The Scottish Naturahst

A Motithly Maga-zine devoted to Zoology ><(-

With which is incorporated

The Annals of Scottish Natural Histor/

^ L I B R A R Yj

EDITED BY

^ wr I^

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

Keeper, Natural History Dfparit/unt, Roijji Scottish Museum

WILLIAM EV^NS, F.R.S.E., Etc.

Member oj the British Ornithologists' Union

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

Assistant-Keeper, Natural Histori/ Department, Royal Scottish Museum

EVELYN V BAXTER, H.M.B.O.U.

LEONORA J. RINTOUL 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. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON, M.A.,
M B.O.U.

I9I6

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

1916

{Authors are responsible for notnenclature used.yc-

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 49.] 191 () [January

EDITORIAL.

Very little attention appears to have been bestowed by
ornithologists to the question of the rate of digestion in birds,
and }'et the subject has an important bearing upon the
economic status of particular species. A short paper by
Walter E. Collinge,^ describing a few experiments on the
Rook, Starling, and House Sparrow, undertaken by himself,
and quoting the observations of two other investigators in a
similar line of enquiry, forms an interesting and suggestive
contribution to the subject. Although the experiments
referred to are very few in number, yet the author claims the
establishment of two facts, viz., (i) that the rate of digestion
in the rook differs from that in the sparrow, and (2) that the
three species investigated digest their food in from four to
four and a half hours.

A propos of the supposed causation of the disease known
as pellagra, referred to in our Editorial o{ OctohQX last, we may
draw attention to an important memoir by F. W. Edwards
of the British Museum, entitled " On the British Species of
Simulium. — I. The Adults."'-^ Thirteen species of the genus
are recognised as native to the British Isles. These are

^ Journal of Economic Biology^ September 191 5, pp. 65-68.
- Bulletin of Entomological Research^ vol. vi., pp. 23-42 (June 191 5).
(See also synopsis in Enf. Mo. Mag. for Novemljer.)

49 A

32499

2 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

described in some detail, while certain useful differenti-
ating characters are carefully elucidated by drawings, and
a synoptic table given of the two groups into which the
species naturally fall. Full details are also given regarding
distribution, including many Scottish records, based upon the
examination of over a thousand specimens, and certain points
in the structure of the adult flies described and illustrated.
We shall look forward to the succeeding portion of this paper,
which we understand will deal with the early stages of these
important and hitherto little understood insects.

Aerial warfare is an important and characteristic feature
in the great struggle which is now raging on the continent of
Europe. But attacks in the air do not appear to be confined
to the human race, for instances have just been published ^ of
beetles boring in aerial cables. The principal case reported
is one in which a Bostrychid beetle attacked certain lead-
covered aerial cables used for telephone distribution purposes
at Yeovil, South Africa. A clean-cut hole about one-eighth
of an inch in diameter was found in one of these cables, and
a beetle found inside the cable immediately behind the hole
in the sheath, which was made of lead. Upon investigation,
it appeared likely that the beetles were really attracted
by the ropes suspending the cable, so that the evil will
apparently not prove a very formidable one. Similar
damage has been reported from Shanghai, Hong Kong,
Queensland, and the Argentine — in each case the result of
attack by beetles of the family Bostrychidae.

Many methods of reproduction are known amongst the
marine Hydroid Zoophytes, from the setting free of eggs to
the simple breaking away of runner-like " roots," similar in
function to the suckers of a strawberry plant. It has been
left to J, H. Ashworth and James Ritchie- to make a
complete study of the structure and development of the most
peculiar and most rare of these modes of multiplication, that
in which the egg, contained in a sporosac, breaks away from
the parent and for a time swims freely in the sea by means
of one or two tentacles. From the sac the egg later escapes,

^ Bulletin of Eniomological Research, September 1915, p. 201.
2 Trans. Roy. Soc, Edinburgh, vol. 11., 191 5, p. 257.

HENRY EELES DRESSER 3

having been carried some distance from its point of origin, so
the dispersal of the species is accomplished. This method of
reproduction is confined to the genus Dicoryne, and the
researches of the authors lead them to amalgamate with this
the genus Heterocordyie, found so long ago as 1868 in the
neighbourhood of Oban.

HENRY EELES DRESSER.

It is with the deepest regret that we have to record the
death, which occurred at Cannes on the 28th of November,
of this distinguished ornithologist, in his 78th year. Few
men have done more for the advancement of ornithology
than Dresser. His great work on the Birds of Europe gave
an impetus to the study of that science in this country which
has not been excelled by any other publication, and has
received world-wide recognition as the standard work on the
subject. Those who remember the state of our knowledge
regarding the bird-life on the Continent prior to the appear-
ance of this famous book will never forget the deep debt of
gratitude that is due to its author. It is very remarkable
that a busy city man should have been able to accomplish
such a stupendous task, for the work forms nine quarto
volumes, and contains some 5500 pages and 742 hand-coloured
plates. The book is a perfect treasure-house of information,
culled from the writings of the leading European authorities,
and enriched by the author's extensive personal knowledge
gleaned in many parts of the Continent visited for the special
purpose. But Dresser's contributions to European orni-
thology do not end here. As a corollary to his viagimvi opus,
he published, in two volumes. The Eggs of the Birds of Europe.
In this valuable contribution to Oology, the figures for
the 106 coloured plates were taken, by photographic
process, direct from the eggs themselves, in order to ensure
exact reproductions of the originals. This indefatigable
worker was also the author of a Llanual of PalcEarctic Birds,
Monographs on the Bee-eaters and Rollers, and a long series
of papers in the Ibis, and other serial publications.

4 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

A few words must be added relating to Dresser's genial
disposition. The writer, who had the privilege of being one
of his intimate friends for thirty-five years, finds it impossible
to speak in terms too high of his singularly amiable
disposition. He was always the personification of good
nature, and ever wishful to help those who sought his aid,
and they were many. The loss of such a man leaves an
irreparable breach in many friendships. His great work,
however, remains, and will assuredly have a high place among
the classics of ornithology for all time.

Hill Birds of Scotland. By Seton Gordon, F.Z.S., etc. With
Illustrations. London: Edward Arnold, 1915. Price12s.6d.net.

Under this title Mr Seton Gordon relates many interesting incidents
in bird-life which have come under his notice during his rambles over
our Scottish mountains, gives some prettily written descriptions of
scenery, and narrates a number of Highland legends. Though much
that he has written has already appeared in print, these sketches make
a volume of pleasant reading. When, however, the author leaves his
field experiences and essays to enter wider domains his limited
knowledge even in British Ornithology has led him to make many
erroneous statements, for instance, on the destination of the migrant
Woodcocks on leaving the British Isles, whidi he would have us
believe proceed to Palestine and Egypt ; and his remarks on the
relationship of the Rock and Common Ptarmigan. He is not quite
accurate in his statement regarding the distribution of the Golden Eagle^ —
his favourite bird — in Scotland. The author's conceptions as to what
species are to be regarded as " Hill Birds" are somewhat remarkable, for
he includes in this category the Woodcock, Snipe, Sandpiper, Oyster-
catcher and some others, which are equally at home in the Lowlands of
Scotland in localities immediately above sea-level. On the other hand,
he omits such characteristic sub-alpine species as the Buzzard, the
Merlin and the Ring-ouzel. It is surely unnecessary to have given the
French, German, Russian and other foreign names for the species
treated of, and to have described their plumages and general distribu-
tion. There are numerous attractive illustrations devoted chiefly to
hills and valleys, lochs and rivers which are perhaps very wisely in some
instances nameless.

BIRDS MOULTING IN THEIR WINTER QUARTERS 5

SOME NOTES ON BIRDS MOULTING IN THEIR
WINTER QUARTERS.

By Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul, H.M.B.O.U., and Evelyn V.
Baxter, H.M.B.O.U.

We have lately had the opportunity of examining some birds
in the skin collection of the Royal Scottish Museum ; those
to which we wish to draw attention in this paper are all birds
on the British List, obtained in their far southern winter
quarters. We were much interested to find such a large
proportion of them in moult. Many of these birds were
taken in November, a period at which we expected to find
the autumn moult completed and the spring change not yet
begun. This is, however, far from being the case ; the great
majority of those taken during this month showed distinct
signs of moult, and we think it may be worth while to place
on record the actual state of plumage in which we found
them. Although the material is too small to warrant
conclusions being drawn, we think the facts are of sufficient
interest to merit attention.

The following detailed notes will show how extensive the
moult is in some species : —

Two Red-throated Pipits {Authiis ccrvinns)^ both males
from the South Andamans and taken in February (iSth
February 1873 ^.nd February 1874), were in full body moult;
the primaries and secondaries were in excellent condition, not
the least worn or faded, and the tertiaries were in moult. In
each case the outer and centre pairs of tail feathers were
partly in quill and not full grown. This last fact strikes us
as specially interesting in view of the statement commonly
accepted, that the spring moult of Pipits extends to the small
feathers only. It is also noteworthy that, in both birds, the
tail feathers which are coming in should be the outer and
centre pairs — a most curious combination.

A Red-backed Shrike {Lanhis collurio collurid), an adult
male from Potchefstroom taken on 26th December 1876, had
new feathers coming in from the nape to the tail-coverts and
from the crop downwards. The primaries were old and worn,

6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

but three of the inner ones in each wing were coming in fresh
and were partly in quill. The secondaries were fresh, new
tertiaries were coming in, and the whole of the wing-coverts,
with the exception of the primary coverts, were in heavy
moult, new feathers in quill coming in everywhere. One new
centre tail feather was nearly full grown, the rest of the tail
feathers being old. The fact that Shrikes moult in their
winter quarters is well known, but it may be of interest to
place on record the actual state of moult and date of this
specimen. A Siberian Ch'x^chz.^ {P/iy//oscoptisco I lybita tristis)
from Muddapur, India, on loth November 1880, showed no
sign of moult, while of three Arctic Willow-warblers
{Phylloscopiis borealts), two had no sign of moult, though one
of these, a female, taken in the South Andamans on 23rd
October 1873, had the primaries very old and worn. The
third, from the Philippine Islands (no date), was moulting on
the back and underside, the primaries, secondaries, and tail
being new. Two Isabelline Wheatears {CEnanthe isabellind)
from India, one without a date and the other in October 1873,
showed signs of moult in the small feathers.

Of two Swallows {Chclidon riistica rnstiax) from Zomba,
one, taken in February 1894, had the first primary almost
entirely in quill, the two outer pairs of tail feathers absent,
and the third still partly in quill. The other, taken in March
1894, had the first primary in each wing only about half-
grown, the old primary still remaining in one wing ; the
inner secondary but one was still partly in quill, and the rest
of the wing feathers were fresh ; the second outermost pair
of tail feathers were only two-thirds grown, and the long outer
pair were absent. In neither case was there any sign of
small feather moult. In the Dictionary of Birds, p. 599,
the Swallow is stated " to moult in our mid-winter or even
later," but the above dates suggest that the moult may be
continued even into spring. A male Swallow from Natal,
unfortunately without date, is heavily in moult. We examined
five Cuckoos {Cnaihis canortis canorus), but only one, a male
from Uganda, in January 1911 showed a little moult on the
throat; four immature inner secondaries still remained, but a
new grey feather was coming in to replace the innermost.

BIRDS MOULTING IN THEIR WINTER QUARTERS 7

Turning now to the Waders, we find many of these moult
after their arrival in their winter quarters. Among the most
interesting birds we examined were the Ruffs {Machetes
pitgnax) : of these, three adults were taken on 2nd November
1 9 10 in Uganda. A male had feathers coming in on the top of
the head and back, while the throat and breast were heavily
in moult; the second primary in both wings was only about an
inch long, and some of the tertiaries were partly in quill ; the
rest of the wing feathers and tail looked new. The other
male had the second primary only about an inch and a half
long, one of the tertiaries partly in quill, the rest of the
plumage freshly moulted exQept for some of the wing-coverts,
which were old. The Reeve had a lot of feathers partly in
quill on the head and some on the back, while the whole
under-surface was heavily in moult; the primaries, secondaries,
and tail looked fresh, and some of the secondary coverts and
under tail-coverts were still in quill. Two more winter Ruffs
from Uganda (no date) both had signs of moult on the back ;
one had a secondary covert in quill, while the other had
feathers coming in, in front. Another winter Ruff from
Uganda showed no sign of moult, and this was also the case
with a Reeve from Malta on 25th April 1874. Although the
nuptial adornments of the Ruff are cast as early as July, yet it
would appear that the full autumn moult is either a very
prolonged operation or does not take place till a much later
date, as it will be noted that all the above birds taken in
November were still moulting freely. Two little Stints {Erolia
viiinita viinutd) got in Egypt in September showed no signs
of moult. The three young Common Sandpipers {Tringa
Jiypoleuca) examined point to the conclusion that this bird
migrates in its first feather plumage, moulting into its first
winter dress after arrival at its winter quarters. A female,
got in Uganda on 26th September 19 10, was in first feather
plumage and showed no sign of moult ; while an October bird
from Ternate had the seventh primary and some tertiaries
partly in quill. A male from Santa Cruz, near Bombay, ist
November 191 2, had a lot of small feathers coming in on the
back and some on the head, heavy moult on the whole of the
underside, and some tertiaries in quill. Of the adult Common

8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Sandpipers examined, one from Jeddah and one from Manilla
showed no signs of moult, but one from Madagascar,
unfortunately without a date, had feathers coming in on the
back, while the breast was heavily in moult ; the primaries
were old, faded, and rather worn, the secondaries looked fresh,
but the secondary coverts were old, new lesser wing-coverts
were coming in, and the tail feathers, with the exception of the
outer pair, were partly in quill. A female Common Sandpiper
procured in Uganda on 31st July 1906 had the feathers of the
back very much worn, in many cases so much so that, at tne
terminal part, the shaft only was left ; the primaries were
slightly worn, the secondaries looked new, and some of the
tertiaries were fresh and some old. With the exception of the
centre pair, the tail feathers looked new. This is not a date at
which one would expect to find this species as far south as
Uganda, and it would be interesting to know if this was a
very early migrant or a non-breeding bird that had
summered in its winter quarters.

The Wood Sandpiper {Ti'inga glareola) is another species
which was moulting in November : of three birds got iii
Uganda in November 1910 an adult male showed moult on
back and crop and heavy moult on all the under parts,
including the sides and flanks ; the primaries and secondaries
were old, some fresh feathers were growing in among the old
coverts, there were one or two fresh tertiaries, and some
almost wholly in quill ; the tail looked fresh, and there was
a good deal of moult in the upper tail-coverts. A female
was moulting heavily on the back, upper tail-coverts, and
breast ; in the right wing the first five primaries and the four
inner secondaries were old, worn, and faded, the rest fresh;
in the left wing only the first four primaries and the three
inner secondaries were old, the rest and the tail fresh. The
other bird got during this month was a male, with the white
axillaries said to be characteristic of immaturity ; its
plumage was faded and worn but showed no sign of moult.
A fourth bird from Uganda, a female, procured on 9th
October 1910, also proved interesting. Some of the upper
tail-coverts were in quill, the whole underside was heavily in
moult, the first three primaries were old, the rest of the

BIRDS MOULTING IN THEIR WINTER QUARTERS 9

primaries, secondaries, tertiaries, and tail fresh. A bird from
Malacca, without date, was also heavily in moult. A female
from Uganda, taken on 'th January 1909, proved to be a
very interesting bird ; it was heavily in moult from the top
of the head to the upper tail-coverts and all down the breast
and flanks ; the tail feathers, primaries, and secondaries
looked fresh, the tertiaries and scapulars were worn, and
fresh feathers were coming in among them. A male Wood
Sandpiper from Damietta, Egypt, nth February 1899, was
in beautiful fresh plumage, the only sign of moult being one
or two fresh tertiaries, which were appearing in both wings.
Of three winter specimens ®f the Green Sandpiper {Tringa
ochropus) the only one to show moult was a bird from
Nankin, December 1901, which had feathers coming in on
the back of the head and back. The only Greenshank
{Tringa nebularid) examined, a female from Tenasserim,
20th December 1876, had a good many fresh feathers
coming in on the head, back, and breast ; the wings and
tail seerried to be fresh, with the exception of the two centre
tail feathers which were worn, as were the tail-coverts; a
new feather was coming in to replace the only old tertiary left,
while new scapulars were appearing among the old. A Marsh
Sandpiper {Tringa stagnatilis), a male from Uganda, 24th
November 1909, had a few feathers on the breast and one
tertiary still partly in quill. The chief points of interest in
connection with these notes on Wader moult seem to us to
be the occurrence of moult during every month of the winter,
and the fact that both old and young birds were found to be
moulting after arrival at their winter quarters. It would
appear to be very difficult in the case of these birds to fix
any definite period at which the moult ma\- be said to be
complete.

Of two Lesser Black-backed Gulls {Lams fiiscus fiiscus),
both assuming summer plumage, neither quite mature, one,
a male, taken in Uganda in 1911, was in moult on the back
of the head, mantle, and breast ; the two centre tail feathers,
some tertiaries and scapulars, were still in quill. The other,
also from Uganda (no date), had a good many new feathers
coming in from the back of the neck down to the upper tail-
49 B

lo THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

coverts, and a few new feathers appearing on the underside ;
the fourth primary was partly in quill in both wings, longer
in the left than in the right, and the secondaries were fresh ;
the centre pair of tail feathers were almost wholly in quill.

A Black Tern {Hydrochelidon nigra nigra) from the Gold
Coast, an immature bird without a date, had a few feathers
coming in on the back, some being black, others grey; the
bastard and second primaries and one secondary were partly
in quill, and there were three fresh feathers in the tail partly
in quill, the rest being old and worn. Four adult and one
immature White-winged Black Terns {Hydrochelido7i leucop-
tcra) were examined, all from Uganda. The immature bird
was taken on 19th September 1906, and had some feathers in
quill on the back; the adults, two of which were assuming
summer and two winter plumage, were more interesting. A
male, procured on 5th April 191 1, was in heavy moult all over
the head and body ; another, assuming summer plumage, but
without a date, showed heavy moult all over the body ; the
tail was chiefly fresh, but one old grey feather remained and
one of the new white ones was only half grown ; the sixth
primary in each wing was still partly in quill, and the
tertiaries and scapulars were in heavy moult : evidently this
species indulges in a complete spring moult. A male got on
8th September 1906 was assuming winter dress, and had the
second primary in each wing only half grown and a tail
feather still in quill ; the other (no date) had a little moult
on back of head, back, breast, and some tail coverts : this
bird too was assuming winter plumage. Three Gull-billed
Terns {Sterna nilotica niloticd) from Uganda all showed signs
of moult. A male got on 28th November 1910 had the first
(bastard), second, and third primaries in both wings partly in
quill, new tertiaries were coming in, and one tail feather was
partly in quill. A female obtained the same day had the
first and second primaries very old and worn ; the new second
coming in was quite short and in quill; some secondaries
and a tertiary were coming in fresh on each side, the left
outer tail feather was partly in quill, while the corresponding
one on the right side was full grown. The other bird, which
was not quite adult, unfortunately had no date; it showed a lot

BIRDS MOULTING IN THEIR WINTER QUARTERS ii

of moult on the back and throat, some fresh tertiaries were
comincr in, and the two centre tail feathers were almost
wholly in quill.

Seebohm, in his History of British Birds, has some
interesting notes on birds found moulting in their southern
winter quarters, but much seems still to remain to be learnt
as to the period and other aspects of moult, and we therefore
hope that the above notes may be of service. Best thanks are
due to the authorities at the Ro\-al Scottish Museum for
permitting us to examine the specimens on which these
observations are based.

Insects and Man. By C. A. Ealand, M.A. London : Grant Richards

Ltd., 1915. Price 12s. net.

This is an excellent book. The author, by dint of caretul and
laborious literary research, has succeeded in producing, in well-chosen
language, a capital summary of present-day economic entomology. In a
little over 300 pages the reader is furnished with a concise, yet not too
stinted, account of the habits and life-histories of the more important
insect friends and foes occurring in all parts of the world. From a
perusal of this most interesting volume it is easy to realise that insect
enemies are much in the ascendant, and that the class as a whole is
therefore inimical to human welfare. The subject matter is well
arranged, the typography good, and the illustrations, which number one
hundred (in addition to 16 plates) clear and well-chosen There is a
full index and a bibliography of over 200 titles, the latter enabling more
detailed information to be readily found by anyone desirous of
supplementing the information given in the preceding text. We can
cordially recommend Mr Ealand's work as a most useful and readable
epitome of an all-important and fascinating subject. It is an honest and
e.xtremely successful endeavour to compress within a moderate compass
the main results of many years of research and experiment on the part of
man in his eftbrt to take full advantage of the few benefits conferred and
to minimise and control the more numerous injuries caused by tiny
creatures which out-number, both in individuals and in species, all other
classes in the animal kingdom.

12

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Diptera in a Forfarshire Garden. — In the volume of this

magazine for 1914 (p. 240) I recorded a few Diptera taken in my
garden here. During the present year specimens of the following
have been taken, all of which seem to deserve notice, (i) Pachy-
MERiA FEMORATA, F. As is Well known to Dipterists, the male of
this species, in common with others of the Empidce, has the
remarkable habit of catching other flies as prey, which are transferred
to the female at the time of pairing. The exact meaning of this
strange procedure is not known ; it is apparently essential to the act
of copulation, as the female is only seen with prey at this
particular time, and it has been proved that it is always provided by
the male. A small swarm of males was noted at 9 a.m. on the
loth of June flying under a chestnut tree. The morning was very
bright, and by standing under the tree and keeping the flies between
me and the light, it was seen they were all carrying prey. In each
case the wings of the captured fly hung down below the body of the
Pachyineria. Eight males were caught with the net (one at a time)
and the prey consisted of Dilophus febriiis, L., Bibio varipes, Mg.,
Hydrotma occulta^ Mg., Fannia ariiiata, Mg., F. !!ia?iicata, Mg., and
two species of Phorbia which I cannot identify. All the prey were
males. No female Fachymeria was taken flying, but later on I
caught a pair /// coitu, and the female had a male of Dilophus
febriiis as prey. (2) Verrallia aucta. Fin., two males on 22nd
June. This interesting fly is parasitic on Frog-hoppers. It has
been recorded from Aberfoyle and Eonhill. (3) Roeselia antiqua,
Fin., a female on 6th June, my first capture of this peculiar
Tachinid, and my only Scottish record is Orkney [Ann. Scot. Nat.
Hist.., 1905) P- 27). (4) Metopiv leucocephal\, Rossi. Several
in June flying over the surface of the ground in bare places. A
number of Aculeate Hymenoptera occur in the garden, but I could
not associate the Tachinid with any of them. (5) Ophyra
LEUCOSTOMA, W., occurrcd in fair numbers in June and July
hovering in small swarms near trees. Their deep blue-black bodies
sparkled in the sun. Scottish records of this local fly are all from
Perthshire. (6) Pegomyia squamifer, Stein, a female of this
recent addition to the British List occurred on 30th August.

Of those mentioned last year. Anthrax paniscus, Rossi, again
occurred, and ^[ERODON equestrls, F., was abundant, all the
varieties mentioned by Verrall being taken. — A. E. J. Carter,
Monifieth.

HABITS, ETC., OF HYLEMYIA GRISEA, FALL. 13

THE HABITS AND LIFE-HISTORY OF HYLEMYIA
GRISEA, FALL., AN ANTHOMYIID FLY NEW
TO THE SCOTTISH FAUNA.

By (Miss) L. H. HuiE, F.E.S.

The following notes on Hyleuiyia grisea are the outcome
of observations made during visits to Argyllshire. Hyleiiiyia
grisea has not before been recorded from Scotland, and till
now there has been no definite information ^ as to its life-
history or the feeding l>abits of its larvae. The only
statement has been the general one by Zetterstedt that
the larvae live parasitically on the larvae of Hymenoptera
Aculeata.

The wild bee Andrena analis, Panz., nests in banks of
sandy earth, and in many parts of our West Highlands is
very abundant. Although a solitary bee, it is gregarious,
and the burrows are often so numerous and close together
that it is difficult to decide in making an excavation, whether
an exposed set of brood chambers is the work of one bee, or
of more than one. The task of investigating an individual
burrow from orifice to brood cells is obviously difficult
because of the tendency of the sand to fall in and obliterate
the tunnel. The plan adopted by me was to insert a small
pencil to about half an inch, and carefully scrape away the
sand until the pencil was again entirely exposed ; then
re-insert it and repeat the scraping, sometimes also moisten-
ing the excavation with water. Working in this patient way
I made out that the burrows usually slope inwards and
downwards ; a few are nearly vertical. When the burrow
has reached a point about i i or 2 inches below the soil, that
is, a point that might be 3 inches from the entrance of
a sloping burrow, the brood chambers may be found. These
chambers are just large enough to hold the pupa comfortably ;

^ The adult fly has been described in Dipteia Sca7idinavta {\.o\t\, iv.,
p. 1422) by Zetterstedt ; and in Dipterologia Italica: (vol. iv., p. 181) by
Rondani. All that Schiner says is that the larvae are found in nests of
Hymenoptera.

14 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

they are smoothwalled and lined with a varnish that probably
keeps them dry. The burrow itself is not so varnished.
The full number of brood cells according to my observations
is six. Each burrow with its brood chambers is a self-
contained dwelling, there being no common tunnel of
communication between the nests of the various bees as
is the case with HalicUis. Before ovipositing, Andrena
provisions the brood cell with a store of food for the future
larva, in the form of a paste of honey and pollen worked into
a pill-like ball ; upon this she lays her &%^. The rate of
manufacture of the pollen balls and doubtless also the length
of the period of incubation of the Qg^, depend on weather
conditions to which the Andrena bees are very sensitive. In
dull cold weather they remain within their burrows in an
inactive state — males as well as females. When the
burrowing instinct is upon her, a bee will work very rapidly.
One captured in the act of commencing to excavate, was put
into a tumbler, three quarters filled with sand well pressed
down. As the bee became much excited on finding herself
imprisoned, the covered tumbler was placed in a dark
cupboard, and when, an hour later it was examined, the bee
had entirely disappeared within a burrow she had made.

In excavating many burrows in a sandy bank in
Argyllshire during the first half of July I found the contents
of the brood chambers varied considerably. Some contained
a tiny globular crumb of pollen paste, the nucleus of a pollen
ball ; others a full-sized ball. Others held a ball being
devoured by a newly hatched, or a large bee grub ; and in
a few it was found that a dipterous maggot was eating the
pollen ball. On sunny July days this crowded sandbank
presents an interesting spectacle. Numbers of bees may be
seen returning to their nests, the masses of yellow pollen
with which they are laden rendering them conspicuous
objects as they fly. But the sandbank is also the haunt of
a grey fly, an apparently lethargic creature that spends the
bulk of its time sitting motionless on stones or heather-stems
among the bee-burrows. As the pollen-bearing bees arrive,
and hover over the bank, each looking for her own entrance
hole, the flies rise into the air to meet them, and each fly

HABITS, ETC., OF HYLEMYIA GRISEA, FALL. 15

sineles out a laden bee in order to follow her closely while
she flits over the bank, or hesitates a little on the ground,
before disappearing within her own burrow to deposit her
stores. The fly now takes up a position outside the entrance
and facing it, and all the time the bee remains underground
unlading and adding the fresh pollen to her ball of nutritive
paste — a proceeding which consumes fifteen or twenty
minutes — the fly remains motionless. Presently the bee
appears at the entrance of her burrow, pausing there before
again taking flight in search of further supplies. The fly
may betray her eagerness by a forward step or two. A
minute or so more and the bee has flown. The fly now darts
into the burrow, examines the passage for a second or two,
comes out again and re-enters backwards in order to lay an
egg on the floor of the burrow, not more than half an inch
from its entrance. This is accomplished usually in less than
a minute, and the fly has gone long before the return of the
bee. From a favourable position one need not lose sight of
the ovipositing fly, and the egg can be obtained by lifting
the sand from the spot on the blade of a pocket-knife.
Should the bee not come out again, as often happened owing
to the departure of the sunshine, the patience of the fly
becomes in time exhausted and she moves away. At times
bees will return to the sandbank bearing no pollen. The
flies will spontaneously rise to greet them, but perceiving
the absence of the pollen load they make no pursuit.

This then is the state of matters in July : — A dipterous
maggot in the bee's nest and a fly laying eggs at the entrance.
Two questions naturally suggest themselves. Is the maggot
the offspring of the fly ; and if so, how is the egg taken down
to the nest ?

Many burrows were investigated and brood chambers
containing fly m.aggots in the act of devouring the pollen ball
were again and again found. Sometimes the chamber was
removed almost intact so that the maggot suffered little
disturbance and continued to eat the pollen while watched
under a lens, but light proved unpleasant to these larvae, and
a few minutes' exposure to it caused them to stop eating and
to seek darkness Placed in small tin boxes containing sand,

i6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

the fly maggots burrowed into the sand to avoid the h'ght.
I then made two little pits in the sand as far as possible
from where the maggot had disappeared. In one pit I placed
a pollen ball and in the other a bee grub. Invariably the
maggots found the pollen ball and ate it, totally neglecting the
bee grub, which itself was too helpless to find the pollen ball.
This experiment was repeated many times with fly maggots,
each placed in a separate box with a pollen ball and a
bee grub. Eventually all these maggots became full fed and
pupated. This proves that the food of the fly maggot is the
stored pollen and that this larva can complete its entire
growth on this diet. I have one record that seems to show
that if supplied with insufficient pollen paste the maggots
would eat bee grubs. A small fly larva, and a young bee
■grub were placed in a pill box along with two portions of a
pollen ball which quickly became mouldy. The bee grub
ceased to eat. The fly maggot first devoured all the pollen
food, and then attacked the bee grub.

I never found a maggot eating a bee grub in the brood
chamber and never saw any remains of a bee grub that had
been eaten. Neither did I ever find both a maggot and a
bee grub present in the same brood chamber. That the
main food of the maggot is the pollen ball is beyond doubt.
I do not wish to convey the impression that a large propor-
tion of bees' nests contain maggots. Only a small proportion
were thus parasitised, a much smaller proportion than might
be expected from the activities of the female fly. Incident-
ally I may remark that fungus proves a formidable enemy of
both bee and fly larvae. On many occasions, especially in the
wet and warm first fortnight of last July, it was common to
find larvae and pupae of Andrena and larvae oi Hyleniyia, and
the pollen ball also, enveloped in mycelium; as the fungus was
not found in the spore stage I am not able to say the species.

