lwpus nebulosus,
L., in Lanarkshire, 30 ; Rhagium
Dwrdax, De G. (Jnquisitor, Brit.
Cat.), and R, bifasciatum, L., in
Clyde, 30 ; A'otaris QErir/iini/s')
(EthiopSy F., in Renfrewshire and
Stirlingshire, 64 ; Octhebius lejolisi,
Muls. et Rey., in Arran, 64 ;
Dorytomus longiinanus, Forst.
{vorax, Fab.), in Ayrshire, 93 ;
Cycliramus Inteus, F., in Lanark-
shire, 96 ; Additions to the List
of Scottish Coleoptera, 167 ;
Aspidiphorus orbiculaius, Gyll., in
Scotland, 200; Staphyliiius ccesareus,
Ceder., in Main Argyll, 200 ;
Halyzia it-guttata, L., and Coc-
cinella conglobala, L., in Main
Argyll, 201
Filograna, On, A Common Marine
Polychaet Worm (Curr. Lit.), 174
Flycatcher, Albino Spotted, 195
Flycatcher, Pied, and Garden Warbler

in Ross-shire, 194
Flycatcher, Pied, in Aberdeenshire, 195
Frit-fly ((^.fr/;/;> /;-//) in Scotland (Ciur.
Lit.), 202

206

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Fulmar Petrel at Foula Isle during

Winter, 170
Fulmars Nesting on Haskier, 166

Gladstone, Hugh S., M.A., F.R.S.E.,
F.Z.S., etc., Observations on
Carrion Crows, 166 ; Hawfinch
Nesting in Dumfriesshire, 171 ;
Albino Spotted Flycatcher, 195

Gloineris perp/exa, Latz., On the Occur-
rence of, near Edinburgh ; with
a Revised List of Forth Myria-
pods, 87

Godwit, Black-tailed, in Forfarshire,
198

Goldfinch, The, in East Renfrewshire,

63

Goosanders on the Deveron, and Wax-
wing on Deeside, 50

GowAN, Jane, The Kentish Glory
Moth on Deeside, 200

Grebe, On the Great Crested, as a
Scottish Breeding Species, 67

Grebe, The Great Crested, in Forth,

49

Grebe, The Great Crested, in Scotland,

197
Greenaway, William Harry, The

Fulmar Petrel at Foula Isle during

Winter, 170
Grimshaw, Percy H., F.E.S.,

F.R.S.E., The Collection and

Preservation of Diptera, 55, 151
Guillemot, Common, inland in Southern

Scotland, 28
Gull, Lesser Black-backed, Mallard,

and Wigeon in North Uist, 169
Gull, Recovery of a Marked, 29
Guthrie, Donald, Some Bird Notes

from South Uist, 145, 187

H

Halyzia l6-gutia/a L., and Coccmella
conglobata^ L., in Main Argyll, 201

Harting, J, E., F.Z.S., The Little
Ringed Plover in North Uist, 78

Hawfinch in Dumbanonshire, 194

Hawfinch Nesting in Dumfriesshire,

171
Hill, Ian G. W., Colias edusa and its

var. /lelice in the Edinburgh Dis-
trict, 199
Hinton, Martin A. C, The Field

Mouse of Foula, 177
Hive Bees (Curr. Lit.), 174
Hopkins, Nicol, Late Nesting of

Wood-pigeon, 29
Horse Bot-flies in Britain (Curr. Lit.),

202
Hunter, Douglas G., Black-tailed

Godwit in Forfarshire, 198

I

Insect Pests on Plums and Apples
(Curr. Lit.), 172

Jackson, Dorothy J., F.E.S., Further
Notes on Aphides, collected princi-
pally in the Scottish Highlands,

157
JouRDAiN, Rev. F. C. R., M.A.,
M.B.O.U., An Old Reference to
the Hebridean Thrush {Turdus ph.
kebridensis), 62

K

Kirk, Charles, Great Spotted Wood-
pecker in Argyll, 185 ; Hawfinch in
Dumbartonshire, 194