After an absence of some weeks I revisited the bee
colonies towards the end of August, No flies were to be
seen, and in the bees' nests all stores of pollen had been
devoured. The full-fed bee grubs were lying ready for
hibernation, while most of the dipterous larva? had already
pupated.

HABITS, ETC., OF HYLEMYIA GRISEA, FALL.

17

Some full-fed fly larvre were in 191 3 still found in brood
chambers as late as the third of September. They pupated
during the following night. These puparia and a few others
were taken to Edinburgh, and passed the winter in a small
flower-pot filled with sand, protected from dust by a muslin
cover, kept in a cool room, and from time to time watered.
From these puparia five flies of the same species as those
that haunt the bee colonies emerged in the first week of
June 1 914. One was a male ; the others, female. They were
fed on brown sugar and raw beef. They preferred the beef,
from which they completely sucked the juices. They showed

Fig. I. — Adult female of //r/t-wv/V? .?t/5C(7. x 5.

no inclination to pair, perhaps because they were kept too
much in the shade. At the end of about two weeks they
died. Two of the females were used for dissection. The
ovaries consisted of twelve ovarian tubes, six on each side of
the body.

Specimens of the fly were sent to Dr Stein of Treptow,
who identified the species as Hylemyia grisea, and added the
information that " the larvae live in the nests of Hymenoptera."

My figure i represents the female fly, of which I offer the
following description : —

Body narrow, conical, 7J7 to S mm. long, with a wing-spread of
about twice that measurement.

49 c

i8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Thorax, scutellum, and abdomen pale ash grey in colour.
iTtra^/ prominent, frons projecting, especially in the male (Fig. 2).
The eyes reddish, sub-approximate in the male, far apart in the

female. Cheeks white and glistening. Fronto-
orbital bristles stout.

Antennce black, arista long, tapering,
feathered on both sides. Palpi long, cylindri-
cal, black with yellow bases.

Thorax with a broad median brown stripe,

and a more slender and less distinct brown

stripe towards each side — on which are situated

/ H- Jf. the inner row of dorso-central bristles, which

Fig. 2 —Head of are very strong. There is on each side

adult male. ^ further more or less distinct brown mark

bounding the post-humeral region.

Scutellum unstriped.

Abdomen bristly. In the male narrow cylindrical with a very
dark median line, in the female more conical with a less distinct
dark median line.

Wings hyaline, tinged towards their bases with yellow. Costa
ciliate, with some short stiff very sloping spicules ; the equally sized
squamae yellowish-white, ciliated ; halteres yellow.

Legs rather long. Femora and tibiee grey, thickly clothed with
black hairs; hind tibiae bristly; tarsi black. Pulvilli and claws
small in the female, very large in the male.

Habitat. — Chiefly near the seashore, for the most part in sandy
places.

The following note by Meade appeared in the Ent. Mo.
Mag., for Feb. 1899, and shows that the fly has once been
recorded from England

" H. GRiSEA. — -Mr Beaumont sent a specimen of this well-
marked species (frequenting the nests of Hymenoptera)
which he had captured at Oxshott, in Surrey. It is narrow,
conical and pale ash-grey in colour, about 8 mm. long,
with a long-haired arista, a very prominent forehead and
face (buccate) and sub-approximate male eyes. The thorax
has three sub-distinct dark stripes. The palpi antenn^-e
and legs are black. The wings have a yellow tinge."

The EGG is oval, the surface shows a honeycomb pattern.
As previously stated it is laid on the floor of the burrow,
just within the entrance; this I observed many times. I

HABITS, ETC., OF HYLEMY/A GRISEA, FALL.

19

Fig. 3. — Mature larva of Hylemyia grisea.

hope to ascertain by further observations how the Hylemyia
larva reaches the pollen ball. I have never discovered
what is the fate of the bee grub for which the pollen
ball eaten by a maggot
was destined. If the
fly maggot hatches out
and commences to eat
the ball before its com-
pletion by the bee, it
may be well imagined
that no bee's q^^ would
be laid. Otherwise the maggot must devour the unhatched
egg or the young grub. That the dipterous egg is the
earlier to hatch out can hardly be doubted, since it is laid
during the manufacture of the pollen ball, while the bee's
sgg would not be deposited till after its completion.

The LARVA of H. grisea is represented in Fig. 3 (the
specimen from which the drawing was made having been
preserved in alcohol had undergone some contraction).
A full-grown larva measures about 9 mm. The most striking-
character of this maggot is the great breadth of the hinder

portion of the body. The cuticle is thin,
and very free from spines. There are
thirteen segments of a yellowish white
colour. Immediately behind the well-
developed mouth-hooks (Fig. 4) are the
minute two-jointed antennae (Fig. 4) and
the slightly more laterally placed sensory
spots (Fig. 5). The prothoracic spiracles
have thirteen stalked lobes (Fig. 6).
„:!^ The hind face of the last segment
Fig. 4.— Buccal-pharyn- exhibits the two distinct areas usual
geal apparatus of mature in the larviE of most Anthomyiidae, the

larva, drawn from a , , , . .

preparation cleared in oblique dorsal portion bearing the

caustic potash, x about spiracular area, and a truncated anal
40. ^ '

region (Fig. 7). The three openings of

the posterior spiracles are arranged in the form of a trefoil,

and the spiracular area is surrounded by six pairs of fleshy

pointed tubercles (Fig. 7).

20

TlIK SCOTTISH NATUKAUST

TiiK ruPAKiUAi (Fig. 8). — Length 7 to 8 mm. Oblong
oval or almost cylindrical, somewhat conical at the anterior
end and blunter at the hind end. Bright golden brown when
wet, dull pinkish brown when dry ; often much darker
towards the extremities. Segments more clearly defined at
the sides than on the ventral and dorsal aspects. On the
dorsal surface the segmentation is only faintly traceable.
Cuticle thin, and little wrinkled. Prothoracic spiracles of the
larva still conspicuous as blackish ridges. Posterior tubercles
and anal lips clearly discernible.

.-/ ■

^

f.fi.H

Fig. 5. — Three anterior segments of
mature larva, ventral asptct, to
s!iow position of antenna; and
sensory spots.

■:*^

J J!.)

Fig. 7. — Posterior face of ultimate
segment of mature larva, show-
ing tubercles and posterior stig-
mata.

Fig. 6. — Prothoracic spiracle of
mature larva. (Greatly magni-
fied ; camera lucida drawing.)

■T MM ^tf

Fig. S. — Puparium of Hyleinyia
"risea.

As regards the life cycle of Hyleuiyia grisea, there is one
generation in the year, and the winter is passed in the pupal
stage. I found flies in June and July; eggs in July; larvae
in July and August; and puparia in September, October,
November, December, January, February, March, April and
May.

In concluding this paper I wish to acknowledge my
indebtedness to Dr R. Stewart MacDougall for his constant
kindly interest and many helpful suggestions.

COLEOPTERA FROM AUSKERRY, ORKNEY 21

COLEOPTERA FROM AUSKERRY, ORKNEY.

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

The following beetles were collected by Mr P2agle Clarke on
Auskerry, one of the most easterly of the Orkney Islands, in
September 191 3. As explained by Mr Clarke in his paper
{Scot. A^at., 1914, p. 5) on the birds he met with there,
Auskerry is a small low-lying and — but for the lighthouse
people — uninhabited island of some 260 acres. Near the
cliff-edge there is, he tells me, a small loch said to be fed by
a spring and having no visible outlet ; from its margin most
of the water-beetles were olitained. Our knowledge of the
Coleopterous fauna of the Orkneys rests mainly on a paper
by B. Poppius (1904-5) in which he records not far short of
200 species and varieties collected in these islands by the
late O. M. Reuter of Helsingfors, Finland, in the summer of
1876. A few species from Hoy have been recorded by
W. E. Sharp. For the Shetlands we have Blackburn and
Liliey's list (1874), Hudson Beare's for Fair Isle (1906,
recording specimens collected by \V. E. Clarke), and that of
Poppius included in the paper above referred to.^ It would
appear that the majority (fourteen or so) of the species noted
below from Auskerry have not previously been recorded
from Orkney ; all but five (perhaps six) are, however, on
record for Shetland. In the case of the two Cholevas and
one or two other species I am indebted to Professor Beare
for kindly checking my determinations.

List of Species.

Carabus cafenu/atus, Scop. — One specimen.
Nebria brevicol/is, F. — Two specimens.
Loricera pilicornis, F. — One specimen.
Pterostichus nigrita, F. — One.

^ Full references to these papers will be found at the end of
Anderson Fergusson's Supplement to Dr D. Sharp's " Coleoptera of
Scotland" published in this magazine in 1913-14. I'rof. Beare's Fair
Isle list appeared in the A/m. Scot. Nat. Hist, for April 1906, as well as
in the E>it. Mo. Mag.

22 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Trec/ius minntus, F., race obtusiis, Er. — ^Tvvo.

Hydropoms eryfhrocephahis, L. — Twelve.

Hydroponis pubescens, Gyll. — One.

Agabus bipustulatus, L. — Thirty-one.

Gyrinus natator, Scop. — Seventeen ; from peat-pools on moor.

Hydrobiiis fuscipes, L., race picicri/s, Sharp. — Nineteen. I am
not aware of any record of this species from either Orkney or
Shetland.

Honialota ci/rrax, Kr. — Two. The same remark applies to this.

Quedius mesomelmus. Marsh. — Two. It is possible that this is
the same as Q.fulgidus of Blackburn and Lilley's Shetland list.

Ocypns okiis, Mlill. — Four examples.

Philonthus decoriis, Grav. — One.

Oxvfeliis laqueaius, Marsh. — One, var. with dark elytra. Not
recorded from either Orkney or Shetland so far as I have seen, and
the same remark applies to the next two species.

Choleva morio, F. — Four, all males.

Chokva chrysoincloides, Panz. — Six {2 $ , 4 ? )•

Aphodius contaDiinatus., Herbst. — Thirteen.

Otiorrhynchits maurus, Gyll. — One specimen. This is a
mountain insect on the mainland of Scotland.

I may add that on 2nd September 191 3, Mr Clarke saw
immense numbers of Chrysomela fastuosa, L., specimens of
which he has shown to me, between Stromness and Stennis.
They were scattered along the roadsides for miles. The
species, however, had already been recorded from Orkney.

The Generic Names of the S"wallows and Divers. —

British ornithological opinion has been divided of late regarding the
correct generic names for the Swallows and Divers— should it be
Hirundo or Chelidon for the former, and for the latter Colyvibiis or
Fodiceps? In The Auk for October (p. 525) is an expression of
American opinion on the subject, wherein it is declared that the
type of Hirtmdo is rustica and that of Colymbus is arcticus, and
the nomenclature of the A.O.U. List of American Birds is to be
altered accordingly. This finding confirms the opinion of the
Authors of the B.O.U. List of B)-itish Birds on these vexed
questions in nomenclature.

NOTES

NOTES.

Birds attracted by Lighted Tents. — AVhen in camp at
Glencorse, I was interested in observing on i8th September at lo
P.M., a large flock of Golden Plover hovering round the camp,
evidently attracted by the whiteness of the tents. Their general
behaviour was not unlike the flitting to and fro of bats. They kept
very low but none came in contact with the tents. On the 23rd
September at 10.30 p.m., during a dense fog, a flock of Black-headed
Gulls, apparently lost in the mist, kept flying round the tents, till
shortly after midnight when it became clear. During the night of
7th to 8th October I heard small birds twittering, evidently unable
to locate their bearings in the mist. These I think were mostly
Pipits and Wagtails, and next morning the whole place was dotted
with Pied Wagtails, very tame. There were some sixty or seventy
searching the gravel for insects on the barrack square. All these
birds seem to have been under the influence of the white tents and
the lamps which shone through them, the whole having much the
same effect as a lighthouse. — Fred S. Beveridge, 3rd Batt. Royal
Scots.

Strange Diet of the Song Thrush. — Over a year ago I
recounted in the '•'■Scottish Naturalist" an interesting incident in
regard to Song Thrushes feeding their young with the full-blown
flowers of the common daisy. By coincidence in the same issue
Mr William Evans recorded that he had observed a Blackbird
indulging in a similar diet. Last spring I again saw evidence of
the Song Thrush extending its bill of fare in flower dietary. On
this occasion I observed the full-fledged young being supplied with
the flower-heads of the Meadow Rush {Luziila canipestris) which
they eagerly accepted from the parent bird as she plucked them
from the stem. As on the previous occasion, this incident took
place in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. — J. Kirke Nash,
Edinburgh.

Uncommon Birds in Orkney. — On 6th October I was taking
my usual turn round the island, beating up the turnip and potato
patches, though in no great hope of seeing anything uncommon,
nothing having been on the island for the last week, in spite of the
wind having been easterly. However in the last patch of turnips
I flushed a Yellow-browed Warbler {Phylloscopus siiperciliosns) and
next day, there being a moderate gale from the south-east, on the
lee side of the island on the grassy side of a small geo, I saw a

24 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Red - breasted Flycatcher {Miisdcapa parva) sitting with spread
tail and the white tail patches showing clearly. I identified it at
once, it having been my good fortune to have got this species
before. On the afternoon of the i6th October I saw two Shore
Larks {E>-e/iiophihi alpestris) feeding on a tuft of Sea-pinks. — John
Bain, Swona Fog-signal Station, Orkney.

On 8th October I procured a bird in the lighthouse garden, and
not being very sure what it was, sent it to Mr Eagle Clarke, who
kindly informs me that it was a Yellow-browed ^ ?ix\A&x {^Phylloscoptts
superciliosus). The following day two more were seen catching
flies in the garden ; I had no difficulty in getting quite close to
them, and having had an excellent view of them, have no doubt
that they belonged to the same species. — John G. Thomson,
Pentland Skerries Lighthouse, Orkney.

Crested Titmouse in East Rosshire. — At the meeting of
the British Ornithologists' Club on the loth of November, Mr
Ogilvie Grant exhibited a male specimen of the Crested Titmouse
{Fariis cristahis scotiais) one of several which he observed on iSth
October in company with a large travelling flock composed of
Coal Titmice, Long-tailed Titmice, Goldcrests and one or two
Tree Creepers. This flock when under observation was feeding
in the tops of some large Scotch fir-trees. This is the first authentic
instance of the occurrence of this bird north of the Moray Firth.
{Bull. B.O.C., xxxvi., p. 10.)

Bee-eater and Yello^v-browed Warbler in Shetland. — A

female Bee-eater [Merops apiaster) frequented the neighbourhood of
Lerwick from the 4th to nth of July last and appeared to be a
female. A Yellow-browed Warbler {Phylloscopus superciliosus), a
female, was procured at Lerwick on the i8th of October. — George
W. Russell, Lerwick.

Great Grey Shrike in Dumfriesshire. — I hear that my
gamekeeper shot a Great Grey Shrike {Lanitis excubitor, Linnaeus)
at Capenoch, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, on i6th November 19 15.
It was of the single-barred variety with black bases to the
secondaries, which variety was at one time regarded as a distinct
species {Lanius major, Pallas). So far as I am aware, the last
specimen of a Great Grey Shrike to be killed in Dumfriesshire
was shot at Newtonairds on 27th December 1906. — Hugh S.
Gladstone, War Office, London.

{Authors are responsible for nomenclature used.)

X

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 50.] 1910 [February

EDITORIAL.

We have been favoured by the author, Dr James Ritchie,
with a reprint of an interesting paper, entitled " The Animal
Remains from Constantine's Cave, Fife Ness." ^ The material
examined was derived from a stratum 2I feet thick in its
thickest part and about a foot below the present surface. It
was associated with many relics of human habitation, and
revealed a great variety of animal life. The list of mammals
represented includes the Wild Cat, Badger, and Grey Seal,
a species of Whale (possibly the Pilot Whale), the Wild Boar,
Red Deer, Short-horned Celtic Ox, Turbary Sheep, Horse,
and Rabbit. Of birds we notice the Shag, a species of Goose,
a Gull (possibly the Herring Gull), and the Red-throated
Diver. Some bones of a fish's skull, probably the Haddock,
were also found, while many " pincers " of the Edible Crab
and five species of Mollusca close the list. The bones of
many of the mammals showed evidence of the work of human
implements, most of which appear to have been fashioned
from the antlers of the Red Deer.

The food of the Crossbill forms the subject of a recent

^ Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. xliv.,
pp. 251-55.

50 D

26 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

paper by C. B. Moffat,^ one of whose objects is to induce
observations likely to throw light on the question of the
particular conifer preferred by the birds now settled in
Ireland. The two invasions of 1888 and 1909 are contrasted,
inasmuch as the Crossbills of the former year and their
descendants appeared to feed principally on the seeds of the
larch, while those of 1909 and subsequent years, probably
derived from a second large incursion, seemed to favour the
Scots pine. The author suggests that this difference in taste
may indicate that the Crossbills arriving in Ireland in 1909
may have come from a different part of Europe from that
which sent out the migration of 1888. He remarks upon
Seebohm's statement to the effect that the Parrot Crossbill
feeds on Scots pine while the Common Crossbill restricts
itself to the spruce and larch, and criticises Selous' theory
(founded on this statement) that the former is a stronger and
newer bird evolved from the latter " by the necessities of its
heavier task when reduced to feeding on Scotch fir-cones."
In Mr Moffat's opinion the exact opposite is more likely to
have been the case, since the cones of the spruce and larch
present no difficulty to the much smaller Siskin, Lesser
Redpole, and Goldfinch, and that therefore "the earliest
Crossbill would never have needed to be a Crossbill at all
unless jt had wanted to force open cones with a strong close
structure like those of the Scotch fir." Lastly, the author
states that in the south-eastern part (and probably throughout
the rest) of Ireland the Crossbill seems never to touch the
cones of the spruce, a fact which requires some explanation.

A paper by J. C. Adam, in the recently issued part of the
Transactions of the Edinburgh Field Naturalists' and
Microscopical Society^ entitled " A Pair of Long-eared
Owls," should appeal to those of our readers — and we hope
they are many — who are interested in " that elusive entity,
the bird behind the feathers." For two consecutive years,
1910 and 1911, the owls, which inhabited a wood of Scots
pine and spruce in West Lothian, were closely watched by
the author and S. E. Brock, and the almost daily, or rather

' Irish Naturalist^ January 1916, pp. 1-6.
-' \''ol. vii., parts ii., iii., pp. 63-91, 1915.

EDITORIAL 27

nightly, observations made are narrated in ample detail in
the paper under the three divisions, Pre-nesting Period,
Nesting Period, and Post-nesting Period. A summary of
the deductions to be drawn from these observations would
have added much to the value of the paper. Whatever
light it may shed on the behaviour of the nightbirds, it
bears eloquent testimony to the patience and tenacity of the
observers in carrying out their self-imposed task.

In the January number of British Birds (vol. ix., pp.
197-208) no fewer than six species and subspecies are
recorded as new to the British List. They are the following :
Moustached Warbler {Lnsciniola nielanopogcm vielanopogon),
Olivaceous Warbler (^Hypolais pallida pallida), North African
Black Wheatear {CEnanihe leucura syeniticd), Cape Verde
Little Shearwater {Piiffiii/ts assimilis boj'di), North Atlantic
Great Shearwater {Puffimis knhlii borealis), and Grey-rumped
Sandpiper {Tringa incana brevipcs'). It appears to us not a
little remarkable that all these birds were picked up or shot
on the coast of Sussex within a limit of twenty miles. We
should have liked more precise details regarding the actual
capture of these birds.

The libraries of our British entomologists have received
a welcome addition through the publication of an important
volume on Ants, by H. St. J. K. Donisthorpe.^ In the
limited space at our disposal it is impossible to do justice to
a book consisting of '^^Ji closely printed pages, stored as
they are with an immense number of facts, and we may
therefore remark at once that the work, which embodies the
results of over twenty years' continuous labour and research,
is quite indispensable to the student of British Hymenoptera.
We are much pleased with the general appearance and
arrangement of the book, its clear and well selected type,
and the unusual abundance of excellent illustrations. The
systematic part of the volume is preceded by several sections
(there are no " chapters ") giving a clear and sufficiently
detailed account of the structure, external and internal, of
ants in general, after which follow others of perhaps wider
interest, since they deal with the details of life and habit
^ British Ants, their Life-history and Ciassijication, 19 15.

28 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

presented by these fascinating insects. The psychology of
ants, their distribution in space and time, and the practical
methods of collecting and observing, are also discussed in
turn, and then follows the main portion of the book, which
treats of the various genera and species found in Britain,
systematically and exhaustively. In this section will be
found, as we should naturally expect, full details of distribu-
tion, and here (for example) the Scottish worker may learn
at once in what counties any particular species has been
observed. Of special interest are the lists of insects of other
groups (known as myrmecophiles) which are found associated
with the various species of ants in their nests, and in this
branch of the subject Mr Donisthorpe is specially qualified
to speak. We offer him our hearty congratulations on the
completion of this volume, which is indeed a work of the
first importance.

Black-headed Gulls at Inver, Dunkeld, in winter. — In

the Scottish Naturalist for January 1916, there is a Note by Mr
P'red. S. Beveridge on Birds attracted by Lighted Tents, in which
he speaks of the visits of Black-headed Gulls to the camp. I\Iy
friend, Mr Charles MTntosh of Inver, near Dunkeld, a well-known
local naturalist, writes to me regarding a similar occurrence at the
Scottish Horse Camp at Inver. He says, "They came early last
spring, and were then in their summer plumage. They continued
to frequent the camp till about the 15th December last, although
the Braan was often covered with ice. The latter end of December
was milder, with much rain, and heavy floods of the river. It was
then that the gulls left. So far as I can ascertain, the Black-headed
Gull was never before seen in this district in its winter plumage,
with the head white. No doubt it was the camp refuse that induced
them to remain in the district so long past their usual time." —
Henry Coates, Perthshire Natural History Museum.

NOTES ON MIGRANTS AND MOULT 29

NOTES OX MIGRANTS AND MOULT, WITH
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE MOULTS
OF SOME OF OUR SUMMER VISITANTS

By Claud B. Ticehukst, M.A., '.ALRCS., :m.B.O.U.

In " The Scottish Natnnrlist" for November 1914, there was a
paper by Miss Baxter and Miss Rintoul on "Some Passerine
Birds found migrating in Moult," in which I was very interested,
and as this is a subject to which I have long given attention
I thought it would be of some interest to give m)- experience,
which is founded on birds known to have been on migration
and which for the most part are in my collection and have
either been obtained by myself in Orkney or the coasts of
Yorkshire and Suffolk, etc., or have come from St Catherine's
Lighthouse (Isle of Wight) or some other Light. The
number of specimens cited does not always accurately
represent th'2 number of birds handled, as I have received
many of the commoner species from the Lights which, not
being in moult, were not always preserved.

The few Corvidae handled (Rooks, Grey Crows, Jackdaws)
have not shown any moult, nor have the vast majority of
Starlings, though I have seen odd birds retaining some of
the juvenile plumage. Of Siskins, six out of seven at the
end of September have some feathers of the crown and chin
still in quill, and one has a few old juvenile feathers ; one
adult at the end of August has the first primary not fully
grown. About a score of Redpoles were all apparently fully
moulted, and the onl)- Goldfinch, a coastal migrant, was in
full body moult, much of the juvenile plumage yet unmoulted.
A fair number of Bramblings, Greenfinches and Treesparrows
in autumn have been examined, but only a single Greenfinch
on 14th October showed any moult, a few feathers on the
chin. Of nine Crossbills (old and juvenile birds), five showed
some moult of body feathers, while two were still in
juvenile plumage. My experience in Buntings coincides with
that of Miss Baxter, none of them (Reed, Ortolan, Little,
Lapp, and Snow Buntings) showing any moult. Of hundreds
Qf Skylarks I have not detected any in moult.

30 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Of Tree Pipits I have seven spring birds in April and May;
these are all slightly to moderately worn all over, none in
moult ; this species moults, in February and March, the body
feathers, often including the tertials, some of the wing coverts,
and the central tail feathers. Of autumn birds, three are
adults with the first two primaries still in quill and are still
moulting in the chin, the rest are in first winter plumage and
show no moult. Meadow Pipits moult at the same time as
does the Tree Pipit, but I am not sure that every individual
completes the moult. Of two at the end of March, one is
just completing a full body moult (including the tertials)
with the central tail feathers not fully grown, the other is in
fresh feather moulting still on the forehead ; another on i ith
March is worn all over, but some new feathers show here and
there, but none in quill; again one on 31st March has only
changed a few feathers including the tertials, but the tail,
tail coverts, and most of the body plumage is worn, no
feathers in quill. One on ist May is moderately worn all
over. Of autumn birds, three at the end of September
show no moult and one on loth September has a few crown
feathers in quill.

I have only three Grey Wagtails, 27th September and 12th
October, no moult, and only one autumn Pied Wagtail, an
adult which, on 15th October, still has a few body feathers
in quill; of five spring birds, two (26th February and lOth
March) are in fresh summer plumage, two on 20th March
have a fair number of body feathers in quill, and one on
30th March has also a few. Of white Wagtails, eight spring
birds (6th to 17th May) arc all more or less worn, which is
what one would expect seeing that this species goes through
much the same amount of moult at the same time of year
as does the Tree Pipit ; five September birds show no moult.
Three Yellow Wagtails in first half of April and one on 8th
May are but slightly worn and show no moult, but two young
birds performing a coastal migration on 6th August and 3rd
September are performing a full body moult.

The only Tits I have are six Continental Great Tits (first
halfof October)and one British Long-tailed Tit(27th October);
none show any moult. Some fifteen Goldcrests examined

NOTES ON MIGRANTS AND MOULT 31

(15th September to 25th October) exhibited no moult, neither
did one on i ith March.

Spotted Flycatchers (six in May) are slightly worn but
none in moult, but of nine autumn birds there were only two
which did not show active moult : — thus two adults at the
end of August are in full body moult, including tertials and
great coverts but not the flight or tail feathers which, in spite
of belonging to the old breeding plumage, are not so greatly
abraded ; two young birds (mid-September) and one (2nd
October) have a few body feathers still in quill, and two
(14th September and 2nd October) have a considerable trace
of the juvenile plumage unmoulted. Birds obtained in their
winter quarters show that 'this species has a spring moult ;
thus one on 7th Februar)- is very worn all over ; others in
March are moulting the body feathers, tail, median and
lesser coverts and some of the greater coverts, while the
tertials look quite fresh. Seven Pied Flycatchers (end of
April or early Ma\') are all in fairly fresh plumage all over,
and of ten autumn birds, one on 14th August has a few
body feathers in quill, and one (2nd September) in addition
has a sprinkling of juvenile feathers left, while a Red-
breasted Flycatcher on 22nd September also shows a few
juvenile feathers unmoulted.

The results of my examination of the Phylloscopi
bear out those of Miss Baxter and Miss Rintoul : briefly
I find that Willow Wrens, Northern Willow Wrens, and
Chiffchaffs on early spring migration are in but slightly
worn and Wood Wrens in very fresh plumage, but here
and there one may find a bird {e.g., a Chifichaff on
20th March) with feathers of two ages, the one fresh, the
other very worn ; our Pliylloscopi have evidently moulted
since they left us in the autumn. Turning to evidence from
specimens obtained in the winter quarters, I find that Chiff-
chaffs in February which I have examined are in very worn
plumage all over., so that one may surmise that this species
moults some time between then and their arrival here ;
whether all moult completely or not is uncertain, but the
specimen above alluded to had only done a very partial
moult. Willow Wrens from Africa in November are very

32 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

worn, especially on the wings and tail, one adult on i6th
December is also in very worn plumage, one (bird of the year)
on i/th December has the old plumage very worn, but the
moult of the body, wings and tail has just commenced. I have
examined a good man}' specimens in February from very
different parts of Africa — all are in full nionlt, the wings and
tail nearly through, some show feathers of the head and neck
still unmoulted and very abraded ; two examples in March
{Ph. t. eversmanni) show a stage further, entire moult nearly
complete, but still odd feathers have not been cast. From
this it seems that Willow Wrens do a complete moult in
December to February, but that individuals may retain
some old feathers. Wood Wrens I have not seen from the
winter quarters, but from the extreme freshness of the
plumage of April birds it cannot be doubted that they also do
a complete winter-spring moult. The Siberian Chiffchaff
would appear also to have a spring moult. I have examined
birds at the end of March which are in full body moult, with
the central pair or two pairs of tail feathers and inner tertials
fresh, the wings and rest of tail being moderately worn. Of
many autumn Phylloscopi examined only two Willow Wrens
show odd body feathers in quill ; all are in fresh moulted
plumage.

Some Sedge Warblers at any rate moult hi spring, others
apparently do not; nineteen specimens, 29th April to i6th
May, one (2nd May) is in quite fresh bod)- feather, chin in
quill, two others (same date) are very worn, but one has some
chin feathers in quill, in all three the wings and tail are but
slightly worn ; again one on 29th April is in fairly fresh
feather, and another (5th May) is extremely abraded all over ;
all the other specimens are fairly worn.

Of nine autumn specimens only one shows moult, an
adult (nth August) has the body and half the tail in full
moult, but the wings are old. Reed Warblers (14th April to
2nd June) are only slightly worn everywhere, but two
autumn birds (30th September and 27th October) have
a few body feathers still in quill. Grasshopper Warblers
on arrival here are in fresh plumage all over. Some
specimens of Blyth's Reed Warbler certainl)' moult in

NOTES ON MIGRANTS AND MOULT 33

spring, body and tail or part ; others do not appear to
do so.

My experience of Whitethroats seems to be much the
same as that of Miss Baxter and Miss Rintoul : thus, of
twenty-three spring Common Whitethroats, three specimens
show active moult ; one on 6th May has a few chin feathers in
quill, and another (same date) has odd body feathers in quill
and many old worn feathers, another (29th April) has the
central tail feathers not fully grown. Of the rest, some are in
fairly fresh plumage everywhere, some are very abraded
everywhere, but many show feathers of two ages, i.e., quite
fresh and quite abraded, but no active moult ; thus one on
7th May has part of the upper tail coverts, part of the body
plumage, and the central pair of tail feathers quite fresh, the
rest very worn, the wings are abraded but some of the inner
secondaries seem newer. That some Whitethroats of both
species moult in spring and others do not has long been
known to me, and the same explanation had often occurred
to me, viz., that only the birds of the previous year do a
complete moult in spring (body, wings and tail). Whether
this is so or not is a very difficult matter to prove, as
unfortunately (as I have before pointed out, Ibis, 191 1,
p. 401) there is a dearth of material of our summer visitors
obtained in their winter quarters during the season of
* expectc 1 moult, and until this want is made good many
problems cannot be satisfactorily solved ; however, as regards
the Common Whitethroat I think that this explanation does
not hold good for this reason : the first winter males are
distinguishable from the adult winter males by their much
browner heads and lesser coverts and usually less pure white
in the tail. Now I have several spring males obtained on
migration in May in England showing no active moult which
are retainitig 2invioulted and very ivorn the broivn head and
lesser coverts of the first winter plumage — individual feathers of
the tail, and possibly of the wing also, have been renewed, but
most are worn. Furthermore, the very fact that the spring
moult in this species is often variable and incomplete tends,
I think, to show that age is not a factor. I think one may
safely surmise that those birds which in April or May show
50 E

34 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

fresh or only slightly worn wings and tail, among Common
Whitethroats, and many other SylviincB, have moulted those
feathers earlier in the year, and those that are very abraded
have not done so ; evidence towards this is afforded by
examination of winter specimens. Thus I find that Common
Whitethroats in December and January are in a very worn
state of plumage, while one on 8th February was in new,
fresh feather all over, but one again on 9th March was also
very worn all over. It would be interesting to know on
what grounds Mr Pycraft makes the statement that only
the small feathers are moulted in spring {^A Histoiy of
Birds, p. 282).

Of autumn Common Whitethroats it would appear
usual to find some in moult on migration among the
adults, thus all seven adults in my collection (loth to 14th
September) show some body feathers in quill as well as
the first two primaries; of nine young birds (nth August
to loth September) only one shows a few body feathers
in quill.

Of Lesser Whitethroats I have only six spring specimens,
three (29th April to 15th May) are very worn everywhere,
and evidently have not moulted, one, 28th March, is in fresh
body plumage, worn wings and tail, while two on 2nd May
are only slightly worn everywhere. Turning to evidence of
birds in winter quarters I find that specimens on 23rd
November, nth January, and 8th February, are very worn
everywhere, especially wings and tail ; one on 5th February
has the body feathers, two tertials on one side and two
tertials and the next two or three secondaries on the other
side, all in quill, also the whole tail (except one very worn old
feather) ; another (2nd March) has the whole of the body
plumage fresh, wings and tail slightly worn ; one on 25th
March, body feathers slightly worn, wings and tail very
abraded ; another (same date) has the whole plumage
beautifully new. Only one specimen on migration in autumn
shows any moult — one on 13th September with a few chin
feathers in quill. I may remark in passing that the Indian
Lesser Whitethroat {Sylvia c. affinis) (which only constantly
differs from the western race in wing formula) appears to

NOTES ON MIGRANTS AND MOULT 35

perform the same spring moult as our bird, some moulting
completely, others not.

Of Garden Warblers I have seventeen (29th April to
17th May); all are in quite fresh plumage, body, wings, and
tail ; this is quite explainable by examination of specimens
from winter quarters : thus I find that November, December,
and January specimens are all in very worn plumage all
over, but two of them (in December and on loth January)
had begun to moult the primaries and secondaries. February
birds are in full moult, body, wings, and tail, while March
birds are in full new plumage. Nine birds in the autumn
(i8th August to 2nd October) are in fresh plumage and no
active moult. One Barred Warbler (17th September) also
exhibits no moult ; this is a species which also has of course
a spring moult at least of the body feathers. Ten spring
Blackcaps (April and Ma}) show no moult and are not very
worn anywhere; two winter-quarter birds (December and
February) are rather more worn ; although this species
probably moults in spring, I have nothing definite to say
about it ; of autumn migrants, seven in early October or
September exhibit no moult except one (9th September)
which is still moulting on the chin.

I have examined a great many Song Thrushes (both
races), Redwings, Blackbirds, several Ring Ouzels, and a few
Mistle Thrushes on spring and autumn passage, and I have
not seen any in moult except one Mistle Thrush which had
(24th February) part of the rump in quill and one Ring
Ouzel (i8th October) with half of its tail a quarter grown —
both were obviously accidental moults. Accidental loss of
a tail or part thereof may, as I have on several occasions
witnessed, delay a bird at some spot on its migration for
days, e.o.^ this Ring Ouzel remained in the same place some
days after its companions had passed on. Accidental moult
(which is naturally usually unilateral) must be a fairly
common phenomenon and one which anyone studying moult
must be on guard against ; to watch birds hit a lighthouse
and see the cloud of feathers lost without killing the bird
gives one an idea of at least one cause of loss of feathers to
which migrants are subject.

36 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

I have examined hundreds of Wheatears (both races), and
have only found one Greenland Wheatear (6th May) in
moult, odd feathers on the chin, and one or two Common
Wheatears with the innermost tertials in quill ; the spring
moult, which takes place in February and involves the body
feathers and sometimes odd tertials and great coverts (see
British Birds Mag., vol. iii., p. 391-2), is therefore usually
finished prior to arrival here, at which time the body feathers
are slightly worn. Of mginy Redstarts examined only three
show any moult — two adults on i6th September have still a
few body feathers in quill and one young bird on i8th
September has a few quills on the chin. No Whinchats,
Robins, Bluethroats or Black Redstarts exhibited any moult,
nor did Nightingales which in May are moderately worn
everywhere.

I have but three Swallows obtained on migration (two
spring and one autumn) ; they exhibit no moult. Swallows
leave us in autumn usually before moulting, as do House
Martins, i.e., in juvenile and in worn breeding dress, and
both old and young do a complete moult in their winter
quarters from November to February. Spring Sand and
House Martins which I have are in beautiful fresh feather
and had evidently moulted before arrival, but one House
Martin (24th April) has a few feathers still in quill on
chin ; the only other exhibiting moult was an adult Sand
Martin which on 29th August had begun a full body moult,
but not wings nor tail. My spring Red-Back Shrikes are
in fairly fresh feather but show no moult ; one in September
had still some juvenile feathers left; this is another species
which moults in its winter quarters, whence I have seen a
specimen (26th December) which had just begun a complete
moult, and others (9th April) which were just completing a
full moult.

Swifts leave us in full juvenile plumage and in old
breeding dress, one adult (i8th August) is just commencing
to moult a few body feathers; so that this species must do a
complete moult in more southern climes. Such Cuckoos as
I have seen on migration show no moult ; they leave us in
juvenile and in old breeding dress and do a complete moult,

NOTES ON MIGRANTS AND MOULT 37

starting early in November. Wrynecks on both passages
also showed no moult, they are in fairly fresh plumage. I
have seen March specimens from a more southern latitude
moulting body plumage, whole tail, inner tertials and lesser
median coverts. Continental Great Spotted Woodpeckers
do not often offer opportunity of examination ; however, I
have seen autumn migrants in full juvenile plumage, and one
just beginning to moult and two others nearly through the
moult ; this species, like the Green Woodpecker, performs a
complete moult out of juvenile feather.

Several Kestrels and Sparrow Hawks in the autumn
passage were all in full juve^nile plumage; of two Merlins one
was in full juvenile, the other full adult plumage — while one
Honey Buzzard was in juvenile dress, another in worn
breeding dress.

Of Ducks and Geese I cannot say much, as it is usually
difficult to be sure that the birds obtained were actually on
migration ; however, I have seen newly arrived Bernicle
and Grey Lag Geese showing some moult and parts of the
juvenile plumage still unshed. I have an adult Scaup which
was certainly on migration and which was moulting the body
feathers ; my experience in the south of England is that
most diving Ducks as well as Teal and Wigeon are still, if
young, in their juvenile dress on first arrival. Turtle Doves
arrive in fresh plumage all over in spring and leave us in
juvenile and old breeding dress — none were in moult ; a
complete moult of both young and adults takes place in their
winter quarters. Water Rails are nearly always fully
moulted when emigrating, but I have seen odd juvenile
feathers still unshed. It is not apparently uncommon to
find Terns performing their somewhat leisurely autumn
migration and moulting at the same time ; of six Sandwich
Terns all are moulting into winter plumage, both adults and
juvenile, only the former moulting their wings and tail ;
one Arctic Tern had not started to lose its juvenile dress ;
some Common Terns would appear to leave us in this dress
also, others again moulting into first winter plumage before
leaving our shores, and some adults at least start a complete
moult before quitting. The first winter plumage appears to

38 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

be completely moulted in more southern latitudes early in
the year in all species.

Razorbills and Guillemots arrive off the Suffolk coast in the
early autumn, but whether in moult or not I cannot say for
certain, but during the autumn here both old and young cast
all their flight feathers simultaneously, also the tail. I have
seen but two specimens of Storm Petrels taken at Light-
houses in autumn which showed moult, one on 29th September
and one on 25th November, both from the Eddystone, and
both were casting their flight feathers in pairs

Conclusion. — I think one may say that the vast majority
o{ Passercs moult before migrating with the exception of the
Swallow and House Martin, but that individuals of practically
every species may be found in which the moult is not finished ;
such unfinished moult is nearly always confined to the body
plumage, quite exceptional in the tail, and practically never
in the wings.

Barn Owl in Dumfriesshire. — -A Barn Owl has taken up its
abode in an old ruin at Kinnelhead, Beattock, Dumfriesshire, where
I saw it on 17th November last. In The Birds of Dumfriesshire
Mr Gladstone terms it "An uncommon local resident." — James
Bartholomew, Torrance, near Glasgow.

Black-tailed God-wits in Moray Area in summer. — Mr

Abel Chapman records in British Birds for November, that in
June 1914 he was informed that a pair of Godwits had established
themselves on a certain loch in the Moray area. He naturally
had some doubts as to the accuracy of this report, but on reaching
the place on 26th June he found a Black-tailed Godwit in full
summer plumage. A search was made in the boggy ground in
the hope of finding a second bird, but without success ; hence
whether they actually bred there and reared their young remains
unproven.

Little Stint near Glasgow. — Nicol Hopkins records (77/6*
Glasgozv Naturalist, December 1915, p. 119) the occurrence of
this bird at Hogganfield Loch on 3rd October last.

BIRDS AND AEROPLANES 39

BIRDS AND AEROPLANES.
By William Evans, iM.B.O.U.

In these days of " flying men," the behaviour of birds in the
presence of aeroplanes has doubtless often been noted. Yet
very little appears to have been recorded on the subject, and
it is mainly in the hope of inducing others to make known
their experiences in the matter that I venture to record my
own very limited observations. Were some ornithologist
resident in the vicinity of, a thorough-going aerodrome to
set himself the task of observing, for say a year, the effects
of the establishment on the habits of the birds of the locality,
material for a highly interesting and valuable chapter on
bird-life would, it is safe to say, reward him for his trouble.

The device of flying kites — to simulate birds of prey on the
wing — for the purpose of concentrating the game and making
them sit close, has long been known to sportsmen. That
birds should, in the same way, regard an aeroplane, especially
one of the monoplane type,, as a huge Falcon or other Raptor —
they are scarcely likely to look upon it as a Dove (Taube!) —
might be considered not only probable but natural. Never-
theless, I am disposed to think that were it not for the noise
of the engine, they would pay little heed to a passing
" plane." The noise of the engine rather than the shape of
the machine is, it seems to me, what really arrests their
attention and creates alarm in them, and even to that they
probably soon become familiarised.

It was during the memorable aviation meeting at Lanark,
in August 19 lo, that I first had an opportunity of noting
the behaviour of birds in the presence of aeroplanes. Within
the barricades, the density of the crowd rendered observations
of this kind practically impossible. I therefore, on my
second visit, made my way to a point outside, but close to
the course, at a part well removed from that to which the
public were admitted. During the couple of hours spent
there, binoculars in hand, Rooks, Wood-pigeons, and Gulls were
several times seen crossing the course while aeroplanes were

40 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

up. Except when a machine was encountered at fairly close
quarters they appeared to regard it with indifference, and
when they did find themselves in the way of one, a quickening
of their pace with some slight and temporary deviation in
the direction of their flight was, as a rule, all the visible effect
it produced on them. Once a small flock of Black-headed
Gulls proceeding leisurely along the course appeared suddenly
to become aware that they were right in front of an
approaching monoplane. Realising their danger they
flurriedly scattered to right and left, forming up again,
however, immediately the aeroplane had passed, and con-
tinuing their flight as if nothing had happened. At another
time, a group of Starlings and a party of Meadow Pipits flying
along the outskirts of the course, were in turn overtaken by
a monoplane; both sought shelter, the former in a young
fir plantation, the latter on the ground among long grass.

In July 1911 Edinburgh was in the circuit of a long-
distance air race, but the uncertainty as to the times of
arrival and departure of the air-men, and the exact lines they
might follow, gave little promise of ornithological observa-
tions. Half-a-dozen rooks unconcernedly crossing the Braid
valley as a monoplane was rapidly approaching from the
east was the only incident of the kind that came under my
eye. This or another monoplane caused, I was told, consider-
able commotion, including some cackling, among the poultry
in an enclosure over which it passed.

A better opportunity occurred in 1912, when I had the
luck to be on the coast at Dalmeny Park while several
hydroplanes were engaged in flight practice over the Firth
of Forth. It was a beautiful September day, and large flocks
of Black-headed, Herring, and other Gulls were floating lazily
on the placid water. So long as the hydroplanes were at a
distance, the Gulls appeared to take no notice of them, and
even when they passed high overhead they were, as far
as I could see, regarded with little or no anxiety. But when,
as several times happened, one approached a flock at a low
altitude or made a sudden descent in their direction, the
birds very soon showed signs of alarm, and, rising in a body,
flew off at a tangent, either all to the same side or some to

BIRDS AND A?:R0PLA\ES 41

the right and some to the left, according to the course the
aeroplane was pursuing. These scares were, however, of
short duration, and the Gulls never went more than a few
hundred yards before again settling on the water. Their
behaviour reminded me very much of that of a flock of
Lapwings in a field alongside a railway line when an express
train goes past.

My latest and most interesting experience was at Aber-
lady Bay on 7th x'Xugust 191 5. The tide had been ebbing
for some hours, and on the uncovered mud-flats and extensive
sands in the western portion of Aberlad)- bay, great numbers
of birds had congregated. While going towards this
" congested " area from the opposite side of the ba)-, my
attention was arrested b}- the now familiar rattle of a
flying machine, and next moment I had my binoculars fixed
on a large aeroplane coming from the east over Gullane
Hill. Travelling fast, and at no great height, it was soon
passing over the bay, causing a great commotion among
the birds. Its approach, being evidently something to which
they were unaccustomed, was the signal for a general
stampede. Fl\ing off in front of it, and on either side of
its track, were thousands of Gulls (Herring, Black-backed,
Common, and Black-headed), many Terns (Common and Sand-
wich), and large flocks of Waders (Curlews, Godwits, Oyster-
catchers, Knots, Golden Plovers, Lapwings,etc.) The majorit)'
of the Gulls seemed to start with the intention of making
for Gosford Bay, but, finding themselves being overtaken by
the aeroplane, many— especially the Black-heads — turned
inland, and so back to the bay by a wide detour, while the
others turned in the opposite or seaward direction. The
Terns, having at the outset taken the "tangent" line of
escape, were the first to settle down again on the sands.
The Waders seemed to be the most scared. Curlews, Golden
Plovers, and Lapwings leaving the bay altogether, while
flocks of Godwits, Oyster-catchers, and Knots kept flying
round for nearlv ten minutes before settling. The simul-
taneous rising on the wing of practically all the birds in the
bay, which was more than I had anticipated was a sight to
be remembered. /t-

50 F .7

feiJ «- i is K ;^ U

42 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Since writing the above I have received from Misses
Baxter and Rintoul the following interesting extract from
their journal : —

i^tJi f/aie 1913, EdenmoutJi. — "An aeroplane passed over
us when we were near the Eden ; it put up the birds and
they flew off in flocks. The majority we saw were Sheldrake,
Oyster-catchers, and Curlew. The Sheldrake and Curlew
flew right off in the direction of the sea ; the Oyster-catchers,
on the other hand, were more inclined to circle round and
settle again on the sand."

Some Mountain Spiders, including Erigone tiroleusis,
L. Koch, from the Tay and the Forth Areas.— For the
critical determination of the following spiders, collected by me
a number of years ago on two fairly high hills in Perthshire, I
am indebted to Dr Randell Jackson, Chester, the author of the
two most recent contributions to our knowledge of the Spider-fauna
of the Scottish Highlands.

1. From under stones on the very summit of Cru Ben (3250
feet), Tarmachans, near Killin, 20th August 1905: — Erigone
tiroleusis^ L. Koch, 2 (^ , i $ ; Hiiaira frigida, Thor., several ? ;
also Mitopus /Jiorio, F. (Phalangid), two. On Craig Cailliach,
another of the Tarmachans, Harpactes hoinbergii, Scop., i $ , and
some immature Argiopids, etc., were found.

2. From Stuc-a-Chroin (3189 feet), near Callander, 17th
September 1906, under stones on the Forth side of the summit
ridge : — Erigone tiroknsis, L. Koch, 1,^,1 $ 5 Hiiaira frigida,
Thor., 2 $ ; Pa'cilonela globosa, AN'id. {Bathvphantes variegatus,
Bl.), 2 5 j Macrargus abnorniis, Bl., 1 ? ; Caledonia evansii, Cb.,
I (^ ; also the Phalangids, Mitopus niorio, F., and Neinastoma
chrysomelas, Herbst.

Erigone tirolensis was added to the British list by Ur Jackson
so recently as 191 3, he having discovered it on Ben Nevis in July
of that year. In 1914 he again found it on the same mountain, and
also on Cairn Toul and Ben Muich Dhui. Hiiaira frigida — under
the name of Tmeticiis fnontigena, L. Koch — has already been
recorded by me from Tay (Ben Vorlich) and Forth (Am Binnein) in
Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1905, p. 120. — William Evans, Edinburgh,

GREVILLE COLLECTION OF CHALCIDID/E, ETC.

43

-two specimens, labelled Entedon

THE GREVILLE COLLECTION OF CHALCIDIDyE
AND PROCTOTRYPID^ IN THE ROYAL
SCOTTISH MUSEUM, WITH SOME REFER-
ENCES TO WALKER'S TYPES.

By Percy H. Grimshaw, F.R.S.E., F.E.S.

( Concluded frpiii 1915, page 351.)

Omf'halc (Ttius, Walk. — two specimens, labelled Entedon cefins,
Edinburgh. ^

„ saUcis, Hal. — one specimen, labelled Entedon sah'cis,
Edinburgh.
Closterocerus eutropiits, Walk. — two specimens, labelled Entedon

en tropins, Edinburgh.
Derostenus gemnieiis, \Vestw.

geniniens, Edinburgh.
Entedon acnmas, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

alaspharus, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

alcceus, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

altadas, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

aniyite, Walk — two specimens, Edinburgh.

aniv/itas, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

amyrtcRus, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.'

anthylla. Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

aso, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

cvnus. Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

aesins, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

charaxus. Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

cydon, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

dan mi s, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

enbius, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

inants, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

tyffi/s, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

lycoris, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

metallicns, Nees — two specimens, labelled Entedon epigonus
Edinburgh.

nepherens, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

nephthe, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

novel/us, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

parmys, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

44 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Entedon phruron, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
phryne, AValk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
sosar/nt/s, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
sparefus, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.
fanis, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.
termerus, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
turcia/s, Nees— one specimen, without locality, named by
Haliday Closterocerus fura'a/s.
Tct)-astifh7/s agafhocit's, Walk.— ona specimen, labelled Cirrospih/s
agat hocks, Edinburgh.
„ agrus, Walk.— two specimens, labelled Cirrospilus

agrus, Twizel.
„ anteius, Walk. — two specimens, labelled Cirrospilus

antdus, Edinburgh.
„ at/iyrfe, Walk. — one specimen, labelled Cirrospilus

at/iyrte, Edinburgh.
,, hunus, ^\'alk.— two specimens, labelled Cirrospilus

buiius, Edinburgh.
,, deioces, Walk. — two specimens, labelled Cirrospilus

deioces, Edinburgh and Twi/.ell.
„ lamii/s, Walk.— one specimen, labelled Cirrospilus

lai/iius, Edinburgh.
„ 7/iutiiia, Walk. — one specimen, labelled Cirrospilus

niufilia, Edinburgh.
,, fierio, Walk. — two specimens, labelled Cirrospilus ucrio,

. Edinburgh.
„ orodes, Walk. — two specimens, labelled Cirrospilus

orodes, Edinburgh.
„ rhosaccs, Walk.— two specimens, labelled Cirrospilus

rliosaces, Edinburgh.
„ sinope, Walk. — two specimens, labelled Cirrospilus

sinope, Edinburgh.
,, vacuna, Walk. — one specimen, labelled Cirrospilus

vacuua, Edinburgh.
Aprostocefus cafius, \\\alk. — one specimen, labelled Cirrospilus
ca/ius, Edinburgh.

Proctotrvpid^.

Prosacantha mermerus, Walk.— two specimens, labelled Tcleas
mermerus, Edinburgh.
„ pedestris, Nees— two specimens, labelled Teleas

procris, Edinburgh.

GREVILLE COLLECTION OF CHALCIDID.^:, ETC. 45

Prosacantha timareta^ Walk. — one specimen, labelled Tclcas

twiareta, Edinburgh.
Telenomus othus, Hal. — one specimen, without locality, named by

Haliday.
Mctaclisis areolafa, Hal. — one specimen, without locality, named

Ixostemma areolata by Haliday.
Inosfcmma bosci, Jurine — one specimen, without locality, named by

Haliday.
Amblvaspis tritici, Hal. — two specimens, labelled P/atygas/er t?-itid,
Edinburgh.
,, roboris, Hal. — two specimens, labelled P/afygas/e?-

ivboris, Edinburgh.
Synopeas ozines, Walk. — one specimen, labelled Platygastcr ozi/ies,

Edinburgh.
Isoiybi/s g>-a>tdis, Nees — one specimen, labelled Plafygaster

ri/fiiof/iis, Edinluirgh.
Triihacis remuhis, AValk. — two specimens, labelled Platygaster

rewuli/s, Edinburgh.
Platygnsier prorsa, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
,, cxrsihis, \\'alk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

,, otanes^ Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

,, pleiiroii, Walk. — two specimens, ]^]dinl)urgh.

,, so?ichis, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.

faras, Walk.— two specimens, Edinburgh.
orus, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.
phi/iiiiia, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
o/on/s, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
sferope, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.
eriphylc, Walk. — one specimen, Tildinburgh.
cvadne, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
cleodceiis, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.
abisares, Walk. — two specimens, Edinburgh.
tiige?; Nees. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
manto, Walk. — two specimens, Twizell.
athanias, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.
plotinus, Walk. — one specimen, Edinburgh.

))
))
))

J)
)>
J)

5)

46 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

BOOK NOTICE.

The Antiquity of Man. By Arthur Keith, M.D., LL.D., F.R.S.,
pp. XX. + 519, and 189 illustrations. London: Williams & Norgate.
Price los. 6d. net.

Professor Keith sets himself to interpret the evolution of the human
races from the phases of physical development through which man has
passed. To this narrow path of research he confines himself almost
to the extent of abstracting the individual from his surroundings
that he may exhibit him in the anatomical museum. From the
naturalist's point of view there is much to be said for such a method of
treatment, for only thus can be gained a sound knowledge of man's
scramble up the zoological tree from the point where he parted company
with the ancestral primates. Yet one cannot forget tliat brain capacities
are but rough indices to man's progress, and that his mental develop-
ment— a matter of vital significance — is perhaps better gauged by a
study of the products of his handiwork. Therefore the author wisely
suggests that his anatomical description may profitably be considered
in relation with the researches of the anthropologist.

Professor Keith discusses the characteristics of primitive man, from
the neolithic peoples backward through the ages, and his estimates
of the relationships of the early types have led to many conclusions of
interest to the naturalist. He considers that man made many false
starts on the evolutionary track, before the ancestor of the modern races
arose. On the side branches of the evolutionary tree he places such
forms as the Neandertal and Piltdown man ; and since the latter lived
not later than the beginning of the Pleistocene period— say 40o,(.oo
years ago — he would place the parting point between the human and
primate stems more than a million years back, in the early half of Tertiary
times. The diagrams which illustrate the development of the human
stock and its relationship to that of the higher monkeys illustrate
vividly the long ages involved in the evolution of animal life.

Apart from its general appeal as a lucid history of the prehistoric
races of humanity. Professor Keith's book will prove a useful guide to
the student on account of its detailed description and its excellent
exposition of the methods employed by the anatomist in interpreting the
fragments which, unfortunately, too often represent all that remains of
ancient man. Special commendation is due to the illustrative method
of enclosing the reconstructed skulls in a standard frame representing
the average dimensions of a modern English skull, an innovation which
emphasises at a glance changes in form scarcely to be appreciated in
series of numbers. — J. R.

NOTES 47

Fox-shark and Basking Shark off the Ayrshire Coast. —

In The Glasgow Naturalist for December last (pp. 117-118), John
M'Crindle records the capture, in a trawl net, of a Thrasher or
Fox-shark {Alopias vulpes), on 25th October 19 15, about three
miles north-west from Lady Isle (off Troon). The lish measured
"from 16 to iS feet," with a tail yi feet in length. Several Basking
Sharks {Selache maxima) are reported in the same note as having
occurred in the same neighbourhood during the autumn months.

Eriophyes tristriatus, var. erineum,Nal , in Edinburgh. —

In October last I noticed that the leaves of a walnut-tree in Church-
hill, Edinburgh, were extensively deformed by the blister-like galls of
this mite. On examination Nyith a strong lens, the "pockets" of
the galls, on the undersides of the leaves, were seen to be full of
tiny mites moving about in the felt-like pubescence. In the February
1 9 14 number of this magazine reference is made to a record, by
J. W . Munro, of the occurrence of this mite on the leaves of a
walnut-tree at Brechin, Forfarshire. — William Evans, Edinburgh.

Asthena luteata, SchifF., and Oxyptilus teucrii, Jord.,
in the Forth Area. — When looking over Mr J. ^V. Bowhill's 1915
entouK^logical captures recently, I was pleased to find among them
a specimen of the pretty "Yellow Wave" moth, Asthena luteata,
from the Pass of Leny, south-west Perthshire, where it was captured
on the 20th of June. The species is known to occur in mid-Perth ;
but this, so far as I am aware, is the first record of its presence in
the Forth drainage area. Of still greater interest to me were two
Plume-moths, taken at Pressmennan, East Lothian, on 4th July,
which on careful examination I made out to be Oxyptilus teucrii,
Jordan. To be quite sure, however, I have submitted one of them,
which Mr Bowhill kindly gave me, to Mr J. Hartley Durrant,
British Museum, and he confirms my identification. The only
Scottish record of this "Plume" appears to be that by C. T.
Cruttwell referred to in Tutt's British Lepidoptera, vol. v. Crutt-
well's record is in a note on Lepidoptera collected in Scotland in
June 1905 which he contributed to the Ent. Mo. Mag. for November,
1905 (p. 260), and runs thus: "Most surprising of all \i.e., of his
captures], a specimen of what Mr W. Holland has returned to me as
Oxyptilus teucrii, from the extreme north of Sutherlandshire." In
Tutt's work, Capperia heterodactylus, Miill., is the name applied to
this insect, but, as Mr Durrant has explained to me, the identity of
Miiller's insect with teucrii, Jordan, is by no means certain. —
William Evans, Edinburgh.

48 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Ceropales maculata near Nairn. — Last July, while looking
for wasps and bees on wild flowers, near Nairn, I observed an
insect that I had not seen before. I captured it, and noticed the
peculiar sheath for holding its sting separate from the end of the
body, and wondered if it was a true stinging insect. I borrowed a
book on Hymenoptera, and identified it as a female Ceropales
maculata. I sent it to the Royal Scottish Museum, where Mr
Grimshaw confirmed my identification, and stated that the genus
had not hitherto been recorded from Scotland. It was captured on
the flower-head of an umbelliferous plant, when the sun shone
brightly for a few minutes, and then clouded for short intervals.—
William Taylor.

[Saunders, in his Hxnicnoptcra Aculeata of the British Islands
(P' 75)j stated that this species was "not recorded from Scotland."
Since writing Mr Taylor, however, I have ascertained that this
statement is not strictly correct, and that there are several more
recent records. ISIr Taylor's discovery of this local and interesting
insect, however, extends its known range much further to the
north. The species is apparently only seen Kiw hot, sunny days. — •
P. H. (;.]

Hylemyia grisea. Fin., in tlie Forth District. — A\ ith

reference to the very interesting paper by Miss Huie in last month's
number on Hyleviyia grisea, Fin., it may be of interest to record
that I have taken this fly at Aberfoyle in 1903, and at Polton in
1906. At Polton there is (or used to be) a sandy bank not very
far from the station where species of Audrena burrow, the widely-
spread and common albicrus, Kirb., being in numbers. I remember
on various occasions watching flies rise from the ground and follow
female bees as they approached their burrows, but unfortunately
I am not now certain that Hylemyia grisea occurred at this bank.
I have specimens of another parasitic Anthomyiid — which I take
to be Chortophila huccata., Fin. — from Polton, and it may have been
this species that I saw with the bees. For an interesting note on
Chortophila biiccata and Audrena labialis, cf. A. Piffard in JL/it.
Mo. Mag.., 1900, p. 190. I may add that my identification of
Hylemyia grisea was confirmed by Mr J. E. Collin in 1913. — A. E.
J. Carter, Monifieth.

[In the Eut. Mo. Afag. for 1900, p. 243, there is a note by
W. Evans, recording the occurrence of Chortophila Iniccata in
association with Audrena fucata in an old quarry near Edin-
burgh.— Eds.]

%\c

{Authors are responsible for nomenclature used.) f^

\.^' \ j ^ R #;

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 51.] 1916 [March

EDITORIAL.