KiRKE, D. J. Balfour, Pied Fly-
catcher and Garden Warbler in
Ross-shire, 194

Laidlaw, T. G., Sparrow-hawk and

Wood-pigeons, 61
Lepidoptera of Rannoch (Curr. Lit.),

173
Leschallas, Major John H. P., Albino
Otter, 36

INDEX

307

Liopus nehtilosns, L., in Lanarkshire,

30
Lycana ariaxerxes and Eupitlucia helveli-

caria in East Lothian, 96

M

M'CONACHIE, The Rev. William^
Bird Notes from Lauderdale, 29

Macdonald, D., Wigeon nesting in
Ross-shire, 171 ; The Whooper
Swan in Ross-shire in June,
196

M'lNTOSH, Professor, F.R.S., etc..
Notes on Some of the Peracarida
{Mysidacea)-A.nd. E \XQZ.nA'A.{^Decapoda)
of St Andrews, in the Living
Condition, 79

Mackeith, T. Thornton, Nightjar
in Renfrewshire, 166

Mackenzie, William, Recovery of a
Mariced Gull, 29

Malcolm, Colonel G. W., C.B.,
Unusual Nesting-place of a
Grey Wagtail, 195

Mallard, Wigeon, and Lesser Black-
backed Gull in North Uist, 169

Malloch, p. D., Waxwing on Deeside
and Goosanders on the Deveron, 50

Marshall, James M'L., F.Z.S.,
M.B.O.U., Woodcock and Young,
198

Maxwell, Sir Herbert, Bart., The
Golden Eagle in Galloway, 47

Mice, A Creche of House, 36

Mollusca, Scottish (Curr. Lit.), 31

Moth {_MyrmecoseI/a), Ant-dwelling, at
Rannoch (Curr. Lit.), 32

Moth, The Kentish Glory, on Deeside,
200

Mouse, The Field, of Foula, 177

Myriapods, A Revised List of Forth, and
the Occurrence of Glomeris per-
plexa, Latz., near Edinburgh, 87

N

Nightjar, The, in Renfrewshire, 166
Notaris {Erirhimts) (-gthiops, F., in
Renfrewshire and Stirlingshire, 64

Nyssia lapponaria in Inverness-shire
(Curr. Lit.), 173

O

Octhehius lejoHsi, Muls. et Rey, in

Arran, 64
Orde, Sir Arthur J. Campbell,

Bart., Fulmars nesting at Haskier,

166
Ornithology, Report on Scottish, in

1918,97
Orthocladiiis^ Spp, Breeding in the

Sea, 193
Otter, Albino, 36

Peracarida {Mysidacea) and Eucarida
(^Decapoda) of St Andrews, in the
Living Condition, Notes on Some,79

Plover, The Little Ringed, in North
Uist, 78

Q

Quail, in Midlothian, 166

R

Redshank, The Status of the, in the
Outer Hebrides, 185

Report on Scottish Ornithology in
1918,97

Rhagium mordax, De G. {inquisitor,
Brit. Cat.), and R. M/asciatum, L.
in Clyde, 30

RiNTouL, Leonora Jeffrey, and
Baxter, Evelyn V., A Creche of
House-mice, 36 ; Hebridean or
Continental Song-Thrush, 66 ; On
the Great Crested Grebe as a
Scottish Breeding Species, 67 ;
Report on Scottish Ornithology in
1918, 97; Behaviour of Birds
under Abnormal Conditions, 182

Ritchie, James, M.A., D.Sc, F. R.S.E.,
Animals and Man, 33

Robertson, John, The Goldfinch
in East Renfrewshire, 63 ; The
Whinchat as Imitator, 195

208

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Robinson, H. W., M.B.O.U., The

Great Crested Grebe in Scotland,

197
Roebuck, Wm. Denison, M.Sc,

F.L.S., In Memoriam, 65
Ruff and White Snipe in Tiree, 156
RrssELL, Major GEORGE, Caterpillars

of the Pale Mottled Willow Moth

in Flax, 200

Scoter, Common, on Duddingston Loch

in May, 197
Serle, The Rev. William, M.A., B.D.,

Whooper Swans on Duddingston

Loch, 54
Sheep and Natural Conditions in Scot-
land (Curr. Lit.), 1 71
Sheep-breeding and New Varieties of

Wool (Curr. Lit.), 171
" Singing " of Syrphm rihesii (Curr.

Lit.), 174
Sirex 7ioclilio, P., in Forfarshire, 63
Smallev, F. W., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; A

Note on the Identification of Ducks'

Eggs, 86 ; Mallard, Wigeon, and

Lesser Black-backed Gull in North

Uist, 169
Smews off the Aberdeenshire Coast, 94
Snipe, White and Ruff in Tiree, 156
Somatochhra arctica, Zett., A Rare

Dragon-fly in Argyll (Curr. Lit.),

172
Sparrow-hawk and Wood-pigeons, 61
Sparrow, Tree-, nesting near Glasgow,

166
StaphvUmis crsareiis, Ceder., in Main

Argyll, 200
Starlings and Sparrow-hawk, 30
Starlings of Shetland, Fa'r Isle, and

St Kilda 183
Stoat, Number of Young in Family, 181
Stork, White, An Old-time Record of

the Breeding of the, in Scotland, 25
Swan, The Whooper, in Ross-shire in

June, 196
Swans, Whooper, on Duddingston Loch,

54
Swans, Wild, Observed in the Western
Highlands in Summer, 196

Thompson, D'Arcy Wentworth,
C.B., F.R.S., etc.. On Whales
landed at the Scottish Whaling
Stations especially during the years
1908-1914, I, 37

Thomson, Lt. - Col. A. Lands-
EOROHGH, M.A., M.B.O.U., Pied
Flycatcher in Aberdeenshire, 195

Thrush, An Old Reference to the
Hebridean {Turdus ph. hebridensis),
62

Thrush, Hebridean orContinental Song ?
66

Tit, Blue, Economic Value of the (Curr.
Lit.), 172

Tit, Great, its Economic Importance
(Curr. Lii.). 171

V

Voles, Bank, in Clyde, 48

W

Wagtail, Grey, Unusual Nesting-place

of, 195
Warbler, Garden, and Pied Flycatcher

in Ross-shire, 194
Waxwing on Deeside and Goosanders

on the Deveron, 50
Whales landed at the Scottish Whaling

Stations, especially during the years

1908-19T4, On, I, 37
Whales stranded on British Coasts

(Curr. Lit.), 31
Whinchat, The, as Imitator, 195
Wigeon, Mallard, and Lesser Black-
backed Gull in North Uist, 169
Wigeon nesting in Ross-shire, 171
Wilson, William, Common Guillemot

inland in Southern Scotland, 28 ;

Starlings and Sparrow-hawk, 30
Woodcock and the Safety of their Young,

51- 95
Woodcock and Young, 198
Woodpecker, Great Spotted in Argyll,

185
Woodpigeon, Late nesting of, 29

PRINTED BV OLIVER AND BOYD, EDINBURGH.

Nos. 85 AND 86.] IQIQ [January-February

The Scottish NaturaHst

A Monthly Maga-zine devoted to Zoology

With which is incorporated i.

" The Annals of Scottish Natural Histor^^^^

EDITED BY '''<w I

WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D., F.R.S.E., Etc.

Keeper^ Natural History Department, Royal Scottish JHuseum
President, British Ornithologists'' Union

WILLIAM EVANS, F.R.S.E., Etc.

Member of the British Ornithologists^ Union

PERCY H. GRIMSHAW, F.R.S.E., F.E.S.

Assistant-Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

ASSISTED BY

EVELYN V. BAXTER, F.2.S., H.M.B.O.U.
LEONORA J. RINTOUL, F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U.
H. S. GLADSTONE, >LA., F.R.S.E.-, K.Z.S.

JAMES RITCHIE, M.A., D.So.
A. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON, M.A.,
M.B.O.U.

ANDERSON FERGUSSON

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36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C, ENGLAND

THE NATURALIST

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Edited by T. SHEPPARD, M.Sc, F.G.S., The Museums, Hull, and
T. W. WOODHEAD, Ph.D., M.Sc, F.L.S., Technical Col., Huddersfield.

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From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D., F.R.S.E.