Through the death of Sir William Turner, K.C.B., LL.D.,
Principal of Edinburgh University, which occurred on the
15th February, Scotland has lost one of its greatest scientific
teachers and leaders of thought. Born in Lancaster in 1832,
he came to Edinburgh as early as 1 854, as senior demonstrator
in anatomy in the University, and continued to reside in the
Scottish metropolis until the day of his decease — a period of
sixty-two years, during which he devoted himself untiringly
to the interests of Scottish students, building up a school of
anatomy which has contributed materially to the fame of the
University. Apart from his incessant work as a teacher he
carried on scientific investigation until the last, and soon
became acknowledged as an authority in many branches of
anatomical research. Among his many contributions to
science probably those dealing with the anatomy of the Cetacea
are of the most outstanding interest to Scottish naturalists,
and the magnificent collection of the remains of whales and
dolphins in the University Museum will form a lasting
monument of his zeal and industry in this direction. One
of the most remarkable features in his character was his
manysidedness ; he was keenly interested in museums and
in field natural histor}', and in spite of his four-score years
showed the keen delight of youth in the acquisition of a new

51 ^

50 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Specimen for his museum, especially when an opportunity
was afforded by the stranding of a rare Cetacean on the
Scottish coasts. Particulars of some of these occurrences
were contributed by Sir William to our pages.

From time to time the inhabitants of dwelling-houses
have been annoyed by the appearance of swarms of flies in
one or other of their apartments, the swarm sometimes con-
sisting of several thousands of individuals, and occasionally
recurring year after year in the same room. The chief
offender in most cases appears to be a two-winged fly — one
of those pretty little black and yellow striped flies known as
Chloropid^e, but other families also contribute to the
nuisance, notably the true Muscidae, occasionally Antho-
myiidse, and even the tiny Psocidae, which belong to a
totally different order of insects, viz., Neuroptera. In this
connection a very interesting note (worthy of larger type ! )
appears from the pen of Hugh Scott, of the Cambridge
University Museum of Zoology.^ Accompanied by Dr A.
E. Shipley, the author recently paid a visit to a house near
Cambridge and had the opportunity of inspecting one of
these interesting but unwelcome visitations. The rooms
concerned were the drawing-room on the ground floor and
one immediately above. The appearance of the swarm is
described as a " trul)- astonishing sight. In the large bay-
window every pane of glass was densely covered with
countless myriads of small flies : on the upper sides of the
projecting cross-pieces of wood between the panes the flies
rested in masses, literally crawling over each other, while all
the part of the ceiling near the window was almost as
thickly covered as the window itself" An investigation
of the swarm proved that the principal constituents were
the Chloropid known as CJdoropisca ornata and a species
belonging to the family Anthomyiidae.- A {^\\ days pre-
vious to the visit the former much smaller fly prepon-
derated, but later the Anthomyiid became the dominant
species. Several other kinds of flies were found, but in

^ Ent. Mo. Mag., January 1916, pp. 18-21.

'^ Since identified as Limnofihora 7-nofafa^ Ztt. (Ent. Mo. Mag.,
February 1916).

BIRD-PARASITES AND BIRD-PHYLOGENY 51

small numbers, while the " common House-Fly " {Musca
doDiesticd) is not mentioned as even present ! One of the
most interesting features of the phenomenon is the fact that
the invasion has occurred for " at least five or six years in
succession," varying in intensity, but always reaching its
maximum in the upper room. As yet there does not seem
to be any satisfactory explanation of these troublesome
fl) -raids. They always occur in the autumn, and Dr Sharp,
in the Cambridge Natural History (vol. vi.), repeats a sug-
gestion that "the individuals are seeking winter quarters."
Since, however, we have as yet very little information, if
any, as to how and where/ flies in general pass the winter,
such an explanation must be taken for what it is worth.

BIRD-PARASITES AND BIRD-PHYLOGENY.

At a meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club, held on the
1 2th January last, an interesting discussion took place upon
the value of a close study of bird-parasites as a means of
obtaining a more accurate knowledge of the inter-relations
of the various groups {e.g. Orders) into which birds have
been classified. The discussion was opened by Mr Launcelot
Harrison, B.Sc, Research Scholar, Quick Laboratory, Cam-
bridge, and continued by Mr Bruce Cummings, of the Entomo-
logical Department, British Museum, Mr T. Iredale, and
others. A detailed report is promised for the next number
of the Ibis ; but as this publication may not be accessible to
the majority of our readers we have decided to reproduce,
at least partially, the summary of the discussion which has
just appeared in Bulletin No. ccxii. of the Club.

The resume of Mr Harrison's opening paper includes
the following remarks :— " The bird - parasites referred to
belong to the insect order Mallophaga, and are minute
insects, of an average length of two millimetres, found upon
all birds. They are completely parasitic in all stages of their
life-history, the eggs being attached to the feathers of the

52 .THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

host, and giving rise to a larva generally similar to the adult.
They are incapable of maintaining life for more than a couple
of days off the body of the host, and usually die fixed by
their mandibles to the feathers. Transference to a new host
can only take place at actual bodily contact.

"Owing to the fact that these insects have lived for a
very long time under very equable conditions, on a nutrition
of epidermal products which varies little in chemical com-
position, and at a body-temperature which remains practically
uniform, they exhibit a condition of ' retarded evolution.'
Parasites of any group of birds, such as Crows, Kingfishers,
Hawks, Plovers, or Petrels, are recognisable as such, whether
their host-origin be known or not. The only reasonable
explanation of this condition is that parasites of these groups
have evolved from parasites of their ancestral stocks. And,
as they have evolved at a slower rate, the gaps to be bridged
are smaller in the case of the }. arasites than in that of the
hosts.

"That the Mallophaga have a long-standing history of
parasitism is proved by the fact that the Ostrich and the Rheas
have parasites hardly specifically distinct, vvhich are dis-
tinguished from all other Mallophaga by a curious asymmetry
of the chitinous framework of the head. Consequently, the
parasitic history of the group must antedate the isolation of
these birds in the Ethiopian and Neotropical regions.

" Although opportunities of invading a new host are
limited, it is admitted that straggling can, and does, take
place. Bird-parasites have been found living on mammals ;
marsupial parasites on carnivores ; and a Petrel-infesting
species has become established as a normal parasite of
Skuas. But such cases are few, and are almost always
capable of detection.

" Although birds have been split up into obviously
natural ordinal groups, the inter-relation of these groups is
not understood, and no satisfactory characters of phyletic
value have been found. A closer study of bird-parasites
may, from the conditions outlined, afford valuable suggestions
to the bird-morphologist.

" Some such suggestions have already been published.

BIRD-rARASITES AND BIRlJ-PHYLOGENY 53

The family Gonioclidae, of Mallophaga, is found solely upon
Fowls, Tinamous, Pigeons, Opisthocomus, and Penguins, all
of which groups agree in the absence of Philopteridse. The
first four are now usually admitted to be related, but parasitic
evidence would appear to demand the same affinity for the
Penguins. Parasites of the Palamedeidae link up with those
of Ducks, Geese, and Swans, thus confirming the Anserine
affinities of this somewhat anomalous group. The Parridae
would appear to be Rails, not Limicolines ; and the Aptery-
gidae more nearly akin to the Rails than to any other
living birds."

In his ensuing remarks ])»Ir Harrison attempted to indicate
a natural classification of the Petrels by means of their
parasites of the genus Lipeunis, and showed that on this
basis these birds fall into six well-marked groups. The
arrangement he thus obtained agreed, he said, very well with
that proposed by Forbes in vol. iv. of the CJiallenger
Reports, with some minor exceptions. The summary of his
paper concludes with the following sentence : — " The Mallo-
phaga require to be much more assiduously collected and
studied before more general statements can be made, and it
is hoped that ornithologists, when collecting specimens, will
pay more attention to the preservation of these minute
parasites, especially in the case of rare birds and those of
doubtful affinities." With this suggestion we heartily concur,
but we would especially emphasise the need of the utmost
care in carrying out his wishes. The possibility of the
interchange of parasites while the birds are lying in the
game-bag must be absolutely avoided, and this can only be
done either by taking the parasites off each specimen
immediately after death, or if this is not practicable, con-
fining each bird (or at least species of bird) in a separate
bag. If these points are not rigidly attended to, then the
parasites obtained are worse than useless for the purposes
indicated in the above paper.

Mr Harrison was followed by Mr Bruce Cummings, a
well-known authority on the Mallophaga. He laid stress on
the care with which the phylogenetic test should be applied,
and pointed out that two important factors must be borne in

54 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

mind, viz., the principle of convergence and the chance
straggling of the parasites on to other hosts. For example,
is the Gallinaceous parasite on Penguins really Gallinaceous,
or has it had an independent origin, and merely converged
on the Gallinaceous genus Goniodes ? Mr Cummings con-
cluded by criticising the idea that " the parasites in their
evolution have necessarily lagged behind the evolution of
the host," and pointed out that " the parasites' evolution
sometimes appeared to progress /rt;/7'/rt:i-j-// with, and some-
times to progress beyond, that of the host."

The next speaker, Mr T. Iredale, in the course of his
remarks emphasised the necessity for caution in regard to
the Petrels. Since, he said, these birds always breed in
colonies, with four or five distinct genera occurring in the
same breeding-district, there is a good chance of interchange
of parasites. " If ' stragglers' among the parasites are not
frequent under these circumstances, the students of Mallophaga
in the present connection have a very strong case in their
favour." Mr Iredale concludes that "the parasites will come
into use when there is a doubt about the systematic position
of a genus, and after considering the factors we get from the
birds' skins."

In his reply Mr Harrison said that with regard to the
question of convergence he did not think any serious student
of these parasites who really examines the evidence closely
would insist very much upon convergence as a serious factor
in deciding relations in general. He added that we practically
knew nothing about Mallophaga yet. The question of
straggling, adduced by Mr Cummings, he admitted, but with
regard to the rate of evolution he maintained that the
general rate had been slower, while at the same time he
was willing to admit that there might be varying rates at
the ultimate ends of the evolutionary branches.

MOVEMENTS OF THE CAN NET AT THE BUTT OF LEWIS 55

MOVEMENTS OF THE GANNET AS OBSERVED

AT THE BUTT OF LEWIS.

By Robert Clyne.

An eight years' residence at the northern promontory of the
Lewis has in no wise lessened the writer's interest in the
wonderful procession of Gannet life which all summer
continues to pass east and west in close proximity. As a
means of gaining further knowledge, or arriving at some
conclusion as to the why and wherefore of the movements, a
special observation and recdrd has been kept during the past
summer (191 5). From previous observations at other
outlying points we know that at certain periods of the year
vast numbers of Gannets pass along the coast, usually
following out and in the contour of the land, but here there
is during the summer months a daily passing of thousands.
The explanation of a well-known naturalist that the Gannets
"follow the shoals of herring and mackerel," does not, in my
opinion, satisfactorily solve the problem as regards this
particular locality.

The Butt of Lewis being the extreme turning point
or gateway from the Minch to the open West Atlantic, and
centrally situated between the gannetries of St Kilda,
Sulesgeir, and Stack of Skerry, is doubtless the reason for so
many passing, but leaves us none the wiser as to whether
they are St Kilda or Stack Gannets, nor. what necessitates
their quest so far afield. From the Butt, St Kilda is about
90 miles S.W., Sulesgeir about 30 north, and the Stack about
65 in a N.N.E. direction. At these gannetries J. H.
Gurney in his interesting book on the Gannet gives the
number of birds approximately as 30,000 at the St
Kilda group of islets, and 8000 at each of the other two
places. A compulsory close season of the herring fishing in
this district did not to any extent affect the number of
Gannets passing. They were seen earlier and more
numerous in January 191 5 than usual, then occurred a blank
for two weeks, before a gradual and continued increase
of passing birds set in. So numerous and continuous were

56 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

they passing in large flocks from S.E. to S.W. during the first
week of April, that from a certain standpoint it was possible
to see with one sweep of the eye a lane of at least a thousand
birds in flight.

At the outset it may be stated that early hatching of
Gannets at the Bass Rock is loth May; late, end of July.
At these farther north gannetries mentioned, the first or
second week of June is probably the earliest date of
hatching. The following remarks are made from observa-
tions noted during the year.

20th to 2^1 June. — In the many flocks passing east a fair
number of piebald birds are seen, often two or three in a
small flock of eight or ten mature birds. Three young
piebald birds and one old bird were an unusual party, A
black bird or yearling, with only the under parts white,
is occasionally seen following in the rear of a flock, but never
many of these are seen. The grey birds are in all stages of
plumage ; of some the head-yellow was quite bright, while
others were still untinted.

6th July, 3.15 to 4 A.M.— The first hour after sunrise,
birds were passing very numerously in both directions.
During five minutes 125 were counted going S.W., and the
number going east was about the same. The east-going
birds were flying low and in scattered parties; the west-
going in close flocks, and higher. Wind N.VV., light breeze.
6th Jtify.—¥rom sunset at 9 p.m. till 9.45 small flocks
continue passing to N.E. Going west during same period,
only four birds were seen. The passing certainly ceases, as
it is still clear enough to see the local gulls flying about
quite distinctly.

gth July, 2.30 A.M.— Half an hour before sunrise scattered
single birds began passing east, and a few S.W. At sunset
many were passing in both directions, but the majority
eastwards. Ceased as usual in about forty-five minutes.
Strong westerly breeze. On this date about sixty were shot
when flying over an outlying point, and sold at 4d. each, as
they were mostly in poor condition. These were birds
passing east.

152"/^ July. — At 5 A.M. Gannets very numerous round

MOVEMENTS OF THE GANNET AT THE BUTT OF LEWIS 57

a drifter hauling her nets ih miles west, A large area
around was speckled with drifting birds apparently gorged.
Some flocks passing flew to the place, others passed on S.W.
unheeding. From 6 to 7 p.m. till after sunset Gannets
passed very numerously east and S.E., very few west.

iS^/i July. — Half an hour before sunrise Gannets began
passing in both directions. Birds coming from the west were
flying high before a fresh S.W. wind, those going S.W. flying
low over the surface of the water.

2^th July, 7 to 8 A.M. — Gannets passing west at the rate
of one every second for an hour, after which there was
a slight decrease. Only a few going S.E., the direction
whence all the others were fcoming. About two miles north
about a thousand were continuously diving among a shoal of
herring or mackerel. Over a hundred gorged birds rested
on the water to gradually rise and fly westward. Several
were seen going north in the direction of Sulesgeir. About
a dozen were at the same time diving within a few yards of
the rocks for saith. West-going birds flying low; S.E. -going,
much higher. Light S.W. wind.

^th Aug. — Half an hour before sunset Gannets flying
numerously east and west. At and after sunset none seen.
Weather fine; little or no wind. Next morning (6th) single
birds began coming from S.W. half an hour before sunrise,
then gradually in small flocks, till at half an hour after
su rise they were passing at the rate of 200 every five
minute.s. The first coming from S.E. about fifteen minutes
before sunrise was also a single bird ; but small flocks
soon followed, till at half an hour after sunrise they were
passing at the rate of 150 every five minutes. It is noted
that the first seen in the mornings and the last at nights are
generally single birds.

\^th Aug. — All afternoon flying as numerous as ever,
both east and west, till the usual time after sunset.

yd Sept. — No apparent abatement in numbers of Gannets
passing.

Motor boat from Port of Ness, at Sulesgeir from 7th
to loth Sept., brought about iioo young Gannets, which
sold at IS. each, an advance of 3d. or 4d. on the usual price.

51 ^1

58 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

19/"// Sept. — Stormy weather for the last four days.
Gannets flying more scattered and singl}-, but nearly as
numerous.J After sunset to-night all were flying in a N.E.,
direction.

2'i^rd Sept. — An evident decrease in numbers passing.
Many fishing locally within a {^^n feet of the rocks.

2<)tJi Sept. — Strong north wind, but many passing late
in evening and early next morning, in both directions.

loth Oct. — No Gannets are now seen passing before
sunrise or after sunset, but during the forenoon about a
score per hour continue to pass in both directions.

25/// Oct. — Still a passage of a few birds for part of the
day. No young or immature birds are seen.

\2th Nov. — After a week of wild, stormy weather no
Gannets have been seen since 8th. It is generally with wild,
breezy weather we see occasional Gannets in late November,
December, and early January ; so also with strong winds is
their usual travelling east and west completely broken up.

In continuation, it may be interesting to remark here that
in December 191 5 and January 1916 more Gannets have
been seen than I ever saw previously in winter, here or
elsewhere. One or two a week was the usual winter record,
but this season they were seen several at a time, and every
day. The weather has been unusually wild and stormy.

The above are only a few extracts from observations
noted down at the time, but from them interesting comments
may be made, or opinions formed, and a general conclusion
arrived at relative to this great movement of Gannets.

It is peculiar that we seldom or never see Gannets
passing in the direction to or from Sulesgeir, our nearest
gannetry. But neither do we see them coming from, or
going direct to, the Stack, but from the S.E. to round the
Butt, and go westward. Evidently the Stack Gannets
approach the Cape Wrath shore before making across the
Minch, for on the few occasions when observed from the cliffs
on the east of the Lewis they were seen coming from Cape
Wrath direction.

Presuming that the birds on westward flight in the early
mornings are Stack Gannets, and those on eastward St Kilda

MOVEMENTS OF THE GANNET AT THE BUTT OF LEWIS 59

birds, one is surprised that either should have to come so far
in search of food for themselves or hungry nestlings. One
bird in a flock passing east was carrying in its bill replenishing
for its nest, so it obviously was a Stack bird. Why such an
overlapping, for evidently the Stack Gannets go west to feed
and the St Kildans east?

It is unreasonable to suppose that Gannets can fish during
the night, so we believe that those passing after sunset are
making for home, though it must be late before they arrive
there — the Stack or St Kilda. On the other hand, from the
evidence of watchers at the Bass and other places, Gannets
are said to be seldom early, astir in the mornings, so why do
they pass here in small parties before sunrise, and in
thousands so soon after ?

In their usual summer passing here winds do not to any
extent influence the direction of their flight. To reach their
goal they may sometimes wing their way in a more zigzag
and lengthened flight, but in the strongest of gales they are
seen flying in the teeth of the wind, low over the surface of
the water, and high before the breeze. They have a mission
to pursue — a homing instinct— and go they must, blow the
winds high or low.

By the middle of September, when the family affairs of
the year are approaching completion — the young Gannets
having reached the fasting stage preparatory to descending
into the sea — it is noted that the number of birds passing
gradually lessens during daytime, and altogether ceases at
evening and morning twilights. They are now seen more
frequently flying in scattered units, or fishing close inshore,
until with breezy weather, and even though herring are in
shoals in the vicinity, they betake themselves to the open ocean,
there to pass a roving, discursive existence for the winter.

[Mr Clyne's notes should be read in connection with Dr Harvie-Brown's remarks
on this subject in Ami. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1902, p. 203. It is there stated that " the
main stream of the birds do not return through the Pentland Firth till July comes
in, and then . . . pass from W. to E. in continuous battalions ; and not one, unless
fishing at the time, is ever seen to fly from E. to W. after this real movement fairly
sets in again." — Eus.]

6o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The " Milkman's Whistle " of the Barn Owl.— The Barn

Owl is rather a scarce species in Renfrewshire, and it was not until
the early spring of 19 14 that I became acquainted with some of
its notes, particularly of one which locally we have named the
" milkman's whistle." When first I heard this note I thought it
was the whistling of the county motor fire brigade passing along a
good distance away, although actually the pair of owls were only
100 or 200 yards from me. Hearing the note often after that, I
always referred to it as the Barn Owl's fire brigade whistle, until my
friends, Messrs Robert and Hugh Wilson, happening to ask a West
Renfrew farmer, at whose farm the bird breeds, if he ever heard it
utter any note when it was flying about, were told that it passed
overhead at night with a whistle "just like a milkman's whistle.''
We thought the farmer's description most apt, and adopted it. Most
people who have been near a Barn Owl's nest in the evening,
especially if the young were well grown, must be familiar with the
snoring or hissing sound emitted then by old and young alike, at
rest and on the wing. Most vehement when an old bird arrives
with a luckless mouse, one can liken it in one's imagination to the
heavy breathing of some slumbering giant, or, to be more prosaic,
to the hiss which escapes at regular intervals from the Westinghouse
brake mechanism of a railway engine which is standing at a wayside
station. This hissing note at the nest is the background, as it were,
of the whistle, which is reinforced by many vibratory " birls,"
producing an effect so like an ordinary alarm-whistle that even
yet, at times, when I hear it, I cannot decide instantly whether it is
really the Barn Owl or some person blowing a whistle. I have often
heard it when two birds, evidently paired, were flying together.
What I take to be the female has a shriller whistle with more hiss
in it than the male has. The male — at least I believe it is the male
— in addition to the " milkman's whistle " has a round note, liquid
and tremulous, a note so beautiful that unless one actually knew,
one could scarcely give an Owl credit for having such a melodious
voice. It has some resemblance to a succession of short hoots
which the Tawny Owl sometimes runs together, but it is much softer
and more liquid than these. The whistling note is oftenest heard
just at dusk, but on moonlight nights I have heard it at all hours.
On dark nights it is not so often heard. As to seasons, the note is
most frequently uttered in spring and summer, although I have
heard it in every month but December, and probably it is to be
heard then too. The melodious note of the male I have heard only
when he was escorting his partner over the meadows in spring. —
John Robertson, Glasgow.

HATCHING OF STEMOPSOCi'S CRUCIATUS 6i

OBSERVATIONS ON THE HATCHING OF

STENOPSOCUS CRUCIATUS.

By (Miss) L. H. HuiE, F.E.S.
(Plate I.)

Among the many adaptive structures of insect anatomy,
" hatching spines " are not the least interesting. These
temporary structures for breaking the egg-shell have been
described in several cases. Packard in his Textbook of
Entomology cites five such , instances, while three others are
mentioned by P. de Peyerimhoff in a paper to w^hich I shall
again refer. Amongst other Arthropods similar structures
are known, varying in form, from a simple tooth to a file or
sawlike implement.

The eggs of the Psocid Stenopsocus cniciatus are laid on
the under side of holly leaves in clusters of six to twenty or
so. They are fixed to the leaf by a gummy substance, and
further fastened on, and to each other, by a slight webbing.
Laid in the late summer, they hatch in the following spring.
They are oval in shape, and measure less than half a
millimetre in length. At first they are white, but as they
ripen they become brown and exhibit at one end a little
black stripe. The presence of this peculiar mark led me to
pay attention to the eggs, and examine them microscopically.
The egg-shell is very transparent, and in a ripe ^^'g the
embryo appears as shown in Fig. 3, which represents the
ventral aspect. The back of the head and thorax are
towards the under side of the egg, and the abdomen is
doubled up in front. On each side of the bulging clypeus
are seen the 8-jointed antennae, and the palps and folded legs
fill up the oval. But the most conspicuous object of all is the
dark-coloured egg-breaker, the origin of the short black mark
I have mentioned. It is a comblike file or saw (Figs, i, 3,
4) borne vertically on the head, and received at its upper
extremity into a notch in the fore part of the epicranium.
The lower end of the file indents the centre of the still soft
clypeus, through which is often traceable a converging

62 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

system of muscles at the back of the clypeus, radiating from
a plate placed under the anterior part of the oesophagus.^
The egg-breaker forms no part of the embryo, for it belongs
to the amnion skin, and is shed with it immediately after
hatching, and the amnion is to be regarded as the innermost
layer of the egg-shell, rather than the outermost skin of the
embryo.

For some days before the hatching of the eggs, occasional
movements of the mouth-parts may be observed through the
semitransparent labrum, also — especially when the eggs
were suddenly subjected to brilliant transmitted light under
a microscope — contractile movements at the head-end.
When hatching is about to commence a rhythmical move-
ment of the mouth-parts begins, and immediately afterwards
is set up a pulsating, alternately expansive and contractile
movement of the tissue within the epicranial notch, where
the upper end of the file is attached. This causes the file to
rub ao-ainst the egg-shell, which in a few minutes ruptures.
The head of the larval Psocid protrudes and the tail-end
comes to touch the base of the egg-shell. The body next
bends over the front of the egg, and the observer gets a view
for the first time of the eyes and epicranium. The latter is
much more arched than it becomes after complete hatching,
and viewed from the anterior apex the body is at this time
fairly cylindrical. By continued wormlike movements the
whole larva gradually emerges and then lies still, like a pupa,
in the amnion skin (Fig. 4), except for the pulsations at the
head which still move the file, while the rhythmical mouth
movements become increasingly vigorous. Large bubbles of
air are now seen moving from the mouth inwards, inflating
the alimentary canal as far as the third abdominal segment.
The antennae and legs, although in sheaths of their own, are
useless and inextensible. In about fifteen minutes the
shedding of the amnion skin commences by a split between

1 Burgess {Pr. Boston Sac, xix., 178), who studied the mouth-parts
of Psocids, calls this plate "the oesophageal bone," and the muscles the
" clypeal muscles." I do not think the latter assist in the movement of
the hatching spine, and as they persist throughout adult life this seems
the more unlikely.

HATCHING OF STENOPSOCUS CRUCIATUS

63

the eyes, and the rupture continues down the back to about
the fourth dorsal segment. There is often a pause here, but
all the pulsating movements continue ; then suddenly and
gently the enveloping membrane slips off the clypeus, down
the front, taking the egg-breaker with it ; the mouth-parts
are uncovered, and the labrum flaps up and down ; the
antennae in their turn are set free and expand ; immediately
afterwards the first pair of legs for a moment are thrown out
to their fullest extent, then instantl)- retract to kick the
amnion skin over the second pair, which push it over the
third pair without delay, and all six legs give it a final kick
into a little crumpled pel^t in which the chitinised egg-
breaker is conspicuous.
The freed larva is no ^^.^^^
longer cylindrical, but
has assumed a flattened
appearance proclaiming
its relationship to the
Book - Louse, which it
now closely resembles.
The pulsating move- '

ment at the head subsides, and ceases in one and a half
or two minutes. Air-bubbles continue to come in at the
mouth. As the body is extended to its full length at first,
they are clearly seen in a chain reaching to the sixth
segment behind the head. Soon the abdomen contracts
as in Fig. 5, and they can only be observed through the
epicranium. In a short time they are no more to be seen,
though not till after the larva has begun to run actively
about in search of food.

M'Lachlan^ states that Psocids moult four times, an advance
towards the winged adult form being accomplished at each
moult. According to my experience here in Edinburgh,
oviposition takes place in July. After depositing a number
of eggs in a cluster on the under side of a leaf, the female
secures them in a network of silken threads, drawing the
cord from her mouth, and stooping her head to peg it down
at the turning places, with some organ situated at the side

1 Efit. Mo. Mag., 1866-7

64 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

of her mouth. It seemed to me that this might be the
structure that Burgess calls " the fork," a use for which
he was at a loss to suggest. It is a chitinous tube forming
a quite unique part of each maxilla, and slightly forked at
the end in many species, though not bifurcating in 5.
cruciatiis.

The above observations were made in an Edinburgh
garden in 191 1, where 6". cruciahis was very abundant. Since
that year, however, I have searched there for it in vain.

The following are the characters of 5. cruciatus as
given by M'Lachlan in his monograph on the Psocidae in
the Ent. Mo. Mag, for 1 866-7 :—

" Antennpe not so long as the wings, moderately thick, varying
from yellowish to fuscous, according to the degree of maturity
attained by the insect. Head shining chestnut brown; the vertex
on either side of the ocelli yellowish. Thorax chestnut brown.
Abdomen yellowish or fuscescent. Legs pale yellow, the tarsi
obscure. Wings hyaline; anterior wings with four elongate
fuscous spots near the base, two of which are placed on the posterior
margin and the other two above them. These spots vary greatly in
intensity. The apical half of these wings is without spots, but there
are pale greyish brown bands, one placed along the apical margin
and the others following the course of the veins ; pterostigma
elongate, dilated in the middle ; veins brown ; the posterior wings
have frequently two pale greyish brown spots on the dorsal margin
near the base.

" Length of the body, i to i-|"' ; expanse of fore-wings, 3 to 3^'".
Very common on tree-trunks, palings, etc.

"Characters of the genus Stenopsoa/s.^ Tarsi 2-jointed. Ptero-
stigma connected {i.e. by a veinlet not existing in Fsocns).
Discoidal cell complete, less quadrangular than in Fsoais, rather
irregular. Four complete cellules on the apical half of the posterior
margin, the last triangular and pedunculated."

My observations on the hatching of .5". cniciatus
corroborate an account given by Paul de Peyerimhoff in
the Annals of the E^itoniological Society of France, vol. Ixx.,
1901, pp. 1 50-2. This paper was brought to my notice just
as my own observations were going to press. Peyerimhoff's

^ The species which forms the subject of the present paper is now
usually placed in the genus GrapJiopsocus of Kolbe. — [Eds.]

Scot. Nat., 1916.

Plate I.

HATCHING OF STENOPSOCUS CRUCTATUS 65

paper was referred to by Dr Howard at a meeting of the
Entomological Society of Washington in 1902, pointing out
that the author in describing the peculiar habit of the issuing
embryo of swallowing mouthful after mouthful of air in order
to swell its body and assist in bursting the enveloping
membrane, was anticipated by H, G. Hubbard. Peyerimhoff
had been unable to find any former record of this peculiar
habit with the Psocidae, but Hubbard in 1885, in " his masterly
volume" on the insects affecting the orange, described this
process for Psoais citricola. I have not been able to
obtain Hubbard's book.

I am indebted to M'r Richard Muir, Pathological
Department, Edinburgh University, for the photo-micro-
graphs of my preparations of embryos and hatching spine.

EXPLANATION OF FIGURES.
In the Plate.

1. Part of the head of an embryo bearing the hatching file x 300.

2. Adult insect (after M'Lachlan).

3. Embryo of Stenopsocus crnciains within the ^gg. Ventral aspect x 80.

4. Larva newly emerged from the egg, but still enveloped in the amnion

skin X 80.

In the Text.

5. Larva drawn from life about fifteen minutes after shedding the amnion skin.

A ne-w British Ant. — My r mica schencki, Emery, is recorded
by H. Donisthorpe {Ent. Record, December 191 5, pp. 265-266) as
taken at Sully, in Glamorganshire. A full description of this
interesting addition to the British List is given, with synonymy and
geographical distribution. It is unfortunate that the specimens
did not reach the author until too late for insertion in his recent
book, a notice of which we gave in our Editorial of last month.

51

66 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

NOTES.