Member of the British Association Committee oii the Migration of Birds

as Observed on the British and Irish Coasts, and Author of its Final

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With Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and Weather Charts.
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CONTENTS

On Whales landed at the Scottish Whaling Stations, especially
during the years 1908-19 14. — Parts IV. to VI. The Bottle-
nose, Humpback, and Finner Whales — D'Arcy Wentworth
Thompson, C.B., F.R.S., etc. {Continued from " Scot. Nat.,''
1918, p. 237) ...... I

The Birds of North Uist — Lieut. F. S. Beveridge. {Concluded

from "Scot. Nat." 19 18, p. 254) . . . . 17

An Old-time Record of the Breeding of the >Vhite Stork in

Scotland — William Eagle Clarke, LL.D., F.R.S.E., etc. . 25

The Late Captain Sydney E. Brock — VV. E. . . 27

Notes :

A Note on the Identification of Ducks' Eggs— IFilliam Eagle
Clarke, 24 ; Common Guillemot inland in Southern Scot-
land— Witliatn Wilson, 28; Late Nesting of Wood-
pigeon — Nicol H'opkins, 29; Bird Notes from Lauderdale —
Rev. William M''Conachie, 29 ; Recovery of a Marked
Gull — William Macketizie, 29; Starlings and Sparrow-
hawk — Williaiji Wilson, 30 ; Alosterna tabacicolor, De G.,
in Lanarkshire — A. Fergusson, 30 ; Liopus nebulosus, L.,
in Lanarkshire — A. Fergusson, 30 ; Rhagium mordax, De G.
(inquisitor, Brit. Cat.), and R. bifasciatum, L., in Clyde —
A. Fergusson, 30.

Current Literature . . . . . • Z^

Book Notice :

An Ornithologist's Field Note Book — Hugh S. Gladstone . 32

PUBLISMERS' NOTICE

The Publishers beg to announce that, owing to the
increased cost of production, "The Scottish Naturalist" will
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The Annual Subscription for 1919, payable in advance,
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COVERS FOR BINDING "THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST"

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PRINTED BT OLIVER AND BOYD, KDINBOROH.

Nos. Sy AND 8S.] I 9 19 [March-April.

The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Maga'zi?je devoted to Zoology

pi

With which is incorporated

"The Annals of Scottish Natural History"

EDITED BY

WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D., F.R.S.E., Etc.

Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Aluseum
President^ British Ornithologists' Union

WILLIAM EVANS, F.R.S.E., Etc.

Member of the British Ornithologists' Union

PERCY H. GR I MS HAW, F.R.S.E., F.E.S.

Assistant-Keeper , Natural History Department , Royal Scottish Museum

ASSISTED BY

EVELYN V. BAXTER, F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U.
LEONORA J. RINTOUL.F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U.
H. S. GLADSTONE, M.A., F.R.S.E., F.Z.S.

JAMES RITCHIE, M.A., D.Sc.
A. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON, M.A.,
M.B.O.U.

ANDERSON FERGUSSON, F.E.S.

EDINBURGH : OLIVER & BOYD, Tweeddale Court
LONDON : GURNEY & JACKSON, zz Paternoster Row

Price \s. 6d. Annual Subscription, payable in advance, ys. 6d. post free

The Scottish Naturalist

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36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C, ENGLAND

THE NATURALIST

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Edited by T. SHEPPARD, M.Sc, F.G.S., The Museums, Hull, and
T. W. WOODHEAD, Ph.D., M.Sc, F.L.S., Technical Col., Huddersfield.

With ike assistance, as Referees in Special Departments , of

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From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D., F.R.S.E.

Member of the British Association Committee on the Migration of Birds

as Observed on the British and Insh Coasts, and Author of its Final

Reports, 1S96-19U3, etc.

With Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and Weather Charts.
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of bird migration the volumes are indispensable." — The Athetiamn.

"This book has been long expected, and it is certainly one worth waiting
for." — Nature.

An Illustrated Manual of British Birds

By Howard Saunders, F.L.S., F.Z.S., etc. Second Edition. Demy
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" Excellent alike in style and matter, it ought to be in the hands of every lover of
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" The whole book forms the most concise and at the same time trustworthy book on
birds of a single region that has ever been written." — Science Gossip.

The Birds of Ireland

An Account of the Distribution, Migrations, and Habits of Birds, as
observed in Ireland, with all additions to the Irish List, including an
Introduction and Tables showing the Distribution of Birds in the
Breeding Season. By Richard J. Ussher and Robert Warren.
With a Coloured Plate, IMaps, and other Illustrations. 450 pp. 8vo,
cloth. £\, 10s.

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ment containing 180 Figures, comprising later discovered Flowering
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GURNEY & JACKSON, 33 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.C.

CONTENTS

PAOB

Animals and Man — James Eitchie, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S.E. . 33
On Whales landed at the Scottish Whaling Stations, especially

during the years 1908-19 14. — Part VII. The Sei-whale —

£>'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, C.B., F.R.S. {Concluded) . 37

The Golden Eagle in Galloway — Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart. . 47
The Great Crested Grebe in Forth — William Evans, F.E.S.E.,

M.B.O.U. ....... 49

Woodcock and the Safety of their Young — William Evans,

F.R.S.E., M.B.O.U. . . . . .51

The Collection and Preservation of Diptera — Percy H.

Grimshaiv, F.R.S.E., F.E.S. . . . -55

Notes :

Albino Otter — Major John H. P. Leschallas, 36 ; A Creche of
House -mice — Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey
Rintonl, 36 ; Bank Voles in Clyde — James Bartholomew,
48 ; Waxwing on Deeside and Goosanders on the
Deveron — P. D. Malloch, 50 ; Whooper Swans at
Duddingston Loch — Rev. Wm. Serle, 54 ; Sparrowhawk
and Wood-pigeons — T. G. Laidlaw, 61 ; An Old Reference
to the Hebridean Thrush (Turdus ph. hebridensis) — Rev.
F. C. R. Jourdain, 62 ; The Goldfinch in East Renfrew-
shire— John Robertson, 63 ; Rare Diptera in Forfarshire —
A. E. J. Carter, 63 ; Sirex noctilio, F., in Forfarshire —
A. E. /. Carter, 63 ; Notaris (Erirhinus) sethiops, F.,
in Renfrewshire and Stirlingshire — A. Fergusson, 64 ;
Octhebius lejolisi, Muls. et Rey., in Arran — A. Fergusso?t,
64 ; The Butterflies of the Island of Coll, Inner Hebrides,
64.

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE

The Publishers beg to announce that, owing to the
increased cost of production, "The Scottish Naturalist" will
be issued bi-monthly until further notice. Each number
will consist of 32 pages.

The Annual Subscription for 1919, payable in advance,
7s. 6d. post free, should be addressed to the Publishers,
Oliver and Boyd, Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

COVERS FOR BINDING "THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST"

Special Cloth Cases for Binding the 1918 Volume can be
supplied at Is. 6d. each (by Post Is. 8d.), by Oliver and Boyd,
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PRINTKD BV OLIVER AMP ROVD. KDINBOROH

NOS. 89 AND 90.]

I9I9

[May-June.

The Scottish NaturaUst

^v .

■■*% -^

A Monthly Magazine devoted to Zoology
"The Annals of Scottish Natural History*' '^^'

i

EniED BV "Xv^ **■ Li

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36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C., ENGLAND

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From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D., F.R.S.E.

Member of the British Association Committee on the Migration of Birds

as Observed on the British and Irish Coasts, and Author of its Final

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With Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and Weather Charts.
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"This book has been long expected, and it is certainly one worth waiting
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Jeffrey Rintoul, F.Z.S., Hou. M.B.O.U. ... 67

Notes on some of the Peracarida {Mysidacea) and Eucarida
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Notes ;

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Nos. 91 AND 92.] IQIQ [July-August.

The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Magazine devoted to Zoology /Ss

With which is incorporated i^ I ! R 9 A

"The Annals of Scottish Natural History"^ '^?-'<^

EDITED BY ^<|f^W

WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D., F.R.S.E., Etc.

Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish JVLuseum
President, British Ornithologists' Union

WILLIAM EVANS, F.R.S.E., Etc.

Member oj" the British Ornitholoirists' Union

PERCY H. GRIMSHAW, F.R.S.E., F.E.S.

Assistant-Keeper , Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

ASSISTED BY

EVELYN V. BAXTER, F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U.
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JAMES RITCHIE, M.A., D.Sc.
A. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON, M.A.,
M.B.O.U.

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Full Catalogue {80 pages) mailed free to any address

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THE NATURALIST

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Edited by T. SHEPPARD, M.Sc, F.G.S., The Museums, Hull, and
T. W. WOODHEAD, Ph.D., M.Sc, F.L.S., Technical Col., Huddersfield.

TVY//z ///^ assistance, as Referees in Special Departments, of

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STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

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ASSISTED BY

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LEONORA J. RINTOUL, F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U.
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A. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON, M.A.
.M.B.O.U.