Birds and Aeroplanes. — In Mr Evans' paper on " Birds and
Aeroplanes " in the Scottish Naturalist for February, all the
references are to birds being alarmed by aeroplanes, and flying
azvay from them. An interesting example of the converse
phenomenon came under my observation here recently. On
Wednesday, 20th October 191 5, three military biplanes from an east
coast station flew over Perth, leaving again in a south-easterly
direction. One of them flew away over Kinnoull Hill, and as it
did so I could watch it from my library window in the Museum.
As it passed over the river, a flock of about a dozen gulls rose in the
air ■A.ndi followed it as quickly as they could fly. They continued
following it till it passed out of sight. This appeared to me to be
an evident case of curiosity, the birds being attracted by a new
creature flying through the air. This occurred about three o'clock
in the afternoon. — Henry Coates, Perthshire Natural History
Museum.

Notes on the Gannet. — At Kilchattan Bay, Bute, in the
second half of September 191 5, numerous Gannets were to be seen
daily, busily engaged in fishing operations. I was interested to
notice that they were often molested by the larger Gulls, particularly
by immature Herring Gulls. When the Gannet reappeared on the
surface of the water after its dive, and just as it was about to take
wing again, one or two Gulls would frequently fly towards it, with
the intention, evidently, of obtaining share of the Gannet's catch.
This move on the Gull's part apparently alarmed the Gannet, for,
if it were still on the water, it would flounder hurriedly along the
surface for a considerable distance, uttering its raucous garrag,
garrag, ere it was able to rise in the air and get away ; but if it had
already got up a few feet, it escaped by taking a glancing plunge
beneath the waves, and then, on coming up, behaving pretty much
as in the first instance. 1 could not see that the Gulls gained any-
thing by their attention. All the same they were most persistent,
and the young Herring Gulls often uttered the cheeping cry which
fledgling Gulls use when pestering their parents for food.

Shoals of mackerel frequently broke the surface of the water
with a sound like that of hail falling on a pond, or the breaking of
a slight swell on a pebbly beach. This sound was plainly audible
at a distance of several hundred yards. From the high ground I
could see patches of troubled water, indicating shoals of mackerel

NOTES 67

here and there, all along the coast ; yet, unless in a single instance,
the Gannets passed and repassed over those shoals without making
any attempt to dash down on the fish. As far as I have been able to
observe, the Gannet, when fishing, performs the greater part of the
descent with its wings drawn in about half-way, holding them very
rigidly, for they can distinctly be seen to quiver owing to their
resistance to the air. When 10 or 15 feet from the water they are
retracted still further, but only to the same extent as those of a
Black-headed Gull when it makes an ungainly attempt to dive.
They are never really closed, that is folded along the bird's sides,
till the Gannet bobs up on the surface again. In the descent a
considerable rotary motion of the bird's body round its long axis
is often apparent, to the extent occasionally of about half a circle
by the time the water is entered. Professor Newton and Howard
Saunders both state that the Gannet dashes perpendicularly with
closed wings on its prey.

By watching Gannets from ground nearly level with their line of
flight when they were on the look-out for fish, I have formed the
opinion that they seldom dive from a greater height than 100 feet,
but usually from a much lower elevation. I have seen an immature
bird, at least one year old, dive repeatedly from 12 or 15 feet. It
was in too big a hurry to mount into the air in the ordinary way,
for no sooner did it get up a short distance than with a slanting
plunge it was under the water once more. It seemed to draw in
its wings much closer than adult birds do. According to Seebohm,
the Gannet very often plunges into the sea from a height of 100
yards or more. — John Robertson, Glasgow.

[During a residence of thirty-two days in the Eddystone Light-
house in the autumn of 1901, I had exceptional opportunities for
observing the Gannet on its fishing-grounds. These birds fished
close to the lighthouse in considerable numbers and with marked
success. My point of observation was the gallery, 130 feet above
high-water mark, and from it I was enabled to gauge the height
from which these birds dived with a degree of accuracy not usually
attainable. The water around was remarkably clear, and the
Gannets, as a rule, descended from a considerable elevation, but
out of many thousands of dives witnessed none exceeded a height of
from 130 to 140 feet. It was, however, quite a common occurrence
to see a Gannet newly on the wing after a successful dive detect a
fish in front of it and near the surface, and in such cases the bird
dived from an elevation of a few feet only, not perpendicularly but
on the slant, and at as low an angle as 60°. — W. E. C.]

68 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Notes on the Extension of Range of the Crested Tit. —

In the September number of the 191 5 volume of the Scottish
Naturalist Mr Blackwood records this species from Nairnshire, and
says (page 285), "This record would seem to indicate an extension
in the breeding range via the Darnaway Forest." In the December
number of British Birds, vol. ix. (page 182), Mr W. R. Ogilvie
Grant records the occurrence of this species in Ross-shire in
October. In view of the above records, I think it advisable to
publish the following notes which I have made on the extension of
range of the Crested Tit during the last few years ; my reason for
not publishing them before being that I wished to see the species
established in the new localities, and thought silence on my part
would further this object. On 14th September 1907 I observed
this species in north-east Inverness-shire; on 16th May 191 o I
came upon them in the locality mentioned by Mr Blackwood, and
also in another locality farther to the east. I know of them in two
distinct localities in the lower reaches of the Findhorn Valley; one
locality I discovered on 24th May 1910, the second locality in
September 19 15. In September 191 1 I again observed them in
north-east Inverness-shire (some miles away from the first locality of
1907), and have seen them there several times since.

In October 1910 I first discovered this species in east Ross-
shire; I saw them again in this locality on 12th May 191 1, and
have seen them there several times since. On 5th April and nth
May 19 1 2 I observed them in another locality in east Ross-shire,
several miles distant from the first locality, and here they have certainly
bred, as I have seen the young ones hardly able to fly. On i6th June
191 2 I discovered this species some fifteen miles from the last
locality, so I may say I know of three distinct localities where this
species occurs. Presumably Mr Ogilvie Grant met with it in one of
these localities. May I remind your readers that the distribution of
this species previous to Mr Blackwood's and Mr Ogilvie Grant's
records as given in the new B.O.U. list published in 1915 is as
follows (see B.O.U. list, page 59) :" Resident and common in
the pine forests and birch woods of the Spey Valley of east
Inverness-shire and Morayshire." — William Berrv, Lentran,
Inverness-shire.

Rough-legged Buzzard in East Fife. — On 29th October
a Rough-legged Buzzard {Archibuteo lagopus) was brought to us
which had been found, about a week before, sitting under the
telephone wires by the side of the main road between Largo and
Colinsburgh. It had a badly broken leg, one wing was injured, and

NOTES 69

it had evidently struck one of the wires just above the bill. We
took it home, and put it in an empty stable, where it sat rather sadly
in the corner of a stall. In a few days it could perch on the log
which we gave it to sit on ; one or two days after that it flew up on
to the barricade we had put at the end of the stall. After that it
mended apace, and was soon flying strongly up and down the stable
and perching on the divisions of the stalls. The leg was feeble for
some time but mended most astonishingly quickly, and by the 23rd
November it was quite strong, and we were able to release the bird.
It was a beautiful specimen : from the plumage we thought it an
immature bird. It became very tame, and would take its food from
the hand. It preferred rabbits' and fowls' livers and pieces of meat,
but would pluck and eat Sparrows if hungry enough. It uttered a
curious, long, wild note, whew — ew — ew — ew — , very long drawn out,
and, although loud, beautifully modulated and not shrill. This cry
was chiefly uttered in the morning, and we thought more often on
frosty days. When we first got it, its tail was rather draggled, as,
owing to its broken leg it could not stand up, but as soon as it was
able to perch, it preened itself carefully, and was quite beautiful
when we released it. When we brought it food it used to come
fluttering to meet us with its feathers puffed out, showing the
chocolate brown band on the lower breast and its feathered legs
very distinctly. — Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey
RiNTOUL, Largo.

Honey Buzzard in Berwickshire. — A Honey Buzzard {Pernis
apivorus) was shot in this district about the middle of July last.
This bird is rare in Berwickshire, and no other example has passed
through the local bird-stufier's hands during an experience of thirty
years. The sex was not ascertained, but from the wing-measure-
ments the bird appears to have been a female. — T. G. Laidlaw,
Duns.

Bernicle Goose in Berwickshire. — A Bernicle Goose
{Branta leucopsis) was shot at Hule Moss, Greenlaw, on the 3rd
November last. This is not a common bird on the east coast of
Scotland, and it is also exceptional to find one wandering so far
inland : from where the bird was shot, the sea is about twenty miles
distant. The Hule Moss is a winter haunt of the Pink-footed
Goose, and the Bernicle was in company with some birds of that
species when it was secured. — T. G. Laidlaw, Duns.

Landrail at St Kilda. — In British Birds for February,
R. H. Read records that he obtained a Landrail at St Kilda on

70 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

the 9th of June 1888. This does not appear to have been
previously recorded. Mr Read, however, is quite wrong in
supposing that it " was on account of this specimen that Howard
Saunders in his Manual recorded the Landrail as having been
obtained on St Kilda." Saunders had already quoted St Kilda
for this species in vol. iii.. Part 17, of YarrelPs British Birds
published in 1883, and was doubtless aware of Martin's record
of 1697.

Little Auks in the Perth District. — I have received for
the Museum a specimen of the Little Auk, which was picked up
dead in a field within a mile of Tummelbridge, on Sunday, 30th
January 1916. Other two specimens were found in the same
district during the month of January. A fourth specimen was got
at Kinmonth, near Bridge of Earn, and a fifth at Newtonmore.
There was a long-continued succession of south-westerly gales
during the month of January.— Hknrv Coates, Perthshire Natural
History Museum.

Black-tailed Godwit in Forth. — Seeing there are only half
a dozen records of the occurrence of the Black-tailed Godwit
{Limosa limosd) in the Forth area, I may mention that one was seen
by me in Aberlady Bay on 7th August last (1915.) It was by itself,
and seemed disinclined to mingle with the flocks of other waders. —
William Evans, Edinburgh.

Lycaena artaxerxes and Zygaena filipendulae in Kin-
cardineshire.— Both these species of Lepidoptera are stated by
G. E. Hartley {Entomologist, January 1916, p. 22) to have "literally
swarmed" during the season of 191 5 on the sea braes at Muchalls.
A long series of Z. artaxerxes was taken, including several
aberrations.

Acronycta aceris on Birch in Aberdeenshire. — In the

Entomologist for January (p. 22), G. E. Hartley mentions the
occurrence of three larvas of this species on birch. All the
specimens duly pupated. The species is stated to be an addition
to the Aberdeenshire List of Lepidoptera.

A new British Moth. — According to Edward Meyrick
{Ent. Mo. Mag., January 1916, p. 17), a fine example of the
Tineid Moth Depressaria hepatariella, Zell., has been taken in
Scotland by the Rev. J. W, Metcalfe. The precise locality and

NOTES 71

date are not mentioned, but a description of the species is given.
Its nearest British ally is stated to be cnicella, and its food-plant
supposed to be some Composite or Umbellifer. Abroad, it occurs
from Lapland southwards to the Corinthian Alps.

Miscodera arctica, Payk., in the Forth Area— On 4th

September 1906 I found an example of this boreal beetle under
a stone about 100 yards to the south of the cairn, on the summit of
Ben Ledi. This would appear to be the first record of the species
for the Forth drainage area. — William Evans, Edinburgh.

Bemtoidium paludosum, Panz., and Coelambus quinque-
lineatus, Zett., in the Forth Area — On 4th June 1904 the
very local beetle, Bembidium phhidosum, was common on the banks
of a stream on Kilconquhar Links, Fife. The day being warm and
sunny, the beetles were most active, and the few I took were not
easily captured. Ur W. A. Jolly, as he kindly informed me, had
met with the species " near Elie " the previous month. Though not
given for Forth in Sharp's Coleoptera of Scotla?id, Bembidium
paludosum appears in a list for the parish of Dollar, published in the
New Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. viii. From Otterston
Loch, Fife, I secured a specimen of the rare water-beetle,
Ccelambus quinquelineatus, on 21st October 1905. Mr Balfour
Browne has confirmed the identification. The record adds, I
think, another species to the Forth list. — Williaini Evans,
Edinburgh.

Staphylinid Beetle from Orkney. — T. Hudson Beare records
[Ent. Mo. Mag., January 1916, p. 16) the capture of Philonthus
varius var. shetlandicus. Poppius, in moss on the mainland of
Orkney in September 1910. He also records the var. nitidicollis,
Boisd., of the same species from roots of grass at Southsea. This
variety, now recognised as distinct from var. bimaculatus, Grav.,
is apparently new to the British List.

Andrena trimmerana, K., and its allies. — In the Ent.
Mo. Mag. for January (pp. 13-15) R. C. L. Perkins gives some results
of his study of the three bees, Andrena trifumerana, K., spinigera,
K., and 7-osai, Panz. In his opinion these forms are specifically
distinct and not mere races. Two of them, moreover, are season-
ably dimorphic, so that in all we have five distinguishable forms
which should be separated in collections under distinct names.
These are as follows: (i) trimmerana, K. (with a new variety
scotica, stated to occur at Loch Rannoch) ; (2) spinigera, K. ;

72

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

(3) cinglica, Alfk. ( = spinigera, 2nd generation) ; (4) roscE, Panz. ;
and (5) eximia, Sm. ( = rosce, ist generation). A useful key is
given for the identification of all these forms, male and female.

Simulium equinum, L., in Scotland. — In the Entomologisfs
Monthly Magazine for December 1915 (p. 331), William Evans
records the capture of this new Scottish fly at East Linton,
Haddingtonshire, on 21st April 1913. The specimens were
identified by F. W. Edwards, British Museum.

Trichoptera (Caddis-flies) from Pair Isle, Shetland. — To

the published lists of insects obtained by Mr Eagle Clarke on Fair
Isle, the following Caddis-flies fall to be added : — Lifunophilus
affinis, Curt. — one specimen, taken in September 1906. Stefiophylax
perniistifs, M'Lach. —I have examined an example of this species
taken in September 1906, and several other specimens of same date
are probably also referable to it. Halesus radiatus, Curt. — one,
autumn of 191 2. It is a somewhat small male. — William Evans,
Edinburgh.

BOOK NOTICE.

The Structure of the Fowl. By O. Charnock Bradley, M.D., D.Sc,
M.R.C.V.S. The Edinburgh Medical Series. A. & C. Black,
London ; pp. xi. -I-153. Price 3s. 6d.

Among the higher creatures no class possesses organs more peculiar
or more specialised than birds, and, on this account, the naturalist who
would take an intelligent interest in their habits must pay some pre-
liminary attention to their general organisation. Principal Bradley's
manual, while intended primarily for the use of students of veterinary
science, is an excellent guide for such a purpose. In describing a
typical form it serves as an introduction to bird structure and develop-
ment in general. It is clearly written, concise, and free from over-
loading with non-essential details. The printing is good, and the
descriptions are elucidated by many instructive and original figures.

J. R.

{Authors are responsible for nometrclafure used.)

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 52.] 1916 [April

EDITORIAL.

Dr Sidney F. Harmer, keeper of Zoology in the British
Museum, has recent!)- recorded^ the occurrence of two
specimens of Cuvier's Whale {^Ziphius cavirostris) on the
southern coast of Ireland. The only previous occurrence
of this rare Cetacean in British waters is that recorded by
the late Sir William Turner on the evidence of a skull
obtained off Hamna Voe, Shetland, in 1870, and now in
the Anatomical Museum of Edinburgh University. Dr
Harmer was unable to trace the male Irish specimen referred
to by Van Beneden in 1888, although he suspects that the
species is not such an uncommon visitor to our shores as
has hitherto been supposed. The two specimens recorded
in the present paper were stranded in counties Wexford and
Cork respectively, and their general appearance, skulls and
teeth, are carefully described by the author. Cuvier's Whale
is a native of the Northern Atlantic and Mediterranean,
and has occurred on the coasts of Sweden, Denmark, and
France.

In the March number of British Birds there are some
interesting records of recoveries of marked birds. Perhaps
the most worthy of note are a Linnet and a Pied Wagtail
ringed in England, as nestlings, in July and August 191 5,

1 Proc. Zool. Sac. Land., December 191 5, pp. 559-66.

52 K

74 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

and recovered in France in November; a Redstart ringed
as a nestling in Westmorland in June and recovered in
Portugal in October, and three British Lesser Black-backed
Gulls all ringed in the north of England, two of which were
recovered in Portugal ; the third being got in France in the
summer after it was marked. In addition to these there
are many other returns well worth the notice of students of
ornithology.

British entomologists should not overlook a paper of
some importance by T. D. A. Cockerell, which, although
published in America,^ bears for its title "British Fossil
Insects." This memoir is based upon the study of the Lacoe
collection of fossil insects, now in the United States National
Museum, and containing an important series of specimens
partly from the Lias and partly from the Oligocene beds of
the Isle of Wight, all collected by the Rev. P. B. Brodie.
Forty-four new species and eleven new genera are described,
the details of many of which are figured in the six plates
which accompany the paper. A useful feature is the
summary of our knowledge of British fossil insects given
at the beginning of the article. From it we learn that
altogether ^68 species have been described, distributed in
the various geological formations as follows : — Carboni-
ferous, 27 ; Lias, 82 ; Oolite, 209 ; Tertiary, 42 ; and Post-
tertiary, 8.

' Proceedings U.S. National Museum (No. 21 19), 191 5, pp. 469-99.

Land and Freshwater Mollusca of Jura and neighbour-
ing islands. — In the January number o{\.\\t Journal of Conchologv
(pp. 13-16) J. F. Mushani publishes an account of additions made
to the list of Land and Freshwater Mollusca of Jura, Colonsay,
Oronsay, and Islay, which islands together form the vice-county
known as " Ebudes South." A list is given of forty-eight species
and varieties now known to inhabit the area, thirty-eight of which are
additions made during two visits paid by the author in June 1908
and June 19 13 respectively.

NOTES ON SOME SCOTTISH BIRDS OBSERVED IN I915 75

xXOTES ON SOME SCOTTISH BIRDS
OBSERVED IN 1915.

By William Eagle Clarke.

I. Tree-creeper in the Island of Lewis.

Tree-creepers have, on rare occasions, been observed in
the British area in places far removed from their accustomed
arboreal haunts, and quite unsuited to their habits and the
peculiar manner in which they seek and obtain their food.
The appearance of these wanderers in such localities, which
include the Orkney and Shetland Islands, is a subject of
interest to naturalists on several grounds. Thus the recent
occurrence of one of these birds in the Island of Lewis is
an interesting event to those who concern themselves with
the fauna of the Outer Hebrides, since no Tree-creeper has
ever before been known to visit any of the islands of that
group; while to the student of bird migration, such a visit
affords a remarkable instance of the wanderings of a species
which is not accustomed to rove far beyond the limits of its
native woodlands, and also one possessed of very limited
powers of flight, usually only flitting from tree to tree.

There are yet other points of interest associated with
these wanderers, for there remains to be solved the problem
whence came these migrants. Were they emigrants from
neighbouring British areas, or were they immigrant
voyagers from the Continent ? A few years ago it would
not have been possible to give satisfactory answers to these
questions, but now, thanks to our knowledge of racial forms,
we are able in the case of many species, including the Tree-
creepers, to do so, though the writer freely admits that they
are more difficult to differentiate in this than in most groups,
and that he has had to seek the aid of Dr Hartert in the
present case.

Our own familiar Tree-Creeper belongs to a racial form
peculiar to the British Islands, being one of the insular
representatives of the Continental bird, and is known as
Certhia fainiliaris britannica. The discoverer of its peculiar

76 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

characters was, strange to say, the disthiguished American
ornithologist, Robert Ridgvvay, who described it as long
ago as the year 1882, but its distinctness has only recently
been accepted by British ornithologists.

The latest addition to the list of these aberrant
occurrences of Tree-Creepers in out-of-the-way places in
our islands, and the raison d'etre for the present remarks,
was obtained under singular circumstances at Galson, in
the north-west of the Island of Lewis, on 13th October
last. During the terrific gale and torrential rain which
prevailed on that day, one of the men at Galson Farm
was engaged in making safe some stacks of hay which were
in danger of being blown away, and on throwing a rope
over one of them for that purpose, was much surprised to
find that he had unwittingly killed an unfortunate bird-
waif which had sought refuge there from the storm. The
bird, being unknown, was kindly sent to me for identification
by Mr John Morrison, one of our valued correspondents in
the " Long Island," It proved to be of the British race,
and had probably been unwillingly carried there on the
wings of the gale. It may be remarked that one of the
Fair Isle Tree-Creepers also sought refuge in a stack,
where it was found in a dying condition. In conclusion,
it may be useful to state that the Continental Tree-Creeper,
Certhia fainiliaris, differs from the British form in having
the brown tints in its upper plumage of a light yellowish
tone, as against the pronounced rufescent brown of Cej-thia
faniiliaris britanniea.

II. Continental Barn Owl in Shetland.

In November last Dr Edmondston Saxby forwarded
to me a male Barn Owl from Balta Sound, in the Island
of Unst, where it had been captured in a rat trap, set
in an outhouse, on the 5th of the month. Hitherto there
have been no authentic records of the appearance of this
bird in either the Shetland or Orkney groups, and hence
its visit to the northernmost of the British Isles is to be
regarded as a noteworthy occurrence.

NOTES ON SOME SCOTTISH BIRDS OBSERVED IN I915 77

The interest in the present record is farther enhanced
by the facts that the specimen belongs to the Continental
dark form, Flauiinea Jlaninica guttata, and that it is the
first known instance of the visit of a bird of this race to
Scotland. In England, where it is regarded as a rare
immigrant, it has occurred in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Oxon,
Norfolk, Yorkshire, and Northumberland. The example
recorded as having recently been obtained in Berkshire
on 2 1st November 191 5, from the description given of it,
seems to be an intermediate form, and is not to be regarded
as a full coloured characteristic example of the Continental
dark-breasted race. The Edinburgh Museum received a
similar example, which had been captured in Cornwall on
20th September 191 5. Both these birds were probably
visitors from the opposite side of the Channel, where the
light-breasted, dark-breasted, and intermediate forms are
known to occur.

The Dark-breasted Barn Owl is a native of South
Sweden; Denmark; and Central Europe, west to France, and
south to the Alps, Austria, and Hungary. In France it
intergrades with the typical white-breasted form. The
Shetland specimen has the upper parts blue -grey, finely
vermiculated with greyish white ; and each feather having
two spots of white towards the tip, one terminal and
the other subterminal, and having a dark spot between
them and a smaller one above. Facial disc silvery white
tinged with orange and vinous brown in the centre, and has
a dark vinous spot in front of the eyes ; the rim of the disc
golden buff, each feather with a dusky centre streak, and
its lower third brownish orange. Under-parts warm orange-
buff, with clearly defined small blackish spots on the abdomen
and larger double spots on the flanks. Wings and tail with
broad bars of dark vermiculated grey and orange brown.

III. The Water-rail at St Kilda.

The Water-rail {Rallus aquatiais), though not previously
recorded for St Kilda, has probably occurred there as a bird
of passage, since it is a native and migratory species in

78 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Iceland as well as North-western Europe. It seems, how-
ever, to have remained unnoticed as a visitor there until late
last autumn, when an adult was obtained at Hirta, and was
forwarded to me by an obliging correspondent.

The visits of migratory birds, especially those belonging
to the land and the fresh-water groups, to the remote and
insignificant islets which form the St Kilda Archipelago are
of exceptional interest to naturalists for several reasons.
Chief among these is the importance of such records as
contributions to our knowledge of the course followed by
the regular feathered voyagers when in spring en route for
their native summer haunts, and in the autumn when return-
ing to their winter retreats. One wishes it were possible to
obtain more information regarding these movements, and of
the species participating in them, from St Kilda — a station
whose geographical position renders it unique among the
bird observatories to be found in the North-western Atlantic.
If this could be accomplished there can be no doubt, from the
comparatively little we already know, that much interesting
information would be forthcoming concerning the far-western
movements, of a number of migratory birds, as well as the
remarkable wanderings of some of the rarer species.

IV. Lesser Wiiitethroat in West Inverness-shire.

On 13th June the writer and his friend, Mr Knight
Horsfield, found a male Sylvia cnrrnca among the trees that
fringe the banks of the river just before it enters the head
of Loch Trieg. Our attention was drawn to it by its song,
and as it was remarkably tame, we were able to watch it
for some time, during which it on several occasions came
within a yard of where we stood. There was much cover
near at hand which would afford suitable nesting sites, but
whether the bird had a mate near by we were unable to
ascertain, nor did we come across it again. It appears to be
an uncommon visitor to the Western Highlands, but on 23rd
May 191 5 the Misses Rintoul and Baxter saw a Lesser
Whitethroat among some low willows and brambles, close to
the seashore, about two miles west of Arisaig. It was very

NOTES ON SOME SCOTTISH BIRDS OBSERVED IN I915 79

tame, and crept about among the undergrowth quite close
to them, chuckling and singing its pleasing song. They
returned on several occasions to the same place, but never
saw the bird again. At this time there were enormous
numbers of Common Whitethroats and VVhinchats every-
where about Arisaig ; these passed on in the next few days,
and it was thought the Lesser Whitethroat must have
departed with them.

This species bred in West Ross-shire in 1890, when a
nest and eggs were found at Inverbroom, by the late Sir
Arthur Fowler, Bart. These were submitted to the writer
for his opinion. ,

V. New Bird for Fair Isle.

Unfortunately, as the result of the war, we have lost the
services of Jerome Wilson, who for several )'ears had served
us so well as the bird-watcher at Fair Isle. Wilson rightly
considered it his duty to join the Naval Brigade early in
February 191 5. Among the birds which he recorded in his
diary previous to his departure was one new to the avifauna
of the island, namely, a Red-necked Grebe {Podiceps grisci-
gend), a female, on 9th February. The addition of this bird
brings the grand total of the species and subspecies observed
at Fair Isle as the result often years' investigations to 226 —
a very remarkable record. When peace again prevails over
these realms we hope to renew our work there, for its
ornithological resources are by no means exhausted.

Little Gull at the mouth of the Don. — A specimen of the
Little Gull {Lams minnii/s) was shot by my son, Ernest Gordon
Paterson, at the mouth of the Don, on 3rd January, and is being
preserved. Professor J. Arthur Thomson has seen it, and describes
it as a beautiful specimen. The taxidermist to whom the bird was
entrusted for preservation thinks it is a young male. The bill is
black or nearly so, and there is a slight trace of brown on some of
the feathers of the back. In Sim's Vertebrate Fauna of Dee, it
is stated that a specimen was last obtained on 26th October 1888, at
the mouth of the Dee. — George Paterson, Cults, Aberdeenshire.

8o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Slugs in the mountains of Westerness. — In 19 13 Mr R. G.

CaiTuthers, of the Geological Survey of Scotland, was kind enough
to send me some Slugs from Ben Alder and Loch Ericht, which are
interesting from the heights at which they were found. From the
Eagle's Corrie on Ben Alder, at a height of 2500 feet, he sent (on
the 25th of June) Liniax arborjnn var. rupicoia, the only one he
saw. It was small, about a third of the size to which the species
can attain, and was entirely brown-black in colour, with the banding
obsolete, and the variety is distinctively the mountain form of the
species. Along with it he sent a quarter-sized example of the type
of Arion aier, with the trifasciation of the footsole very clearly
marked. At the same date he sent various examples of Arion ater,
the smaller of which was the type with trifasciate footsole, and the
larger, an adult, was of var. aterrima^ in which the footsole is
uniformly dark in colour, nearly or even quite black. These were
from the shores of Loch Ericht, at a height of ti6o feet, where the
species was abundant, and it was equally common by the moorland
paths up to 1500 feet. I shall be glad if other Scottish naturalists
will favour me with examples of the mollusca of the mountains,
with full and precise notes as to height, locality, date, habitat,
frequency, etc. — W. Denison Roebuck, 259 Hyde Park Road,
Leeds.

BOOK NOTICE.

The British Marine Annelids, Vol. III., Part I. (Text), and Part
II. (Plates). Polychteta. Opheliidse to AmmocharidEe. By Professor
W. C. M'Intosh, F.R.S., etc. Issued to the subscribers of the Ray
Society for 191 4 and 19 16.

The value of Professor M'Intosh's great work on British Marine
Annelids is too well known to students of the Nemertine and Polychsete
worms to need repetition here. The unanimous desire of all who know
the monograph is to see it completed. It is therefore a genuine pleasure
to record the issue of another (the third) of the series of folio volumes.
The families dealt with in the present volume include the Arenicolids
or Lug-worms, and others of economic interest. About ninety species
in all are described. Unfortunately the War has, in the meantime at
least, deprived the volume of the beautiful coloured plates one has
learned to associate with the work. Having been executed abroad,
it has not been possible to obtain them up to the present time.
Excellent uncoloured copies of the coloured proofs by the collotype
process have been substituted ; and, should the six coloured plates be
eventually obtained, their issue to the subscribers, and to purchasers
of the \ oliune, is provided for. W. E.

A NOTE ON THE HIBERNATION OF FLIES 8i

A NOTE ON THE HIBERNATION OF FLIES.

By J. H. ASHWORTH, D.Sc.

The notice in the Editorial of the March issue of TJie
Scottish Naturalist, on the presence of swarms of flies in
houses, suggests that a record of recent observations I have
made on the occurrence of flies in a large detached house
near the south-eastern boundary of the city of Edinburgh
may be of interest.

I was asked to examine the flies in this house, and did so
on 22nd February 1916. A bedroom on the second floor,
with a large ba)--window facing south, was first inspected.
On the glass of this window, but more especially on the
upper sides of the wooden cross-pieces between the panes,
also on a ledge just under the window, on the wooden floor
below, and on the neighbouring walls, were numerous small
flies. Those on the window or in direct sunlight (though the
day was cold, the sun was shining brightly during the time
of my visit — 1.30 to 2.30 P.M.) were crawling slowly, and only
took a short flight on being disturbed ; elsewhere the flies
were lethargic, and either remained at rest or were creeping
very slowly. Among the small flies were ten larger flies,
mostly at rest, but two or three were crawling slowly over
the floor. There were very few flies on the ceiling, but many
were found resting behind pictures on the south wall of the
room. All the large flies and a considerable number of the
small ones were collected for detailed examination. A
smaller bedroom and dressing-room on the second floor were
inspected, and there also the small flies were found about the
two windows (which look south and west respectively), though
not in the same abundance as in the former room. A bed-
room on the first floor and the morning room on the ground
floor (each with windows to the south and east), in both of
which the small flies were plentiful last autumn, were
examined, but yielded no specimens.