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THE NATURALIST

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T. W. WOODHEAD, Ph.D., M.Sc, F.L.S., Technical Col., Huddersfield.

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From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D, F.R.S.E.

Member of the British Association Committee on the Migration of Birds

as Observed on the British and Irish Coasts, and Author of its Final

Reports, 1S96-1903, etc.

With Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and Weather Charts.
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\Qx"—Nahiye.

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The Birds of Ireland

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observed in Ireland, with all additions to the Irish List, including an
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Breeding Season. By Richard J. Ussher and Robert Warren.
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CONTENTS

PAOB

Some Bird Notes from South Uist — Donald Guthrie . . 145

The Collection and Preservation of Diptera — Percy H.

Grimshaw, F.E.S., F.R.S.E. . . . .151

Further Notes on Aphides Collected principally in the Scottish

Highlands — Dorothy J. Jackson, F.E.S. . . .157

Additions to the List of Scottish Coleoptera — Anderson

Fergusson, F.F.S. . . . . . .167

Notes:

White Snipe and Ruff in Tiree — Peter Anderson, 156 ; Caper-
caillie in Montrose — R. W. Thomas Ewart, 156 ; Fulmars
Nesting at Haskier — Sir Arthur J. Campbell Orde, Bart.,
166; Tree - Sparrows Nesting near Glasgow — James
Bartholomew, 166; The Nightjar in Renfrewshire —
T. Thornton Mackeitli, 166 ; Quail in Midlothian — Bruce
Campbell, 166; Observations on Carrion-crows — Hugh
S. Gladstone, 166 ; Mallard, Wigeon, and Lesser Black-
backed Gull in North Uist — F. W. Smalley, 169 ; The
Fulmar Petrel at Foula Isle during Winter — Win. Harry
Greenaway, 170 ; Hawfinch Nesting in Dumfriesshire —
Hugh S. Gladstone, 171 ; Wigeon Nesting in Ross-shire —
D. Macdonald, 171.

Current Literature . . . . . .171

Book Notices :

Proceedings of the South London Entomological and Natural
History Society, 1918-19, 175 ; Manual of Vegetable-
Garden Insects — Cyrus Richard Crosby and Mortimer
Demarest Leonard, 175 ; An A B C of Common Birds, 175 ;
Birds and the War — Hugh S. Gladstone, M.A., F.R.S.E.,
F.Z.S., etc., 176 ; A Practical Handbook of British Birds,
edited by H. F. Witherby, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U, Parts I.
and II., 17b.

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Many of the Back Numbers can still be supplied.

PRINTED BT OLIVER AND BOYD, BDINIHJBOH.

NOS. 95 AND 96.]

IQIQ [November-December.

The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Magazine devoted to Zoology ^fX^

06

/

*~ij

With which is incorporated ' ^ -^^o-^.

"The Annals of Scottish Natural History ?^'J L I B R A f

v:

EDITED BY

\

WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D., F.R.S.E., E>4iiC£j

Keeper, Natural History Dapartmcnt, Royal Scottish Museum
President, British Ornithologists^ Union

WILLIAM EVANS, F.R.S.E., Etc.

Member of the British Ornithologists'' Union

PERCY H. GRIMSHAW, F.R.S.E., F.E.S.

Assistant-Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

ASSISTED BY
EVELYN V. BAXTER. F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U.
LEONORA J. RINTOUL, F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U.
H. S. GLADSTONE, M.A., F.R.S.E., K.Z.S.

JAMES RITCHIE, M.A., D.Sc.
A. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON, M.A.
M.B.O.U.

ANDERSON FERGUSSON, F.E.S.

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36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C., ENGLAND

THE NATURALIST

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Edited by T. SHEPPARD, M.Sc, F.G.S., The Museums, Hull, and
T. W. WOODHEAD, Ph.D., M.Sc, F.L.S., Technical Col., Huddersfield.

With the assistance, as Referees in Special Departments , of

J. Gilbert Baker, F.R.S., F.L.S. ; Professor P. F. Kendall, M.Sc, F.G.S. ;

Geo. T. Porritt, F.L.S., F.E.S. ; John W. Taylor, M.Sc. ;

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Ail Communications to be addressed to —

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From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, LL.D., F.R.S.E.

Member of the British Association Committee on the Migration of Birds

as Observed on the British and Insh Coasts, and Author of its Final

Reports, 1896-1903, etc.

With Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and Weather Charts.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy 8vo. 21s. net.

" There is no other English ornithologist better qualified to write on the migration of
birds than Mr Eagle Clarke, whose name has long been inseparably associated with the
problems of this difficult but fascinating subject. It is certain that to the serious student
of bird migration the volumes are indispensable." — 77/e Athenanm.

"This book Has been long expected, and it is certainly one worth waiting
for." — Nature.

An Illustrated Manual of British Birds

By Howard Saunders, F.L.S., F.Z.S., etc. Second Edition. Demy
Svo, with 384 fine Woodcuts and 3 Maps. ;^1, Is. net.

■' Excellent alike in style and matter, it ought to be in the hands of every lover of
birds." — Annals of Natural History.

" The whole book forms the most concise and at the same time trustworthy book on
birds of a single region that has ever been written." — Science Gossip.

The Birds of Ireland

An Account of the Distribution, Migrations, and Habits of Birds, as
observed in Ireland, with all additions to the Irish List, including an
Introduction and Tables showing the Distribution of Birds in the
Breeding Season. By Richard J. Ussher and Robert Warren.
With a Coloured Plate, Maps, and other Illustrations. 450 pp. Svo,
cloth. £\, 10s.

GURNEY & JACKSON, zi PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.C.

NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS AND SERIALS

JOHN WHELDON & CO.

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CONTENTS

The Field Mouse of Foula — Martin A. C. Hi7ito)i . . 177

The Starlings of Shetland, Fair Isle, and St Kilda — IV. E. C. . 183
Some Bird Notes from South Uist (^Continued from page 150) —

. Dotiald Guthrie . ' . . . . .187

Orthocladius, Spp., Breeding in the Sea — Richard Elmhirst,

F.L.S., etc. ....... 193

Notes :

Number of Young in Stoat's Family — James Bartholomew,
181 ; Behaviour of Birds under Abnormal Conditions —
Evelyn V. Baxter Zind Leonora Jeffrey Rintoitl, 182 ; Great
Spotted Woodpecker in Argyll — Charles Kirk, 185 ; The
Status of the Redshank in the Outer Hebrides — F. S.
Beveridge, 185 ; Hawfinch in Dumbartonshire — Charles
Kirk, 194 ; Nesting of the Pied Flycatcher and Garden
Warbler in Ross-shire — D.J. Balfour Kirke, 194; Unusual
Nesting Place of Grey Wagtail — Col. G. W. Malcolm, 195 ;
Albino Spotted Flycatcher — Hugh S. Gladstone, 195 ; Pied
Flycatcher in Aberdeenshire — Lt.-Col. A. Landsborough
Thomson, 195 ; The Whinchat as Imitator — Joh?i Robertson,

195 ; Golden Eagle in North Uist — Fred S. Beveridge, 195 ;
The Whooper Swan in Ross-shire in June — D. Macdonald,

196 ; Wild Swans Observed in the Western Highlands in
Summer — William Eagle Clarke, 196 ; Common Scoter on
Duddingston Loch in May — /okn Currie, 197 ; The Great
Crested Grebe in Scotland — H. IV. Robinson, 197 ; Black-
tailed Godwit in Forfarshire— Z^oz/cr/^/j G Hunter, 198 ;
Woodcock and Y onr\g— James iWL. Marshall, 198 ; Colias
edusa and its van helice in the Edinburgh District — Ian G.
W. Hill, 199 ; Colias edusa in Forfarshire — A. E.J. Carter,
199; Boarmia gemmaria in the Forth Area — William
Evans, 199 ; Kentish Glory Moth on Deeside — Jane
Gowan, 200 ; Caterpillars of the Pale Mottled Willow Moth
in Flax — Major George Russell, 200 ; Aspidiphorus orbicu-
latus, Gyll., in Scotland — A. Fergiisso7t, 200 ; Staphylinus
cassareus, Ceder., in Main Argyll — A. Fergusson, 200 ;
Halyzia ifc-Guttata, L., and Coccinella conglobata, L., in
Main Argyll — A. Fergusson, 201.

Current Literature . . . ... .201

Book Notices :

Birds Beneficial to Agriculture — F. W. Frohawk, M.B.O.U.,

203 ; The Seashore : its Inhabitants and How to Know

Them — Forster Robson, 203.

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