From the large room first mentioned 244 flies were
obtained, which have been identified as follows : —
' 52 L

82 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Family Anthomyidae.
LimnopJiora septcnuiotata^ Zett., 234 $ .

Family Muscidae.
Pyrellia eriophthalvia, Macq., 4 ? , 2 $ .
Muscina stabulajis, Fallen, 2 5 .

Calliphoi'a {Protocalliphord) groenlandica^T,^\\..} i $.
Pollenia rudis, Fabr., i ? .

The " small flies " of the preceding account proved to be
all Lininophora septemnotata, the " larger flies " being repre-
sentatives of the four Muscids above named.

A second inspection of the large bedroom on the second
floor was made on 7th March, when it was found that
although so many flies had been collected there a fortnight
previously, a considerable number had gathered on the
window and on the floor below the window. These had
probably emerged from various crevices or from behind the
furniture, where they were resting unnoticed at the time of
my previous visit. All these flies were females of Liinnophora
septeinnotata except two — -one Muscina stabulans $ , and one
Calliphora grcenlandica^ ?. It will be noted that no
specimens of the Common House-fly were present in the
collections,

I have made careful inquiries regarding the occurrence of
flies in this house in previous years, and find that in all the
four rooms referred to above LiuinopJiora septeinnotata has
been present in dense swarms during the past autumn, and
that this fly has been troublesome to a greater or less extent
in these rooms during the last sixteen years. The flies
invaded the rooms in September and October, but have
generally disappeared (or practically so) by the end of
November ; but during the last four )-ears they have persisted
in the rooms throughout the winter, and this year apparently
in larger numbers than previously. Only the rooms with a
southern aspect are affected, and of these the large bedroom

1 Both these specimens are peculiarly sombre in their colouring, but
Mr Grimshaw has kindly examined them, and assures me that they are
^y.'a.vci'^X^'i g{ C. groenlandica. I am also indebted to Mr Grimshaw for
help in regard to other specific determinations.

A NOTE ON THE HIBERNATION OF FLIES 83

on the second floor seems to have been the site of the densest
swarm, which at its maximum not only covered the bay-
window but formed an elongate mass on the south and west
ceiling, which was described to me as resembling a thick coil
of black rope some three inches in thickness.

All the evidence seems to indicate that the specimens of
Liintiophora septemnotata entered the house in autumn to find
quarters in which to pass the winter. It will be observed
that all the specimens are female ; no doubt the males died
off at the end of autumn.

I have made a careful examination of the internal organs
of ten specimens of L. scptcmnotata taken at random from
the two batches collected. The specimens varied in length
from 4 to 4-7 mm. All proved to be impregnated, their
three receptacula seminis (spermothecae) being crammed
with long filamentous spermatozoa, which, when liberated by
rupture of the receptacula, exhibited the characteristic lashing
movements. Each ovary is a small oval mass (the shorter
diameter is about -4 mm.), in which the short and very
immature ovarian tubes can be distinguished. The ovary
forms a striking feature of the dissection, owing to its tracheal
supply being disproportionately large at this stage. The
mid-gut is empty in every case, but the hind gut contains
opaque granules evidently of excretory origin, as similar
granules are present in the Malpighian tubes. Between the
alimentary canal and the body-wall is a large fat-body.^

Examination of the organs shows that the females are
impregnated, and that, therefore, on the return of suitable
conditions, those females which survive the winter could
emerge from their winter quarters, feed, mature their ovaries,

^ One female Miiscina stabulans was dissected, and presented similar
conditions, a mass of living sperms filling each receptaculum seminis.
One female Calliphora grcenlandica was also dissected, and its recepta-
cula carefully examined, but spermatozoa were not present. Its other
internal organs were in a condition similar to those of the LimnopJwra
described above. Perhaps this specimen of C. grcenlandica emerged
late from the puparium, i.e. in late autumn, when males were scarce or
had died out, and had thus not been impregnated. This species does
not appear to be common around Edinburgh, so that there might be a
considerable chance in autumn against a female being impregnated.

84 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

and produce a batch of eggs which would be fertilised by the
sperms received in autumn, and maintained alive through
the winter in the receptacula seminis. In this respect
LimnopJiora septeninotata agrees with the Common Gnat,
Ctdex pipietis (and no doubt with other Diptera which
hibernate as imagos), specimens of which collected in late
autumn or winter hibernating in cellars or outhouses are
invariably females. I have examined during class-work, and
for other purposes, some hundreds of such hibernating gnats,
and have found, without exception, that their receptacula
seminis contained living spermatozoa.

Plague of Plies in a Renfrewshire house. — The paragraph
in the editorial of the March number of the Scottish Naturalist
concerning the "plague of flies," much interests me. ^^'e lived for
seven years in a house at Caldwell (Renfrewshire), known as " Hall
of Caldwell." This was an old-fashioned house facing N.E. The
principal rooms went from the front to the back, with a window in
each wall directly opposite to each other. The drawing-room was
above the kitchen. In the autumns of 1906, 1907, and 1908 we
had a plague of flies there. There were a few on the kitchen
window facing N.E. In the drawing-room above, however, on the
corresponding window (viz. N.E.) the flies were in thousands — so
black that it was difficult to see through. They covered the wood-
work and roof above, anl swarmed in behind the wooden shutters.
There were a few Common House flies, but the multitude were of
a fly about one-third smaller than the Common House-fly, and black.
I got a tin of " Keating's '"' and dusted it on them and on the
window-sill — everywhere that Keating's would lie. This quickly
killed them off — they were then swept up — not a fly left. Next
day they were as bad as ever. This usually went on for a week or
ten days. It should be noted that this point applies to each year.
Although there was a window in the same room facing S.W., very
few even went near it. In both the apartments they kept to the
windows facing N.E. No other rooms in the house were visited, —
T. Thornton Mackeith, Kilmacolm.

THE STUDY OF DIPTERA 85

THE STUDY OF DIPTERA.
By Percy H. GrIiMSHAw, F.R.S E., F.E.S.

Of recent years a great impetus has been given to the study
of Diptera, or Two-winged FHes, by the discovery that many
of these insects play an important part in the dissemination
of disease. They may play the 7v/i? of intermediate host in
the life-cycle of some tiny protozoan which completes its
development within the body of man, and in so doing causes
a serious or fatal illness, or trhey may act as mere mechanical
carriers of disease-producing bacteria, conveying such
organisms from infected localities, and afterwards con-
taminating our food in such a way as to cause an outbreak
of the particular disease in a new area. The list of diseases
thus more or less directly due, not only in tropical climes
but also within our own country, to the agency of Diptera is
a long and formidable one. It is hardly necessary in this
place to trouble the reader with a list of such diseases ; the
mere mention of malaria, yellow fever, and sleeping-sickness
will be quite sufficient to convince him of the importance of
the subject to travellers abroad ; while within the limits of
the British Isles themselves, although the more formidable
diseases just mentioned are fortunately absent, yet it is now
a well-established fact that epidemic outbreaks of t)'phoid
fever, summer diarrhoea, diphtheria, smallpox, and other
ailments are largely due to the agenc}^ of the common House-
Fly, while certain other species are held to be more or less
responsible for the transmission of diseases of lesser import-
ance.

In another way flies are injurious to the welfare of man-
kind, for many species destroy his growing crops : witness the
notorious Hessian Fly, devastator of wheat ; while other
groups, such as the Bot-Flies, attack his domestic animals,
injuring their health and seriously damaging the commercial
products derived from them. The annual loss due to
Dipterous agencies, indeed, is reckoned in millions of pounds
.sterling.

86 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Any investigations, therefore, which aid us in controlling
the enormous numbers of these germ-carrying, food-destroy-
ing and herd-infesting pests, by throwing light upon the
various details of their life-histories and habits, and thereby
enabling us to attack them in their most vulnerable point,
must be regarded as of supreme importance. That such is
now realised to be the case is effectively shown by the great
increase in the literature of the subject during the past
twenty years or so. Especially is this so in regard to the
species concerned in the spread of disease. Before the epoch-
making discoveries of Major Ross, Drs Manson and Bruce,
and others, the number of published memoirs dealing
exclusively with Diptera was a comparatively small one,
but since our attention was thus directed to the subject the
percentage has increased to a notable extent. From the
pages oi the Zoological Record we may obtain some instructive
statistics. For instance, in the year 1885 some 375 titles are
given of papers and books devoted to insects, and of these
twenty-one are devoted entirely to Diptera, i.e., between
5 and 6 per cent. Ten years later the number of titles was
125 1, of which 112 refer exclusively to this Order of insects,
the percentage thus having risen to 9. In 1905 the titles
number 1669, the papers on Diptera 186, while the percentage
works out at 11. 14. Lastly, in the volume for 1913, the
latest accessible to me, the entomological titles amount to
2967, those referring to Diptera alone being 436 — a per-
centage of 1 1.32. Thus, in spite of the heavy increase in the
output of insect literature in general the percentage dealing
with Two-winged Flies seems to maintain a steady increase.

From this rapid growth in the number of books and papers
on Diptera there arises a considerable disadvantage to the
student in one important respect. It becomes increasingly
difficult to cope with the contents of this continually
augmenting literature, and access to all the works written
on the subject is becoming every day a more and more
hopeless task. This state of things applies as much to the
study of British Flies as it does to the forms inhabiting
other countries. There is crying need for some work which
would bring together within a reasonable compass the great

THE STUDY OF DIPTERA

87

mass of facts which have accumulated resfardincc the classifica-
tion, structure, and habits of our native species, which, by the
way, number considerably over three thousand. Taking the
subject from a merely systematic point of view, it may be
remarked that the identification of the constituents of quite
a small collection, such as, for instance, might be obtained in
the field on a single sunny morning, necessitates reference
to quite a number of books and scattered papers written in
English, French, German, Latin, Dutch, and perhaps other
languages. It is true, a few volumes have been published in
recent years dealing with certain families (mainly from the
systematic point of view), but I know of no general up-to-
date work giving a summary of our knowledge of all groups
from a biological as well as a taxonomic aspect. And }-et a
knowledge of our native species would serve as an admirable
introduction to the study of those of the world in general,
for out of a total of seventy-four existing families no fewer
than sixty-four are represented in our own fauna.

Apart from the importance of Flies from an economic
point of view, they are highly worthy of study on account
of their great and interesting diversity in form and habit.
Were they a little better known, it is certain that they would
attract a host of students ; no insects are more easily
collected and preserved, and no group more amply repays
the collector. The chance of making some interesting dis-
covery and the likelihood of capturing species not hitherto
obtained in this country are both greater than in the case of
well-studied groups such as Butterflies, Moths, or Beetles.
Every family of Flies has a particular interest of its own, and
the majority still require careful investigation in many
ways. Much still remains to be done by the systematist in
differentiating the species, while those interested in their
external structure will find ample scope for useful work in
regard to the mouth-parts, genitalia, or that comparatively
new subject known as chaetotaxy, which concerns the arrange-
ment of the bristles on the various parts of the body. For
those willing to work out life-histories there is an enormous
field for research, for only the fringe of this subject has been
touched ; while finall\-, regarding the more difficult domains

88 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

of internal anatomy and embryology, the same remark applies,
only with more intensity.

But, as in every other subject, one must first of all acquire
a general elementary knowledge of the objects to be studied.
And thus, by the formation of a typical collection, and the
identification of the specimens contained therein, at least
sufficiently to recognise to what families and perhaps genera
they belong, the novice will gain a useful idea of the extent
and variety comprised within the Order — a necessary pre-
liminary to satisfactory work in the future. Such a procedure
will also help the student to some extent in his choice of a
subject for investigation, and probably assist him to realise
where such work is more particularly required. My object,
therefore, in penning the present article, which I hope will
be shortly followed by others dealing with matters of detail,
is to draw attention to the present need for more workers in
a group of insects which are not only of extraordinary
interest, but also likely to be, in the future, regarded as of the
utmost importance.

Andrena cetii, Schr., in Forth and Argyll. — In the autumn
of 1902 I found several colonies of the dark variety of this little
bee burrowing in sunny banks about Balquhidder, in the upper
part of the Forth area. Females were also fairly common on
flowers of Scabiosa succisa. The specimens preserved are labelled
as follows: — Kirkton of Balquhidder, 20th and 21st August (both
sexes); Loch Voil side, on Scabious, 2nd September (females) ; and
Kingshouse, 17th September (females). The females are all dark
coloured like the males. The identification was confirmed by
the late Edward Saunders. Among Mr J. W. Bowhill's 191 5
captures I detected a specimen of A. cctii, which was taken in the
neighbourhood of Loch Awe, Argyllshire, in the beginning of
September; it is a female with ochraceous markings on the upper
side of the abdomen, the second and third segments being almost
entirely of that colour. This species would appear to be very
local in Scotland. It has been recorded from Arran, in the Clyde
area, by A. A. Dalglish. — William Evans, Edinburgh.

HYDRACARINA FROM STRATHEARN 89

HYDRACARINA FROM STRATHEARN.

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

When in Comrie in August 191 5, I made a few collections
of Hydracarina in the neighbourhood. A visit to Drummond
Pond yielded : Fiona longiconiis iviniinuta (Piersig), ? ;
Lininesia fiilgida (C. L. Koch), <^ and ? ; L. maculata
(O. F. Miill.), ? ; L. uncMata (O. F. Miill.), $ ; Brachypoda
versicolor (O. F. Miill.), 9 and $\ ArrJienurus globator
(O. F. Miill.), ?; Frontipodci uuiscidus (O. F. Miill.), ?; and
Hygrobates longipalpis (Hermann), $ and $ . A roadside
pool on the way from Comrie to Glenartney yielded : Fiona
carnea C. L. Koch, c^ ; Arrheniiriis cylindratus, Piersig,
$ and ?; and A. candaius {Geer), S- I had hoped to get
good results from the pond close to Lawers House, but at
the time of my visit the water had been temporarily
drawn off. The proprietor of the estate (Rev. C. D.
Robertson Williamson), however, very courteously directed
me to some likely places on the estate. A hill tarn to the
north of Lawers House yielded only Diplodontus despiciens
(O. F. Miill.), of which a number of both sexes were taken
as well as one nymph. A tarn near the railway, though
apparently a much less likely place than the former, yielded
better results. Hygrobates longipalpis (Hermann), $ ^ $ ,
and nymph ; H. nigroniaciilatus Lebert, immature ? ; and
Arrhejiurus cylindratus Piersig, $ , $ , and nymph, were
represented, as well as Atractides anonialus C. L. Koch, $.
The most noteworthy capture here proved to be Lebertia
angulata Sig Thor, not previously known to occur within
the Britannic area, and supposed to be limited to Norway.
The hitherto unknown nymph was also taken.

Lebertia angulata Sig Thor, without its rather pronounced
antero-Iateral corners and the more weakly developed postero-lateral
ones, may be described as being nearly round in outline. The
dorsum is somewhat flattened, so that the body is not thick. The
skin is covered with fine, short, closely set, chitinous ridges, and
in colour ranges from a pale yellowish brown to a dark brown,
^2 M

go THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

with the Malpighian vessel showing a greenish yellow. The
legs are more or less transparent. The capitulum has its lower
edge deeply concave, and the processes at its extremities are
sharply tapered, and, being short, do not extend beyond the
pharynx. The anterior processes are as usual longer, but they do
not reach back to the level of the posterior end of the pharynx.
At its posterior end the pharynx is very thick and broad, but
it narrows rapidly till the width is reduced to one-third. The
anterior third when viewed laterally is seen to be fairly curved.

The palpi are as usual characteristic. The extensor surface
of the second segment is highly arched, appearing, when viewed
laterally, to be almost angular. It has two spines close together
at its distal extremity, and two or three smaller ones farther back.
The bristle on the flexor surface stands back from the distal
margin, and is fairly long and slender. The distmctive feature
of the third segment is six long bristles on the inner surface.
Three of these are distal, one being at the flexor edge, one at
the extensor edge, and the third rather closer to it than to the
first. The fourth bristle is on the edge of the extensor surface,
about midway between the proximal and distal extremities of
the segment. The fifth lies slightly posterior to the fourth, but
more in towards the centre of the inner surface. The sixth lies
immediately posterior to the fifth, and about midway between it
and the proximal extremity of the segment. The hair at the
posterior pore on the flexor surface is very prominent, but the
anterior pore hair is very indistinct. The hairs on the extensor
surface are clustered distally, one being longer and more curved
than the others. The second, third, and fourth segments are
entirely porose, and very distinctly so.

The posterior ends of the first pair of epimera lie nearer to the
genital area than to the capitulum. The posterior ends of the
second pair are broad and thick. The posterior margin of the
fourth pair is variable, so that the epimera are to be found with
three or four edges. The lateral emargination is weak, and the
inner posterior corners are blunted.

The legs are slender, with no appreciable enlargement of the
sixth segment. At the distal end of the fourth and fifth segments
of the third and fourth pair of legs, there will be observed a single
hair— possibly a rudiment of the rows of swimming hairs to be
found in other species. The claws are small, without accessory
claw and lamina.

As in other nymphs, the palpi of the nymph of Z. a/iou/afa
differ considerably from that of the imago. The first segment

IIVDRACARINA FROM STRATIIEARN 91

is without any spines, and the second segment also wants the
long, characteristic bristle on the flexor surface. It has, however,
midway on the extensor surface one short spine, and on the
distal inner surface two moderately long bristles, one at the
outer edge and the other inside and slightly in advance of it.
The inner surface of the third segment has three long hairs, not
six as in the imago. Of these three, one lies nearly proximal
close to the extensor edge, the other two are distal and shorter,
one being at the extensor edge and the other close to it on the
inner surface. Extensor surface of fourth sesrment has three hairs
distal, the middle one being longest. The hair pores on flexor
surface agree with those of imago. At the distal extremity of
same surface there is a short ha^ir which stands well out.

The capitulum is similar to that of the imago, and lies in a
recess which is relatively large.

The posterior end of the first pair of epimera is tapered, and
runs well down towards the broad posterior end of the second
pair. The suture between the second and third pairs is open
for about one-third the width of the epimera, while the suture
between the third and fourth pairs extends in from the outer
edge for nearly three-fourths of the width. The fourth pair of
epimera are nearly rectangular, and have their inner margins
spreading out posteriorly. All margins are thick.

The genital area lies partly beyond the epimera. It has four
acetabula and is surrounded by a ring. Between the genital area
and the epimera there is a small sclerite.

The legs are sparingly equipped with bristles. Fourth and
fifth segments of the fourth pair of legs have a short hair like the
imago.

Of the earlier stages in the life-history nothing is )''et
known. L. angidata is the tenth species of Lebertia now
known to occur within the Britannic area. Descriptions of the
other nine species appear in i\\Q Journal of the Qiiekett Micro
Club (Ser. 2), xii., 479-5 H, pls. 33 and 34.

92 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

THE COLOUR OF HUITFELDTIA RECTIPES

SIG THOR.

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

Hnitfeldtia rectipes Sig Thor, was first recorded from
Norway, and afterwards from the Orkney Islands. Now
it has been found in the north of England. The earlier
records were from preserved material, so that no definite
statement could be made as to the colours. This lack has
been supplied by the English specimens. Mr C. D. Soar
writes me that the colour is an orange-brown with brown
markings. In the centre of the dorsum the colour is slightly
lighter in tone, without any trace of the T-shaped figure
indicating the Malpighian vessel, which is usuall}- so con-
spicuous in the closely allied genus Fiona.

79 Morningside Drive, Edinburgh.

Hylastes cuuicularius, Er., in Peeblesshire. — On 7th

October 191 5, while collecting Hylastes ater on newly planted
larch trees at Eddleston, Peeblesshire, I found, feeding side by side
with them, a solitary specimen of H. cunicularius. I have since
revisited the locality and examined numerous young conifers
attacked by Hylastes^ and also Scots pine stumps in which they
were breeding, but while H. ater was common, I found no more
cunicularins. So far as I am aware, the last record of H. cuniciilarius
in Scotland is that of Professor Beare from Innerleithen. Three
species of Hylastes occur in Scotland — H. ater, H CKnicnlarins, and
H. palliatiis. All three may, it is highly probable, occur together;
certainly I have found H. ater in company with each of the others.
H. palliatus is easily recognised by its smaller size and the stunted,
pear-shaped prothorax. H. ater and H. ainicularuis, on the other
hand, closely resemble one another. The best characters for
identification are the configuration of the prothorax and the breadth
of the elytra. In // ater the sides of the thorax are sub-parallel.
In cunicularius the sides are obviously rounded and the punctures
coarser (granulate). In H. ater the elytra are long and narrow, in
cunicularius they are distinctly broader and proportionately shorter.
— James W. Munro, Edinburgh.

NOTES 9?

NOTES.

Bembidium quinquestriatum, Gyll., in the Edinburgh
District. — In the January number (p. i6) of the Entomologisfs
Monthly Magazine, T. Hudson Beare records the capture on 20th
February 191 5 of this species of beetle in the Midcalder district,
and remarks upon its scarcity in the Edinburgh district. Since
1 90 1 he has repeatedly searched for it, but in vain, until the
occasion noted. In the March number (pp. 64-65) of the same
journal William Evans gives the results of his experience with the
species, and gives details of his captures in the neighbourhood of
the same city. In the course of the past twenty-seven years this
beetle was taken by him on scarcely a dozen occasions.

Myelophilus minor (Hartig), in Forfarshire. — On 14th
November 1915, while visiting a Scots pine wood on Balhall Estate,
near Brechin, I picked up three fallen pine twigs that had been bored
by a Myelophilus. I put these in my pocket and examined them on
my return to Edinburgh. In two of the twigs I found Myelophilus
piniperda, L., and in the third, Myelophilus minor. — James W,.
MuNRO, Edinburgh.

Some Notes on the Eclipse Plumage of the Young Male
Goldeneye. — -Eclipse plumages are often difficult to obtain, and
the published matter relating to the eclipse of the Goldeneye
[Bucephala clangula clangula) is, as far as we have been able to
ascertain, rather scanty. In Dresser's Birds of Europe there is a
full description of an adult male in eclipse, translated from
Dr Palmen {Finl. Fogl., ii., p. 469), and Bechstein has a short
description of the same stage (JValurg. Deutschlds., iv., p. 990). In
Millais' British Diving Ducks (vol. i., pp. 82 and 83) there are
interesting notes on the eclipse plumage of both old and young
male Goldeneye, but even he does not give a full description. We
therefore think it may not come amiss to place on record the state
of plumage of a young male in the collection of the Royal Scottish
Museum. This bird was got on Benbecula, Outer Hebrides, on i ith
November 1908 ; from the fact that the white on the wing-coverts
is so much mixed with dark, we take it to be a young bird about
sixteen months old. Head and neck greyish brown, paler on the
chin and throat ; some of the feathers have darker tips, and a lot
of very small dark feathers are appearing on the cheeks. The
white spot at the base of the bill is very indistinct, being represented
by a few white feathers mixed with the brown ones, some of them

94 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

having dark tips. Feathers of the hack greyish brown, becoming
darker from the hind-neck downwards ; the feathers have light tips
with an ochreous tinge. On the entire back many new feathers
are appearing which are much darker than the older ones, being
blackish with a greenish gloss. A few white feathers form a very
indistinct and much broken collar round the neck. Crop and sides
of the neck cinereous grey, the tips being slightly ochreous; some
new feathers of the same colour are making their appearance.
Under-surface white, with many new feathers coming ; flanks and
vent ashy grey with an ochreous tinge; new feathers showing
on the flanks. The tail consists of one old feather, brown and
exceedingly worn ; all the new tail-feathers appearing are dark, and
almost wholly in quill. The primaries, secondaries, tertiaries, the
primary and greater wing-coverts, are all in quill and just beginning
to sprout ; the wing-feathers being practically non-existent. The
right wing is rather more developed than the left. The lesser wing-
coverts are greyish brown with light ochreous tips, the median
coverts very worn, a mixture of whitish and dusky grey, with new
white feathers showing; under wing-coverts greyish brown. Scapulars
brownish grey with hoary grey tips ; several old feathers remain, in
which one web is white, the other greyish brown with an indication
of greenish gloss ; a good many new scapulars seem to be coming
in the same, while several darker scapulars are also appearing.

Our best thanks are due to the authorities at the Royal Scottish
Museum for allowing us to examine and describe this specimen. —
Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul, Largo.

Swimming of yoving Lapwings. — A very pretty little
incident of last nesting-season may be worthy of record in your
interesting pages. A pair of Lapwings had nested on an island
in the Knapps Loch near here. They were undisturbed, and in
due course hatched out. One evening thereafter, as some of us
were sitting watching the bird-life, the mother of these four chicks
flew over to the shore and at once started calling her family.
Three of the young birds immediately responded by entering the
water and swimming across. The fourth remained behind. The
mother then returned to the island, but what she said to the little
trembler will ever remain a secret. She then rejoined the three,
and there repeated her call. This time she was successful, for the
solitary little chap at once entered the water and swam bravely
across. The distance will be about 30 to 40 yards. I never saw
young Lapwings in the water before. — T. Thornton Mackeith,
Kilmacolm.

NOTES 95

Ivory Gull on the West Coast of Scotland. — On 5th

February 1916, I secured an Ivory Gull {Pagophila ebur?}ea) at
Mallaig. When I first noticed it, it was flying about with other
gulls, near the rocks. It is a beautiful adult male, with red eyelids
and black feet. — Leonard Barnard, Lowestoft.

Ivory Gulls in Inverness-shire. — The occurrence of Ivory
Gulls {Fagophila eburned) in the Beauly Firth is, I think, of sufficient
interest to be worthy of record in the Scottish Naturalist. On the
5th of February an adult male of this species was got there, and on
the 7th I saw another one at fairly close quarters. They came in
ahead of a bad storm. — William Berry, Lentran.

Dryoceetes autographus' Ratz., near Harela-w, Mid-
lothian.— On 4th February 19 16, while examining some fallen
spruce trees for Hylastes palliati/s, I found numbers of JDryoccBtes
autographus^ for the most part lying in their pupal chambers under
the bark. Those parts of the tree-stem which were wettest and
most sheltered harboured the greatest numbers. On other stems
larvae also occurred, and in fact scarcely a stem was examined
which did not harbour some. H. palliatus occurred along with
the Dryoavtes, but on the drier, fresher parts of the stem, especially
in the "crown." The first record of D. autographus in Britain is
from Scarborough, 1869. It has since been recorded by Bagnall
in Weardale, Durham. For the Scottish records I am indebted
to Professor Beare, who found it in 1902 at Hawthornden, under
Scots pine, and in 1903 near Midcalder, by sweeping under larches.
Mr Wm. Evans has also very kindly allowed me to examine several
specimens in his collection, and to give the dates of their capture
and the localities. In April 1903 he obtained it near Kirknewton,
Midcalder, on two occasions. On 2nd i\pril he took one specimen,
and on 14th April found a colony on a spruce stump. He again
obtained it at Blair Adam on 6th June 1909. The gallery of
D. autograplius is interesting. The mother-gallery is (J-shaped,
one leg of the (J being short. The larval galleries are confused.
This confusion is due to the fact that Dryoccetes lays its eggs in
clusters. As the several larvee hatch they may feed side by side
for a time, and then strike off in a radial direction ; or they may
follow the first hatched member of their group for a time and then
feed side by side, to scatter later. I succeeded in securing several
specimens of these curious galleries, and Mr Evans kindly showed
me a particularly fine one he had himself obtained. — James \\\
Munro, Edinburgh.

96 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Note on the habits of Phloeophthorus rhododactylus,
Marsh, and Hylastinus obscurus, Marsh. — Both these bark-
beetles inhabit whin and broom stems and branches, and in view
of their small size and the close similarity of their habits, some notes
on their contrasting features may be of interest. Phloeophthorus is
the smaller beetle, and is rarely found on thick stems, the galleries
usually occurring on stems or small branches half an inch in
diameter, and less. I have found it on branches less than quarter
of an inch thick. The mother-gallery of P. fhododactyhis is
Y-shaped, and is vertical. As a rule one arm of the Y is shorter
than the other, and sometimes it may be scarcely noticeable.
Hylastinus obscurus prefers stouter stems, an inch or more in
diameter, and I have never found it on branches less than half
an inch thick. The mother-galleries of obscurus are horizontal,
and may sometimes all but girdle the stem. The type is very
similar to the galleries of Hylesiniis crenatus on ash, and as in
crenatus, one branch of the mother-gallery may be shorter than the
other. — James W. Munro, Edinburgh.

Sinodendron cylindricum, L., in Peeblesshire. — On 14th
October 19 15 I obtained on a dying ash stem several larva; and
two adults of S. cyliiidricu7n. This beetle is comparatively rare in
Scotland, the last record being that of Mr Black from Peebles
district. The above specimens were obtained on Darnhall Estate,
Eddleston. Dr Stewart MacDougall has mentioned this occurrence,
and added a note on the beetle and its larvte in the January
number of the Arboricultural Societ\''s Transactions. — James W.
Munro, Edinburgh.

{Authors are responsible for nomenclature used.)

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 53.] 1916 [May

EDITORIAL.

The History of British Mammals, commenced by the late
G. E, H. Barrett-Hamilton, and carried on by Martin
A. C. Hinton, continues to make progress, Part XVIII.
having been issued quite recently. Only two species are
dealt with, viz. : the Harvest Mouse {Micromys minutus,
Pallas), to which twenty-one pages are devoted, and the
Black or Ship Rat {Epimys rattus, Linn.), the consideration
of which occupies the same amount of space, and is carried
forward to the next part. It is interesting to note that the
latter species is divided into three subspecies — the Black
Rat proper {E. rattus rattus), the Alexandrine Rat {E. rattus
alexandrinns^, and E. rattus frugivoriis, the last named of
which still remains to be considered. Very complete and
carefully compiled accounts are given of the distribution of
these rodents in Britain. We learn that the Harvest Mouse
" undoubtedly has occurred and probably still occurs in
Scotland, but it must be very local, and cannot be any-
where numerous"; it appears also to be less frequently met
with than formerly. The introduction of the Black Rat,
which came from the East, is discussed in great detail, and
an interesting account given of the extermination of this
species in many parts of Britain by its larger and stronger
relative, the Brown Rat. Three full-page illustrations and
two text-figures accompany the letterpress.

53 N

98 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

In the pages of one of our entomological contemporaries,^
we have read with feelings of anything but pleasure a paper
by C. P. Pickett recording the capture of an excessive number
of specimens of the Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly {Agriades
coridon), in order to secure as large a number as possible of
the variety known as roystonensis. The writer remarks that
he was able to " work " it as he " had never worked it before,"
and, let us add the hope, as he will never work it again. He
says that after examining some 60,000 specimens his total
of the variety amounted to 66 examples. During his stay
in the particular locality some 32 collectors were counted,
" all more or less keen on semi-syngrapha . . . and as each
captor stayed from one or two days to a week, roughly some
500 semi-syngrapha were taken." Although the species is
stated to have been flying "in countless thousands," yet we
cannot admit the justification of such wholesale slaughter of
a butterfly and its varieties. We should much like to see
some legislation put into force for the preservation of our
most beautiful insects, and a " Butterfly Protection Act "
would be as welcome as have been those passed in the
cause of ornithology.

James W. Munro has recently published- an excellent
account of the larvae of the Furniture Beetles — Families
Anobiidae and Lyctidae. From an economic point of view
this memoir should prove extremely useful, since it aims at
furnishing definite characters for the identification of the
larvae of these destructive insects. From an examination of
the author's descriptions and analytical keys, together with
the beautifully drawn figures which accompany the text, we
can cordially congratulate him on having achieved his object.
Indeed, the treatise is an admirable one in every respect,
and may well serve as a model for other workers in insect
morphology.

1 Entomologisfs Record, March 1916, pp. 59-62.

2 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society, vol. xix., pp. 220-36
(February 1916).

CONTINENTAL RACIAL FORMS, ETC. 99

CONTINENTAL RACIAL FORMS OF SCOTTISH
BREEDING BIRDS AND THEIR OCCUR-
RENCES IN SCOTLAND.

By Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul, H.M.B.O.U., and
Evelyn V. Baxter, H.M.B.O.U.

Each year more interest is being taken in the study of
geographical races of birds, their importance is becoming
more generally recognised, and their value more appreciated.
There are, of course, many species which do not vary in any
particular throughout the whole extent of their geographical
range, and with these there is no question of subspecies. On
the other hand there are also many species which vary
according to the localities in which the birds breed. In
some cases the difference is striking and the differentiation
is therefore easy ; in others the differences, though constant,
are small, and need careful study and comparison. These
differences, if constant in birds breeding in a given area,
entitle such bird to subspecific rank. The breeding quarters
of the various races of a species are, therefore, always dis-
tinct, though the winter quarters of the various forms may
be identical. There is a certain amount of intergrading
between the races, where the ranges meet, as in the case of
the Barn Owl, of which the dark-breasted and light-breasted
forms intergrade in France, and this may also be observed
in other cases. In this paper we shall only include those
which have occurred in Scotland, and of which we have a
resident race.

The identification of these racial forms is not by any
means an easy matter ; in many cases they differ in such
small particulars that it is impossible to identify them unless
the specimen be available for comparison and measurement.
Field identifications are, therefore, usually of little value ;
the comparative thickness of bill, length of wing, shades of
colour, etc., cannot be determined at a glance ; in fact, until
the worker is thoroughly familiar with the various races,
identification should only be attempted when a large series

100 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

of skins are available for comparison. There is a good
deal of divergence of opinion as to what constitutes a species
or a subspecies, and no two lists, indeed hardly any two men,
agree on this thorny matter. In this paper we shall, as is
our wont, follow Dr Hartert, and include two forms which
have not been differentiated in the new B.O.U. list. These
are the Continental Goldcrest and Hedge-sparrow, which
in our opinion are readily distinguishable from the
British races.

We propose to give a brief account of the status, in
Scotland, of the races dealt with, along with a description of
the difference between them and our Scottish breeding birds,
except in the case of forms which have frequently been
described before. To this we shall add any field notes
which we have made on the habits of these races. When
there is a big rush of immigrants from the Continent on an
isolated station like the Isle of May, and when Continental
Thrushes, Robins, etc., have been killed at the lantern, it is
^ fairly safe to assume that those seen on the island next day
are also arrivals from overseas.

The Redpolls are a very puzzling group ; the differences
between them are small, and the difificulties are increased by
transition forms. The Mealy Redpoll {Cardiielis linaria
linaria), which breeds from the far north, south to the
Baltic, is a fairly common winter visitor to Scotland. In
some seasons it occurs in very large numbers, the largest
immigration of recent years being in 1910. It is larger,
and the brown on the back is less red than in our resident
Lesser Redpoll {Carduelis linaria cabaret). A doubtful
and rather unsatisfactory form is Cardiielis linaria holboelli :
it nests in the Polar regions of the Old and New World, and
is stated to be larger, the wing longer (74-78 mm. in the
Mealy Redpoll, 75-81-5 mm. in Holboell's Redpoll), the bill
stronger and usually longer than in C, I. linaria (8 mm. in
the type, 9- 11 in the other). Hartert says there are transi-
tion forms between these two Redpolls, and that they often
breed in the same locality, which makes him doubtful
whether Holboell's Redpoll should not be accorded specific

CONTINENTAL RACIAL FORMS, ETC. loi

rank. It is an irregular visitor to Scotland, and has been
recorded from Haddington, Midlothian, Linlithgow, the Isle
of May, and Shetland. The Greater Redpoll {Carduelis
Imai'ia rostratd) breeds in southern Greenland. It is a very
large form, with strong linnet-like bill. The upper side is
very dark, and the striping on the under-side strikingly dark
and heavy. It is an uncommon visitor to Scotland, and has
been recorded from Lanark, the Inner Hebrides (Tiree), the
Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland.

The Northern Bullfinch {Pyrrhula pyj^rhula pyrrhuld)
is a larger bird than the British race, the wing measuring
93-98 mm., as against 81-88 mm. in the smaller bird. The
grey on the back is lighter, and the pink on the breast
generally brighter. The female, too, is lighter and cleaner
in colour than the British bird. The Northern Bullfinch
breeds in Northern Europe and Western Siberia, and is
an irregular passage migrant in Scotland, occurring in
considerable numbers in some years. It has been recorded
from Berwick, Haddington, North and South Fife, and the
Isle of May, Orkney, and Shetland. We have not, ourselves,
been fortunate enough to see this bird alive, but several
occurred on the Isle of May after we had left the island in
1910, and the inhabitants there told us what a beautiful
bird it was, and how much larger and brighter it looked
than the common form.

One of our most interesting birds is the SCOTTISH
Crossbill {Loxia awvirostra scoticd), which differs from its
continental relative in having a stouter and more curved
bill, the curve of the upper mandible being more round and
the whole bill heavier. The typical form of CROSSBILL
{Loxia ciirvirostra curvirostra) breeds in Europe generally
and in Northern Asia, and visits Scotland at irregular
intervals, and in some seasons in large numbers. The
Crossbills which have bred irregularly in a few of the
southern counties (Dumfries, Wigtown, Ayr, Linlithgow,
Stirling, and possibly Kincardine), probably belonged to
this race. In 1909 there was a very large immigration of
this form into Scotland : the first was seen on Fair Isle
on 23rd June; thereafter they arrived in numbers, as many

102 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

as 300 being seen on the island on loth July. They
were reported from almost every part of Scotland — from the
Shetlands in the north to Creetown, Kirkcudbrightshire, in
the south ; from Fraserburgh in the east to the Outer
Hebrides, Flannan Islands, and St Kilda on the west.
They alighted on ships in the North Sea, and hundreds are
reported by fishermen as having been found drowned.
They were reduced, in our outer isles, to such makeshifts
in the way of food as the yellow centres of daisies, berries,
seapinks, and greenfly, all very different from their usual
diet.

One example of the EASTERN SKYLARK {Alauda arvensis
cinerascens) is known to have occurred in Scotland ; it was
killed on the Flannan Islands on 24th February 1906. This
form is usually smaller and decidedly greyer than our bird,
and breeds in parts of Western Asia.

One example of the American Water Pipit {Anthus
spinoletta rubescens) has been recorded from St Kilda in
September 1910. It breeds in the Nearctic and N.E. Siberia.
The distinguishing feature of this subspecies is the large
amount of white on the second pair of tail feathers. The
Scandinavian Rock Pipit {Anthus spinoletta littoralis)
has occurred at Pentland Skerries, Orkney, and Fair Isle,
Shetland. It is distinguished from our Rock Pipit by
having a reddish wash on the foreneck, which is also rather
less spotted. This difference is only present in spring plum-
age ; in autumn dress it does not differ from our bird. The
Scandinavian Rock Pipit has doubtless occurred elsewhere
in Scotland on passage, but the above are the only definite
records.

Dr Hartert regards all the Yellow Wagtails as subspecies
oi Motacilla flava. The only one which breeds in Scotland
is the Yellow Wagtail {Motadlla flava rayi). Full de-
scriptions of the Blue-headed and Grey-headed Wagtails can
be found in any book on British Birds, so we shall not give
any here, merely recording their status in Scotland. The
Blue-headed Wagtail {Motadlla flava fiava) breeds from
Central Scandinavia to the Pyrenees and east to Russia.
It has occurred in Lanark, Haddington, Midlothian (an old

CONTINENTAL RACIAL FORMS, ETC. 103

and rather doubtful record), the Isle of May, and Aberdeen,
and is an occasional passage migrant in Shetland. The only
times we saw the Blue-headed Wagtail on the Isle of May were
on the 13th and 14th May 191 3. The picture rises before
us, of the plateau on the island covered with rough grass,
and with here and there pools of water, the result of the
recent rain. By one of these pools a Blue-headed Wagtail
was feeding, a beautiful bird with blue-grey head and very
distinct white eye-stripe. We watched it through our
glasses for some time, but when we attempted to approach
nearer, it rose at once and flew off. Syke's Wagtail
{Motacilla fiava beema), which breeds in West Siberia, has
once been procured on Fair Isle, on 13th May 1910. It
differs from Motacilla flava fiava in having a shorter tail
and lighter head, the superciliary stripe is very broad, and
the lower part of the ear-coverts is mixed with white. The
Grey-headed Wagtail {Motacilla fiava thunbergi) breeds
in Northern Europe and Siberia, and has occurred several
times on the Isle of May and in Orkney, and is an occasional
passage migrant in Shetland. We have several times seen
the Grey-headed Wagtail on the Isle of May in spring — the
features which strike one most being the shortness of its tail
and its note. This last is very loud and ringing, and quite
different from that of the other Wagtails with which we are
familiar. It is always very wild and unapproachable. The
White Wagtail {Motacilla alba alba) breeds in Europe
generally, and is a regular passage migrant along our coasts,
more common on the West than on the East. It reaches as
far as St Kilda, where it is one of the commonest birds of
passage, and has bred on several occasions in Shetland.
We have often seen this bird on passage, and have noticed
that the note differs very distinctly from the familiar
" chizzit" of the Pied Wagtail. The differences of plumage
between this form and the Pied Wagtail have long been
known, and need no description here.

The Northern Tree-creeper {Certhia familiaris
fajiiiliaris), which breeds in Northern Europe and Siberia,
differs from our resident bird in having the brown tints in
the upper plumage of a light yellowish tone, as against the

104 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

pronounced rufescent brown of the British Tree-creeper
i^CertJiia familiaris britannica). It is a rare visitor to Scot-
land, the only place from which it has been recorded being
Fair Isle.

The Continental Great Titmouse {Pants major
major) breeds in Europe and Western Siberia. It differs
from our native bird in having a slimmer, less powerful
bill. Specimens of this form have been obtained on the
Isle of May and in Shetland. It doubtless occurs elsewhere
down our coasts, but these are the only localities from which
it is authentically recorded. In the autumn of 1914 there
was a regular immigration of Continental Great Tits into
Shetland, where they remained all winter. The CONTI-
NENTAL Blue Titmouse {Pa?-us ccsruleus cccrukus) differs
from our British bird in being brighter and more yellowish
on the back, in being larger, and having a comparatively
slimmer bill. It breeds in Europe generally, and has only
once been recorded in Scotland, namely, in Peeblesshire in
September 1895. Two specimens of the CONTINENTAL
Coal Titmouse {Panis ater ater) are recorded in the new
B.O.U. list from Morayshire. It breeds in Europe and
Northern Asia, and differs from our resident race {P. a.
britannicus) in the grey tone of the upper side (washed with
yellowish olive in the British bird) and in having a some-
what longer wing.

In the new B.O.U. Hand-list the BRITISH GOLDEN-
CRESTED Wren is not separated from the Continental,
However, as Dr Hartert has done so, and as the Goldcrests
from the Continent, as well as those obtained during the
large continental immigrations, appear to us to differ from
the British Goldcrest {Regulus regulus angloruin), we intend
to include it here. The CONTINENTAL GOLDCREST {Regulus
regulus regulus) breeds in Europe generally, east to the
Caucasus and Asia Minor. It differs from our bird in being
greener (less olive) on the upper side, this difference being
specially noticeable on nape and rump, rather lighter and
less brownish on the under side and sides of neck. Immigra-
tions of this form occur almost every autumn in greater
or lesser numbers on the Isle of May and in Orkney and

CONTINENTAL RACIAL FORMS, ETC. 105

Shetland. Doubtless the immigrant Goldcrests, which some-
times occur in such numbers all down our east coast, also
belong to the typical form. The status of this bird, in
Scotland, is insufficiently known, and further definite records
are much to be desired. A large immigration of Goldcrests
is a most wonderful sight. When they arrive, which in our
experience is always with an easterly or south-easterly
wind, the poor little birds are often so tired as to allow
themselves to be picked up in the hand. They are strongly
attracted by light, and are among the most frequent visitors
to the lighthouse lanterns. They are by far the tamest
and most fearless of all the migrants, and will perch on the
rocks and garden walls within reach of one's hand. They
look strangely out of place in those barren islets, creeping
about on the great rock faces and swarming on the grassy
plateaux.

In Northern and Eastern Europe we find a larger, longer-
winged form of the Chiffchaff. The SCANDINAVIAN
Chiffchaff {Phylloscopus collybita abietinus) occurs in Scot-
land as a passage migrant both in spring and autumn. The
wing measurement is 62-67-3 ni^i- in the males, 56-60 mm.
in the females ; in the Common Chiffchaff the wing measures
from 55-60 mm , the longer being the males, the shorter the
females. The Scandinavian Chiffchaff has been recorded from
Orkney and Shetland, the Outer Hebrides, and the Isle of May.
On migration the habits of this Chiffchaff seem in no way to
differ from those of the Common Chiffchaff, Another Chiff-
chaff which is a regular autumn visitor to Shetland, and
has also occurred in Orkney and at the Isle of May, is the
Siberian Chiffchaff {Phylloscopus collybita tristis). This
form breeds in the extreme east of Europe and in Siberia,
and although usually occurring only on autumn passage
has been found wintering in Orkney and Shetland, and
has once appeared at Fair Isle in spring. It differs from
the Common Chiffchaff in the absence of yellow in the
plumage, in being whiter below, greyer on the back, and
in having coal-black legs ; the superciliary stripe is cream-
coloured instead of yellow. The bend of the wing and
under wing-coverts are sulphur-yellow, less greenish-yellow

53 O

lo6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

than in the type. We have only once been fortunate
enough to see this bird alive, when the absence of yellow
in the plumage struck us very forcibly, and the black legs
were much more conspicuous than we would have expected.

{To be continued.)

Comparison of Danish and Scottish Ornithological
Movements in 1914. — As the Danish Report on Ornithology
{Fuglene ved de danske Fyr, i., 1914) contains so much of interest
to Scottish ornithologists, and many of the movements recorded
therein correlate so closely with those observed in our own country,
we think it well to draw attention to the more outstanding points
in this interesting publication. The records from which it is
compiled are derived exclusively from observations made at the
lighthouses and lightships round the coast, only a very small
percentage being daylight observations. Perhaps the most striking
similarity between the two reports is found in the movement of
Dotterel, which took place in the end of August. On the last two
nights of the month the species is recorded from the lanterns of
the Isle of May and Mull of Galloway ; in some numbers at both
places. At the Lynvig lightship a large number were seen in the
rays on the night of the 2 9th-3oth, and six were killed. Another
instance hardly less interesting is found in the movements of Great
Tits ; these are recorded from various stations in Denmark, in
considerable numbers in October, and it will be remembered that
arrivals of this species took place on Fair Isle and in Shetland
during the same period. There are also many interesting records
of the spring and autumn migrations of Skylarks, Starlings, Red-
breasts, Turdina;, Waders, etc., and a study of the two reports will
show how closely these agree with those which take place in our
own country. One thing which strikes the student of the Danish
records is the number of ducks which are killed at the lanterns.
These birds do not appear to be much attracted by light, as a rule,
but here we find Black Scoter, Scaup, Goldeneye, Mallard, and
Eider, and in addition to the ducks mentioned Brent Geese, Coots,
Moorhens, a Razorbill, and a Little Auk, striking the lanterns.
There are also brief notes on the more uncommon birds which
have occurred during the year ; these include a Ruddy Sheldrake,
a Bustard {Otis tetmx), a Bee-eater, an Oriole, a Lapland Bunting,
and a Long-tailed Tit, which has been identified as Acredula
caudata rosea. — Evelvn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrev
RiNTOUL, Largo.

EASTERNESS AND ITS MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 107

EASTERNESS: THE VICE-COUNTY AND ITS
MOLLUSCAN FAUNA.

By W. Denison Roebuck, M.Sc, F.L.S.

In my capacity as Hon. Recorder of the Conchological
Society of Great Britain and Ireland, I am endeavouring to
complete the census of distribution as based upon examples
authenticated by the Society's referees. I wish to call
attention to the vice-county of Easterness as one which has
been very little worked, and yet which is of high importance
from the point of view of distribution. Its situation in the
British Islands places it at about the point where the study
of the northern limitations of range offers problems worthy
of investigation ; and the remarkable rift valley along which
the Caledonian Canal runs constitutes an important feature
of the physical geography of the vice-county, and one likely
to have presented a formidable barrier to the northward
progress of various species. In altitude the vice-county
ranges from sea-level on the Moray Firth to over 4000
feet on the Cairngorm and Braeriach range, and it includes
the vast forest of Rothiemurchus, the scene of the re-
discovery of the long-lost species, Limax tenellus. It is
important, therefore, that a much closer survey of its land
and freshwater mollusca should be made than has hitherto
been done.

The sketch-map given here shows the boundaries of the
vice-county. It may be defined as that portion of Inverness-
shire which lies east of the line of watershed between the
East and West of Scotland, to which is added Nairnshire,
and from which is subtracted a district which is included in
the vice-county called Elginshire, which is not quite the
same as the civil or political county of Elgin. It is needful
to explain that when Mr H. Cottrell Watson defined his
vice-counties, the civil county of Elgin consisted of two
detached portions, between which intervened a detached

io8

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

portion of Inverness-shire, the three taken together con-
stituting his vice-county 95, Elginshire. In 1870 an Act of
ParHament transferred the detached portion of Inverness-
shire to Elginshire in exchange for the southernmost
detached portion of Elginshire. The vice-county for
botanical and conchological work remains, however, as
Watson defined it, the difficulty now being to state in
words the southern boundary of vice-county 95. We shall

Boundaries of Easterness. Boundaries of other Subsidiary Boundaries.

Vice-Counties.

Sketch-Map of Easterness and Elginshire Vice-Counties.

have to content ourselves with knowing that it includes the
Dulnan Valley up as far as Elie, and that it includes
Aviemore in its south-east corner, and on the east the
Dorback Burn Valley with Nethy Bridge at its foot.

All the work that has been done in Easterness has been
done by very few observers, viz. : — Alex. Somerville in
1886 and 1888; Rev. J. E. Somerville in 1887; William
Evans in 1889, 1891, 1892, 1893; Rev. R. Godfrey in 1904;
Thomas Scott before 1891 ; Charles Oldham in 1911, and

EASTERNESS AND ITS MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 109

J. E. Black in 191 3 — all of them visitors, and none resident
observers.

The authenticated list is as follows : —

Li?nax cinereo-niger (^Volf).

Loch-an-Eilean near Aviemore, one, May 1893 (W. Evans);
the Doune, Rothiemurchus, one, 12th June 1S93 (/c/.); var.
maura in Rothiemurchus pine forest, one nearly adult and
one small, with next species, 29th August 1904 (Rev. R.
Godfrey).

Limax tenelbis (Miill.).

Abundant in the pine forest of Rothiemurchus, where it was
discovered by Rev. R. Godfrey on 29th August 1904. This
is the original locality in which the species was rediscovered
as British, after having been lost sight of for no less than fifty-
six years, and the history of its rediscovery may be considered
one of the few romances of modern natural history. Mr
Godfrey had previously collected the species in Switzerland,
and on working the Rothiemurchus forest was struck by the
similarity of the slugs which he found so abundant among
the pine needles to the Swiss specimens. He described it
as being emphatically the common slug of the habitat, where
its chief haunts were on old pine branches lying half-smothered
in the masses of blaeberries, whortle-berries, and heather — the
branches being covered with decayed pine needles and other
rotten vegetation, amongst which these slugs concealed them-
selves, although several were found under stones. Its ordinary
companion was L. arboruni. This discovery of the nature
of the habitat at once threw a flood of light upon the occur-
rence of the species, and showed that the reason of its having
so long escaped notice was the fact that, its habitat being
aboriginal pine forests, conchologists had never thought of
searching, from a belief that pine was inimical to molluscan
life. The hint was at once taken, and it fell to my lot to
organise immediate search in similar localities elsewhere. This
was the end of August, and on the 15th of October I left
England for a long tour at the Antipodes. During these six
weeks it was found in three more Scottish and two English
counties, making six in all, viz. : — ^Easterness, Kincardine,
Perth Mid, Perth South with Clackmannan, York North-west,
and Essex South. On my return in 1906 from my Antipodean
travel, I organised fresh work, and the species turned up in ^.
1907 in Northumberland South; in 1908 in Worcestershire,

no THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Buckinghamshire, and the Island of Jura (Ebudes South) ;
in 1909 in Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, and Staffordshire; in
1910 in Perth North; in 1912 in Surrey; and in 1915 in
Shropshire ; and it has also been found in Northamptonshire
— altogether six Scottish and eleven English counties, five of
these forming a ring encircling London. The secret of its
occurrence is its preference for aboriginal forest, pine in Scot-
land and the north of England, beech in the south ; and it
does not occur in modern plantations, so would seem doomed
to ultimate extinction as a component of the British fauna,
when and as the old forest tracts fall under the axe of the
woodman.

Var. cerea is the common and prevalent form at Rothie-
murchus, and elsewhere. Of var. fulva, a few with type at
Rothiemurchus, 29th August 1904 (R. Godfrey). Of var.
cincta, one was found at Moy, 29th September 191 1, by Mr
Charles Oldham, to whom we are indebted for the actual
discovery of the species in most of its English localities.

Liiiiax arborum (B.-Ch.).

Kincraig, by Kingussie, August 1889 (\V. Evans).

Var. alpestris occurred in Rothiemurchus forest, with Z.
teneili/s, 29th August 1904 (Rev. R. Godfrey).

Agrioliinax agrestis (L.).

Nairn, type and var. reticulata, 15th January 1887 (Rev. J. E.
Somerville) ; var. reticulata at Glenurquhart, 21st January 1887
{id.); Kincraig by Kingussie, 22nd August 1889 (William
Evans); Glen Feshie, before 1890 (id.~); Dalwhinnie, i6th
June 1892 {id.').

Agriolimax Icevis (Miill.).

Nairn, 13th January 1887, one obtained during frost (J. E.
Somerville); Kincraig by Kingussie, 22nd August 1889
(W. Evans).

ArioH ater (L.).

Inverness, one adult, ist June 1888 (Alex. Somerville); Kin-
craig by Kingussie, common, 22nd August 1889 (W. Evans);
Dalwhinnie, small, 16th June 1892 {id.) ; Rothiemurchus
Forest, one, with L. te/iellus, 29th August 1904 (R. Godfrey).

Arion sub fu sens (Dp.).

Dalwhinnie, i6th June 1892 (W. Evans); var. rufofi/sca,
Rothiemurchus pine forest, 30th August 1904 (R. Godfrey);
vars. rufofusca and fuliginea, a few of each, nearly grown, on
the western bank of the Caledonian Canal near Inverness
(Charles Oldham).

EASTERNESS AND ITS MOLLUSCAN FAUNA in

Arion hortensis Fer.

Nairn, one, 13th January 18S7 (J. E. Somerville) ; Glen Feshie,
alt. 1250 feet, September 1889 (W. Evans); Dalwhinnie, i6th
June 1892 {id.)\ Coylum Bridge near Aviemore, one adult,
very dark brown, 27th August 1904 (R. Godfrey).

Arion circumscriptus Johnst.

Nairn, one juvenile, 13th January 1887 (J. E. Somerville);
Glenurquhart, 21st January 1887, on gneiss {id.); Inverness,
several, ist June 1888 (A. Somerville) ; Kincraig by Kingussie,
22nd August 1889 (W. Evans); Glen Feshie, September 1889
(/V/.); Dalwhinnie, i6th June 1892 {id.); Moy, two adults,
29th September 191 1 (Charles Oldham).

Ario?i intei'medius (Norm.). '

Dalwhinnie, 1200 feet alt., i6th June 1892 (W. Evans);

Rothiemurchus pine forest, 30th August 1904 (R. Godfrey).
Vitrina pellucida (Miill.).

Upper part of Glen Feshie, 2nd September 1S89 (W. Evans);

Nairn, 15th January 1887 (J. E. Somerville) ; Nairn, a few,

1 2th September 1891 (W. Evans).
Hyalinia cellaria (Miill.).

Glen Feshie (W. Evans).
Hyalinia alliaria (Miller).

Glenurquhart, January 1887 (J. E. Somerville); Strathglass,

January 1887 {id}j ; Nairn, 15th January 1887 {id.); Kincraig

by Kingussie, 1889 (W. Evans) ; Upper Glen Feshie, under

stones at "The Huts," alt. 1250 feet, September 1889 {id.);

Castle Roy by Nethy Bridge, August 1891 {id.); Nairn, several,

i2th September 1891 {id^; Dalwhinnie, alt. 1200 feet, i6th

June 1892 {id.).
Hyalinia pura (Alder).

Var. nitidosa, Glenurquhart, January 1887 (J. E. Somerville);

var. margaritacea, Strathglass, January 1887 {id.).
Hyalinia radiatula (Alder).

Kincraig by Kingussie, 1889 (W. Evans); Dalwhinnie, i6th

June 1892 {id?); shore of Loch Cuaich near Dalwhinnie, one,

30th June T913 (J. E. Black).
Hyalinia crystallina (Miill.).

Strathglass, January 1887 (J. E. Somerville) ; var. contracta,

under stones at "The Huts," Upper Glen Feshie, alt. 1250

feet, September 1889 (W. Evans).
Hyalinia fulva (Miill).

Dalwhinnie, at 1200 feet alt., i6th June 1S92 (W. Evans).

112 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Zo?iitoides nitidus (Miill.).

Kincraig by Kingussie, a few, 22nd August i88g (W. Evans).
Helix hortensis (Miill.).

Glenurquhart, January 1887, one juvenile var. lutea 00345 (J. E.

Somerville); Rothiemurchus, type = var. lutea 12345 (W.

Evans).
Vallonia ptikhella (Mull.).

Nairn, 15th January 1887 (J. E. Somerville).
Zua bihrica (Miill.).

Kincraig by Kingussie, several, 22nd August 1889 (W. Evans);

upper part of Glen Feshie at 1250 feet alt., under stones, etc.,

at "The Huts'' (ruined cottages) above the shooting-lodge

{id}j; Dalwhinnie, very young examples, i6th June 1892 (/V/.) ;

var. lubricoides, one in rabbit burrow on Speyside near

Newtonmore, 12th July 19 13 (J. E. Black).
Limncea peregra (Miill.).

Nairnshire, locality not stated, a few, also juvenile, August

1886 (Alex. Somerville); Loch Morlich, a few, young, July

1887 (J; E. Somerville); dub by roadside between Kincraig
and Kingussie, 5th September 1889 (W. Evans); in the River
Spey, Kincraig, one, small, 25th September 1889 {id.); monst.
decoliatum abundant with type in the dub between Kincraig
and Kingussie, 5th September 1889 {id.).

Plajiorhis crista (L.).

Pond near Inverness (Thomas Scott, before 1890).

Platiorhis contorttis (L.).

Loch Morlich, July 1887 (J. E. Somerville).

Pisidium fontiftate Drap.

Loch Pityoulish {cf. Ordnance Map, Loch Phitiulais of
Baddeley's Guide), May 1893 (W. Evans).

Pisidiufn piisillum (Gmel.)

Nairn, one, August 1886 (Alex. Somerville) ; Loch Pityoulish
or Phitiulais, May 1893 (W. Evans); Loch Ness, collected at a
depth of 700 feet by Mr James Murray of the Lake Survey in
1903; the bulk are of this species, probably all, although they
were referred to P. milium and P. nitidum by persons who
have seen them (W. Evans).

Pisidium milium Held.

Loch Morlich, July 1887 (J. E. Somerville); pond near Liver-
ness (Thomas Scott, before 1890).

There are various species of practically universal range in
Britain which have not yet been reported to us for Easter-

EASTERNESS AND ITS MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 113

ness, such as Limax niaximus, Hyali7iia nitidula, Punctum
pygmcBiim, Pyraniidula rotundata, Helicigona arbustormn,
Hygromia fiisca^ H. granidata^ Pupa cylindracea, SpJiyradhiin
edentiihini, Balea perversa, Clausilia bidentata, and Cary-
cJimin minivuivi, among the land shells.

Only six freshwater molluscs have been reported, but
we ought certainly to see Unio viargaritifer (the Pearl
mussel), Aticyhis flnviatilis, LhmKBa truncatula, and other
Pisidia, besides other species. It would be of interest to
ascertain if such species as Helix iiemoralis, Helix aspej'sa
(so far only known to have crossed the line of the great
rift valley at one point, Ardtornish Castle on the Sound of
Mull, in Westerness), and Hygroinia hispida, have attained
so far north, these three being species whose northern limits
require tracing out.

I wish to make a direct appeal for further research in
this vice-county. If any specimens exist in collections,
either public or private, we should like to see them. If any
residents in the vice-county will collect what specimens they
can, their assistance will be valued — and in doing so it is by no
means needful that they be conversant with our mollusca.
Any observant lover of nature, if he takes care to include
the small species, and the common and therefore dominant
and variable forms, can further the quest, and naturalists
and others visiting the area can render equally good service.
The slugs are particularly desired, as they must always be
seen in a living state.

In the mountainous regions the observation of altitudinal
range is of importance and interest, and in all cases the
furnishing of as full data as possible, locality, habitat,
altitude, date, etc., adds immeasurably to the value of an
observation.

I shall be glad to hear from any one willing to co-
operate, at 259 Hyde Park Road, Leeds.

53

114 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Barn O-wl in the Glasgo^w District. — I found a dead
Barn Owl here on 27th February. The only other occasions on
which I have seen a Barn Owl here were in October 1912. In
Mr John Paterson's paper in The Glasgow Naturalist, on "The
Birds of the Glasgow District,'' he said, " I have only heard of the
Barn Owl at Cathcart and Milngavie in recent years. I have never
seen it myself." A keen observer of bird life who lives a few miles
from here tells me he has only seen it once in that district. — James
Bartholomew, Torrance, near Glasgow.

Flies in a Perthshire House. — As bearing upon the subject
of the hibernation of flies in houses, it may be interesting to record
that Mr J. M'L. Marshall, of Bleaton Hallet, Perthshire, noticed
this spring a large number of flies lying in a torpid condition near
the windows of several rooms in his house. At my request he very
kindly procured an average sample from each room, and submitted
them to me for inspection. Out of a total of 236 specimens
examined, I found sixty-seven of Limnophora septe/nnotata, Ztt., all
females ; thirty-five males and forty-four females of Pollenia rtidis,
Fab. ; forty-eight males and twenty females of Pyrellia eriophthalma,
Mcq. ; one male and two females of Calliphora erythrocephala,
Mg. ; one male and two females of Calliphora grmnlandica, Ztt. ;
one female of Musca domestica, L. ; four specimens of CEcothea
fenestralis, Fin. ; two females of Aphiochceta rufipes, Mg. ; and two
Mycetophilids (each of a different species), undetermined. The
other insects included half-a-dozen Chalcids and one example of
the Coccinellid beetle, Adalia obliterata, L. From the number of
insects in each room there is no evidence of a marked preference
for any particular aspect. — Percy H. Grimshaw, Edinburgh.

Tipula vittata, Mg., in Perthshire. — I have seen no notice
of the capture of this handsome species in recent years. As a
Scottish insect, it is recorded by the late G. W. Ord in Trans. Nat.
Hist. Soc. of Glasgow, 1897-98, p. 195, from Linn of Baldernock
(Clyde), and by R. Henderson in his Tipulidae of the west of
Scotland {^Ent. Mo. Mag., 1901, p. 115). I found the species once
or twice at Blairgowrie on marshy ground. It is rather a difficult
insect to catch, as it rises from the grass, etc., before the net is
within striking distance, flies on ahead, and suddenly disappears,
only to rise again as one moves forward. I have two males taken
in June 1910, and a female in July 1913. I have not seen the
species elsewhere. — A. E. J. Carter, Monifieth.

DiPTERA SCOTICA : VI. THE WESTERN ISLES 115

DIPTERA SCOTICA: VI.— THE WESTERN ISLES.

By Percy H. Grimshaw, F.R.S.E., F.E.S.
{Co7tti7iued from 1 9 1 5, page 281.)

HOLOMETOPA.

SCATOMYZID^.

276. Ainaurosoma fasciatufii, Mg. — i ?, Dunvegan, Skye, June

1905 (Waterston).

277. Scatophaga Hlorea, Fin. — i $, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston);

I S, lona, June 1906 (Waterston); i $, Uig, Skye, June

1906 (Waterston); i $ , S. Uist, 13th June 1906 (Kinnear);
I $ and 2 ? , S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw); i $ and
I ?, Benbecula, 7th June 1906 (Kinnear); 3 c? and i $,
Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston); 3 ^ , Garynahine,
Lewis, 4th July 1906 (Kinnear); Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

278. S. lutaria, Fab. — 1 ?, Uig, Skye, June 1906 (Waterston).

279. 6". maailipes, Ztt. — i $, and i ?, Dunvegan, Skye, June

1905 (Waterston).

280. S. ordinata, Beck — i $ , Loch Ba, Mull, Oct. 1907 (Annan-

dale).

281. S. sqiialida, Mg. — i $ and 3 ? , Jura, Sept. 1907 (Water-

ston); I $, Uig, Skye, June 1906 (Waterston); i (J, Barra,
June 1910 (Misses Baxter and Rintoul) ; i $ and 2 ?,
S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw); i ^ and i 9, Benbecula,
June 1906 (Kinnear); i cJ and 2 $, Balelone, N. Uist,
June 1905 (Waterston); 5 $, Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July

1906 (Kinnear).

282. 6'. siercoraria, L. — i (^ , Machrie, Islay, 30th Aug. 1904

(Miss Evans); 2 ^, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston); i ^,
Barra, 3rd June 1910 (Misses Baxter and Rintoul); 2 9>
S. Uist, 13th June 1906 (Kinnear); 15 cJ and 19 ?,
S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw); i ?, Balelone, N. Uist,
June 1905 (Waterston); 2 c^ and 2 ?, Garynahine, Lewis,
4th July 1906 (Kinnear); i $, Stornoway, 8th July 1906
(Kinnear); 2 ?, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 19 14 (Eagle Clarke);
Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

283. S. sui/ia, Fab. — 2 (^ and 2 ?, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

11^ THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

284. Scatophaga villipes, Ztt.— i $ and 2 ?, Jura, Sept. 1907
(Waterston); 3 ? , S. Uist, June 19 10 (Grimshaw) ; i $
and 2 9, Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July 1906 (Kinnear);
Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

2 85. Ceratinosfoma osfiorum, Hal. — i $, Benbecula, 7th June

1906 (Kinnear),

286. Norellia spinimana, Fin. — 2 cJ, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905

(Waterston).

287. Acanthocnema nigrimanum, Ztt. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

288. Gimnomera tarsea, Fin.— 7 $ and 11 ?, Garynahine, Lewis,

4th July 1906 (Kinnear).

Phycodromid^.

2 89. Malacomyia sciomyzina, Hal. — i $ and i ?, Jura, Sept.

1907 (Waterston).

290. CEdoparea buccata, Fin.— i $ and i $, Jura, Sept. 1907

(Waterston) ; i $ and 4 ? > S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw);
Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

291. Fucomyia frigida, Fin.— i $ and 3 ? , Jura, Sept. 1907

(Waterston); 6 ^^ and 8 ? , S. Uist, 13th June 1906
(Kinnear); i ^ and i ?, Skiport, S. Uist, June 1906
(Waterston); 2 ^ and 3 ?, Lochboisdale, S. Uist, June
1906 (Waterston); 37 $ and 81 $ , S. Uist, June 1910
(Grimshaw) ; i ^ and i ? , Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July
1906 (Kinnear); 3 ?, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 1914 (Eagle
Clarke); Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

292. Orygma hichiosa, Mg. — i $, Benbecula, 7th June 1906

(Kinnear); Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

BORBORID^.

293. Borborus equimis, Fin. — 6 $ and 3 ?, Jura, Sept. 1907

(Waterston); 2 $ and i $, Dunvegan, Skye, June 1905
(Waterston); 3 $ and 7 ? , S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw);
5 $ and 3 ?, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston);
Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

294. B. nitidus, Mg. — i $, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905

(Waterston).

295. Olina geniatlata, Mcq. — i ^ and 3 ?, Jura, Sept. 1907

(Waterston); 4 $ and 2 ? , S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw);
2 c?5 Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston).

296. Sphczrocera siibsii/tans, Fab. — i ?, Balelone, N. Uist, June

1905 (Waterston).

297. Liinosina crassi/nafia, Hal. — i, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

DIPTERA SCOTICA : VL— THE WESTERN ISLES I17

298. Limosina foutinalis, Fin. — i, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905

(Waterston).

299. L. limosa, Fin. — 5, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw) ; i,

Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July 1906 (Kinnear).

300. L. liifosa, Stenh. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

301. Z. sylvatica, Mg. — i ?, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw) ;

I ?, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston).

Dryomyzid^.

302. Dryomyza decrepita, Ztt. — 3 $ , Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

303. D.flaveola, Fab. — i ?, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

304. Neurocte7ia anilis, Fin. — i ^ and i ? , Jura, Sept. 1907

(Waterston). ^

305. Actora cBstuiitn, Mg. — 5 $ and i ? , S. Uist, June 1910

(Grimshaw); Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

Helomyzid^.

306. Helomyza bicolor, Ztt. — i $, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

307. H. hilaris, Ztt. — i (^ , Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

308. H. inornata, Lw. — i $ , Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

309. H. similis, Mg. — i ?, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

310. AUophyla atricornis, Mg. — i ? , Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

311. Leria modesta, Mg.— i $ and i ?, Garynahine, Lewis, 4th

July 1906 (Kinnear).

312. Heteromyza commixta, Collin — 12 $, Jura, Sept. 1907

(Waterston).

SCIOMVZID^.

313. Sciomyza albocostafa, Y\r).—i ?, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

314. Ditcenia cinerella, Fin. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

315. D. grisesce?is, Mg. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

316. Tetanocera hyaltpennis, v. Ros. {l(Xvifro?is, Lw.). — i $, Uig,

Skye, June 1906 (Waterston) ; i ? , Garynahine, Lewis, 4th
July 1906 (Kinnear); Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

317. T. robusta, Lw.— 3 ^ and 2 ? , S. Uist, 13th June 1906

(Kinnear); 4 ^ and 2 ? , S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw).

318. ATonochi2top]i07-a mnbraru7n, L. — Harris, 29th July 1883, C.

W. Dale, Ent. Mo. Mag., xx., p. 256 (1883-84).

319. Fherbina corylett, Scop.— i ? , S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw).

320. Elgiva albisefa, Scop. — i S, Lochboisdale, S. Uist, June

1906 (Waterston); 3 ^ and i ? , S. Uist, June 1910 (Grim-
shaw); I $, Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July 1906 (Kinnear);
Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

Ii8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

321. Elgiva lineata, Fin. — 2 9, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw) ;

I $ , Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July 1906 (Kinnear).

322. Hydroniyia dorsalis, Fab. — 4 $ and i $ , S. Uist, 13th June

1906 (Kinnear); 6 $ and i ?, Balelone, N. Uist, June

1905 (Waterston); Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

Sapromyzid^.

323. Sapromyza pallidiventris, Fin. — i, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Water-

ston) ; I, Stornoway, Lewis, 8th July 1906 (Kinnear).

324. S. rorida, Fin. — 3, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston) ; i, Uig,

Skye, June 1906 (Waterston); i, Stornoway, 8th July 1906
(Kinnear).

325. Minettia trispifia, Rnd. — 3, S. Uist, June T910 (Grimshaw).

326. Lauxania (znea^ Fin. — i, Uig, Skye, June 1906 (Waterston) ;

Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

LONCHiEID^.

327. Pallopfera trimaaila, Mg.— i, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

ORTALIDif:.

328. Herma frondesce?itice, L. — 6, Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July

1906 (Kinnear).

Trypetid/e.

329. Oxyna absinthii, Fab. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

330. Tephritis conjuncta, Lw. — i. Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

331. T. vesperti?ia, Lw. — i. Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

332. Urellia steilaia, Fuessly — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

Sepsid^.

333. Sepsis cynipsea, L. — 2 (J, Dunvegan, Skye, June 1905

(Waterston); i ^ and 5 9 , S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw);

1 c? and 2 $, Benbecula, 7th June 1906 (Kinnear); i $,
Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston); i (^ , Garynahine,
Lewis, 4th July 1906 (Kinnear).

334. Themira mifior, Hal. — i $ , S. Uist, 13th June 1906 (Kinnear).

335. Nemopoda cylindrica. Fab. — 2 $, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Water-

ston); 2 $, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston);

2 (^ and 2 9, Stornoway, Lewis, 8th July 1906 (Kinnear);
Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

336. Piophila nigrimana, Mg. — i, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw).,

DIPTERA SCOTICA : VI. THE WESTERN ISLES 119

337. Piophila vulgaris, Fin. — i, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw) ;

I, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 1914 (Eagle Clarke); Lewis, July
1 9 14 (Lamb).

PSILIDiE.

338. Fsila nigra, Fin.— 9, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Water-

ston); I, Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July 1906 (Kinnear) ; i,
Stornoway, Lewis, 8th July 1906 (Kinnear); Lewis, July
1914 (Lamb).

339. F. rosce, Fab.— i, S. Uist, 13th June 1906 (Kinnear).

340. Loxocera aristata, Panz. — 6, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw);

3, Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July 1906 (Kinnear); Lewis, July

1 9 14 (Lamb).

f
Chloropid^.

341. Melaman laterale, Hal. — 2, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

342. Meromyza pratoriim, Mg. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

343. Chlorops tceniopa, Mg.— 2, Uig, Skye, June 1906 (Waterston).

{To be continued.')

Empis concolor, Verr., in Midlothian. — There does not
seem to have been any record of this species since Verrall described
it in 1872. He captured three males and a female at Aberlady on
30th June 1870. This record is referred to in Mr Grimshaw's
"Diptera Scotica," iii. {Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1903, p. 164). It is
interesting, therefore, to know that the species occurs at Mussel-
burgh, where I took two males and three females at flowers of an
Umbellifer growing at the side of the Esk on 24th July 1906,
The species must be rare, as these are the only specimens I have
seen. — A. E. J. Carter, Monifieth.

Leria flavotestacea, Zett., in Midlothian and Perth-
shire.— While collecting at Polton (Midlothian) on 6th August
1906, I swept up a male of this rare species. I have also a male
taken at Blairgowrie, 12th June 19 13. This fly w^as added to the
British List by Mr J. E. Collin {Ent. Mo. Mag., 1910, p. 126) on
specimens from Forres, The Mound (Sutherland), and two Welsh
localities. It has since been recorded {Scot. Nat., 19 13, p. 137)
from Lochinver by Col. Yerbury. The present records show that
it is widely distributed in Scotland. — A. E. J. Carter, Monifieth,

120 TPIE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Woodlice of Scotland. — For some years past I have
been engaged upon a Monograph of the Woodlice of the British
Isles, and had it not been for the present European War, the first
part would have been published ere now. One of the features of
the work will be an exhaustive record of the distribution of the
various species, which has now become fairly complete for England
and Ireland, but still remains very incomplete for Scotland.
Robertson in i8S8 recorded the species occurring in the Clyde dis-
trict, and Dr Thomas Scott in 1891 and 1906 those of the Edinburgh
district, the only previous record being, I believe, that of Thomas
Edwards for Banff. Patience in 1908 also revised the records
of the Clyde district. Apart from these the actual records are
extremely few.

I feel sure that there are many Scotch naturalists who would
be willing to help to increase these records, if they knew that such
were desired. May I invite such assistance, which will be very
cordially welcomed and gratefully acknowledged. Specimens should
be placed on collecting in small glass tubes or bottles containing a
little 75 per cent, alcohol. A small piece of tissue paper should
be placed in the tubes or bottles in order to prevent the specimens
becoming damaged in transit. — W. E. Collinge, 3 Queen's Terrace,
■) St Andrews.

Laemobothrium tinnunculi (L.), from a Kestrel in the
Forth Area. — Among a number of JNIallophaga taken in the
Forth district since the publication of my list in Proc. Roy. Phys.
Society, 1912 (vol. xviii., p. 265), there is a species of Lizmo-
bothrium, a genus remarkable in this order for the large size of its
members. My specimens — one adult and three immature — were
sent me by Lance-Corpl. W. M. Ingles, who took them off a Kestrel
which was found dead at Dysart, Fife, on 15th January 1916. The
adult specimen (?) is quite 8 mm. in length. Two closely allied
species are stated to occur on the Kestrel, namely, Z. giganteum, N.
(^ = tinnunculi J L.), and L. titan, Piaget. According to Mjbberg's
figures of the heads of these, the Fife specimens do not exactly
correspond with either form, but occupy a somewhat intermediate
position, nearer, however, to the former than to the latter. Denny's
L. laticolle, from a Hobby in England, was evidently a very similar
insect to mine, which is probably the Pediculus tinnunculi of
Linnaeus. — William Evans, Edinburgh.

{Authors are responsible for nomenclature used.)

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 54.] lijlG [June

EDITORIAL.

We have pleasure in announcing that Mr W. Denison
Roebuck, Hon. Recorder of the Conchological Society,
proposes to publish in our pages a series of articles on the
various areas of Scotland in which it is desirable that further
molluscan investigation should be undertaken. The first of
these, dealing with Easterness, appeared in our last number,
and the succeeding papers will treat the subject on precisely
the same lines. In order to make the various lists more
complete, he is anxious to have the opportunity of examining
any material either existing in private collections or obtained
during the coming collecting season. We trust, therefore,
that such of our readers as have specimens in their possession
from any part of Scotland, or who have the opportunity of
collecting, will assist in this useful work. The area next to
be dealt with is East Ross, i.e. that portion of the county
which lies within the eastern watershed, and specimens from
this vice-county are desired zvithout delay. They should
be addressed direct to Mr Roebuck at 259 Hyde Park
Road, Leeds.

The feeding habits of the Purple-tipped Sea-Urchin
form the subject of an interesting article by H. N. Milligan.^

' Zoologist, March 1916, pp. 81-99.

54 ' Q

122 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The observations are based on notes made upon the
behaviour in an aquarium of about sixty examples, and
are detailed under the following headings: (i) Animal
matter as food ; (2) vegetable matter as food ; (3) inorganic
matter as food ; (4) the search for food ; (5) the positions
and postures adopted in feeding ; and (6) the time spent
in feeding. In the first section it is surprising to find how
varied is the diet of these lowly creatures. Several species
of fish serve as victims, but usually only the softer parts are
devoured, although an exception to this rule is recorded.
Various species of crabs and smaller crustaceans are
attacked, and even their exoskeleton and faeces eaten, as
are also the soft parts and even shells of molluscs. Other
echinoderms, polyzoa, and worms, also coelenterates and
sponges, form part of the menu, and even sand, gravel, and
chalk. A number of objects eaten by the Urchins are
illustrated in a figure, which shows clearly the amount
gnawed away by their teeth. It is pointed out, however,
that seaweed constitutes by far the greater portion of the
food of these animals, and this accords with our previous
ideas on the subject. The section on the " search for food "
shows how slowly yet surely the Urchins discover the
presence of a meal, even though the desired object be
placed from one to two feet away from the animal.
Whether the Urchin possesses a sense of smell and dis-
covers the tit-bit by this faculty is not stated, but it is
interesting to note that " the first sign given by a Sea-
Urchin that it has detected food is the extension and eager
waving in the water of those tube-feet which are on the area
of the animal nearest to the food." The time spent in feed-
ing is curiously long — four large individuals remained in a
mass of seaweed for a fortnight, in the course of this period
reducing the heap entirely to faecal pellets. Three other
examples remained fixed to a dead Hermit Crab for three
whole days ; while one Urchin, with a predilection for common
blackboard chalk, appeared to be occupied with this peculiar
diet for nineteen hours.

CONTINENTAL RACIAL FORMS, ETC. 123

CONTINENTAL RACIAL FORMS OF SCOTTISH
BREEDING BIRDS AND THEIR OCCUR-
RENCES IN SCOTLAND.

By Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul, H.M.B.O.U., and
Evelyn V. Baxter, H.M.B.O.U.

( Concluded from page 106.)

The Northern Willow-warbler {Phylloscopus trochi-
lus eversmamii) is probably a regular passage migrant along
our coasts, but is difficult to distinguish from our common
breeding bird, and is consequently much overlooked. In
Scotland specimens have been obtained in Haddington and
Kirkcudbright, on the Isle of May, and in Shetland. This
form is also recorded as having been seen at the Mull of
Galloway in May 191 3. This Willow-warbler, which breeds
in N. E. Russia and Siberia, differs from our breeding bird
in having a longer wing — 68-72 mm. in the males, 64-66 mm.
in the females, the type usually 66-70 mm. The first quill
is usually longer or broader than in P. t. trocJiilus^ and often
measures 18-18-5 "im. Dr Hartert says that in spring and
summer the colouring is greyer and less greenish than in
our birds, and in autumn the difference of colour seems to
be very trifling. This colour distinction, however, is not,
in our experience, one which can be relied upon, as many
of the Willow-warblers killed at the Isle of May lantern, in
spring, were totally devoid of any greenish shade in their
plumage, and yet had remarkably short wings. We were
greatly interested in these curious little grey-brown Willow-
warblers, and showed them to Dr Hartert, who agrees with
us in referring them to the typical form, P. t. trochilns.

The typical SONG-THRUSH {Turdiis philomelus philoinehis)
breeds in Europe generally and in Western Siberia. It
occurs on the east coast of Scotland in very large numbers
during the autumn migration period, and also in Orkney
and Shetland. This race has been taken at the Mull of
Galloway and Little Ross lanterns, and Mr Eagle Clarke
records it as a winter visitor to the Outer Hebrides. It is
probably a winter visitor to other parts of Scotland, but

124 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

proof of this is still lacking. The Continental Song-thrush
differs from the British race {Tnrdus philonielus clarkei) in
having less of the rufous shade on the upper side, which is
more olivaceous in hue, and much more greenish-grey on
the rump. The spotting on the breast is on the whole less
heavy, the rusty yellow on the crop is less extensive, and
the flanks, too, have less of the rusty colouring. In the
field this Thrush looks smaller and duller than our common
breeding bird ; we have seen enormous rushes on the Isle
of May, and have found it comparatively easy to distinguish
the two races at sight. It is a slimmer bird, not so puffed
out and self-satisfied looking as our familiar friend, and
one misses the ruddy tint which is characteristic of our
British Thrush.

The Greater Wheatear {CEnanthe cenanthe leucorrhod)
occurs as a passage migrant on all our coasts in spring and
autumn. The wing is from 5-12 mm. longer than in the
Common Wheatear {CEnanthe oetiantJie cenanthe) (about
98-111 mm.), the metatarsus is 2 mm. longer, and the under
side, particularly the throat, crop, and breast, is very vivid
rust colour in autumn dress. Even in the breeding season
they do not become as light as in the type. In the field
the Greater Wheatear generally looks brighter in colour,
and seems to hold itself more erect than the common bird,
while it is usually wild and unapproachable. In spring we
have seen the males displaying and singing, standing on
the rocks on the May. They very often come to the lantern
there, and we have caught and ringed a good many, but,
sad to say, had no returns. We notice this form is much
more inclined to perch on trees and chimney pots and other
prominent objects in the landscape, than our own bird.

There is only one Scottish record of the Indian Stone-
chat {Saxicola torquata indicd), namely, one on the Isle of
May in October 191 3. This specimen, a young male, differs
from our Stonechat of the same age, in having a much
lighter, more sandy brown upper side ; the dark shaft stripes
are very indistinct except on the crown, where they form
rather well-marked striations. The rump and upper tail
coverts are sandy cream instead of the reddish-brown of our

CONTINENTAL RACIAL FORMS, ETC. 125

bird; the light edgings to the tail feathers are much lighter,
more sandy than in P. t. kibernaiis. Underneath it is much
paler and more sandy, the black on the throat is much less
extensive and is heavily obscured by cream-coloured tips to
the feathers. The white patch on the wing is very indistinct,
and inclines to cream, and there are sandy edgings to all
the wing feathers. Truth to tell, at first sight the Indian
Stonechat looks more like a Whinchat than a Stonechat.

The Continental Redbreast {Erithacus nibecula
rubeculd) breeds in Europe generally, and West Siberia
to West Turkestan. It is a passage migrant along the
east coast of Scotland, has Qccurred at the Mull of Galloway,
and is a winter visitor to Shetland, and doubtless also in
other parts of Scotland, but definite records are wanted. It
differs from our common Britisli bird in being lighter,
more greyish green on the upper side, the red of the throat
is much paler, less rust-coloured, the rusty brown on the
sides of body is lighter and less extensive, and there is
more white on the under side. The under wing-coverts
are brownish cream or whitish (those of E. r. niclophilus
are rusty yellow spotted at the edge with rusty red), under
tail-coverts brownish white (pale rust in E. r. inclopJiihis).
The bill is thinner and lighter in the Continental bird. We
have seen large numbers of the Continental Redbreast
on the Isle of May, and have always been struck by its
extreme wildness. When one of our native Robins visits
the island it frequents the gardens and is a tame and
friendly visitor ; the typical form, on the other hand, keejDs
away from the houses, and is generally among the rocks and
rough grass on the island, taking covert in holes, cracks of
rocks, etc., etc. We have known them to arrive so tired
that they died from sheer exhaustion and starvation.

But few specimens of the Hedge Sparrow have been
examined, so records of the type, in Scotland, are meagre.
The typical Hedge Sparrow {Prunella inodularis vwdularis)
breeds in Europe generally, and is known to occur on
passage at the Isle of May, in Orkney and Shetland, and the
Outer Hebrides, and doubtless does so elsewhere on our
coasts. In the type the second primary is always noticeably

126 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

longer than the seventh ; in the British bird the second
primary is very little, only one to two millimetres, longer than
the seventh. The type is also somewhat lighter underneath,
but this distinction is not as constant as the difference in
wing formula. We well remember one afternoon sitting by
the harbour on the Isle of May, watching what proved to
be the beginning of a most interesting arrival from overseas ;
suddenly we heard a curious bird note behind us, and looked
round expecting to see a stranger. What was our amazement
when we saw a Hedge Sparrow sitting on the monastery
wall and calling loudly. We found out later that the Hedge
Sparrows which came in then belonged to the typical
form, and this curious penetrating call was doubtless a
migration note.

The only Scottish record of the Black-BELLIED Dipper
{Cinclns cindus cinclus) is one from Spiggie, Shetland. This
form breeds in Northern Europe, apparently to East Prussia,
and differs from our resident Dipper {Cinclus cinclus
britannicus) in having none of the cinnamon-red on the
front part of the under side. In this form the throat and
fore-breast are white, the rest of the under side chocolate-
brown. The sides and under tail-coverts are slate-grey,
the latter in fresh plumage have fine rusty yellow tips. The
front part of the under side immediately behind the white
inclines to reddish.

The status of the NORTHERN Great Spotted Wood-
pecker {Diyobaies major major^ in Scotland is very difficult
to determine with certainty. Doubtless many more of the
records are attributable to this form, but the only authentic
instances of its occurrence are from Berwick, Isle of May,
East Lothian (specimen in Royal Scottish Museum), Forfar,
Perth, Aberdeen, East Ross, Orkney, Shetland, and the
Outer Hebrides. It breeds in Northern Europe and Siberia,
and is an irregular visitor to this country in autumn and
winter. In some years it occurs in considerable numbers,
the last immigration being in 1909, when Great Spotted
Woodpeckers were recorded from many parts of Scotland.
This Woodpecker differs from our breeding bird in having
a stouter bill, longer wing, 138-143 mm. (Z>. in. anglicus,

CONTINENTAL RACIAL FORMS, ETC. 127

125-128 mm.); it is also lighter on the under side and sides
of the head. In the 1909 immigration several of these birds
were seen on Fair Isle, and according to Mr Eagle Clarke
" seemed very ill-pleased with their lot, since they frequently
gave voice to a peevish cry, usually as they ascended the
flagstaff or equally disappointing posts of the wire fences."
One visited the Isle of May the same year, but it spent a
happy and profitable time among the ant-hills which abound
on the island.

The dark-breasted form of the BARN OWL {Tyto alba
guttata) has only once occurred in Scotland, viz., in Shetland
in November 191 5. It breads in South Sweden and Den-
mark, Central Europe, west to France and south to the Alps,
Austria, and Hungary. It differs from our breeding bird in
having the ground colour of the under side warm orange-
buff instead of white, the upper side blue-grey, finely
vermiculated with bluish white, instead of rusty yellow
vermiculated towards the tip or for the larger part of the
feather with ash-grey, and whitish. The ground colour of
wings and tail much darker than in our bird, the facial disk
also darker.

The Levantine Shearwater {Puffimis puffinus
yelko2iaii), which breeds in the Mediterranean, has been
recorded from the Firth of Forth. It differs from the Manx
Shearwater {Piiffimis puffimis puffinus), which breeds in the
Scottish islands, in being browner on the upper side, having
brown under tail-coverts and flanks. This brown shade
sometimes extends over the whole under surface. The
axillaries are also brown, or ashy brown wit^ white bases,
occasionally white mottled with brown.

The only Scottish records of the SCANDINAVIAN LESSER
Black-backed Gull {Icarus fuscus fuscus) are from
Shetland and Stirlingshire. This form, which breeds in
Scandinavia and Russia, differs from the Lesser Black-
backed Gull {Larus fuscus britannicus), which nests with us, in
having a dark slaty black mantle, our own bird being clear
slaty grey in colour. The Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed
Gull will probably be found to occur much more frequently
than appears from the above records.

128 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

In this paper we have given the Scottish status, as it
is known at present, of the various races of which we have
treated. As will be seen, there is much work yet to be
done before their real status in this country is determined.
There are, of course, birds of which more than one race
has occurred in Scotland without there being a resident race
in our islands : to these we have not alluded, but a good
look out should be kept for them, as well as for other forms
of our breeding birds which have not yet occurred.

BOOK NOTICE.

The British Freshwater Rhizopoda and Heliozoa. By (the
late) James Cash and George Herbert Wailes, F.L.S., assisted
by John Hopkinson, F.L.S., etc. Vol. III. London: The Ray
Society, 191 5.

Works dealing fully, both as regards text and illustrations, with the
Protozoa, the true microscopic life, of these islands, can scarcely be said
to exist. It therefore affords us no little satisfaction to be able to
chronicle, with continued approval, the issue of a further instalment —
the third and as now arranged the last but one — of the Ray Society
Monograph of the British Freshwater Rhizopods. Notices of the first
and second volumes were given in the Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist, for 1906
and 1910. In the continuation of the work the Society has been
fortunate in securing the services of Mr Wailes, who is well-known as a
contributor, at first hand, to the literature of the group. The volume
now before us begins with a sketch of the life of James Cash, by whom
the first two were chiefly written. The systematic part of the work
is then continued and occupies 152 pages, beginning with the Euglyphina
and ending with the Amphistomina. The number of species described
is fifty-three, all of which are figured in the twenty-five fine plates (eight
coloured) and numerous illustrations in the text.

LEPIDOPTERA, ETC., AT SCOTTISH LIGHTHOUSES 129

LEPIDOPTERA AND OTHER INSECTS AT
SCOTTISH LIGHTHOUSES IN 1915.

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

The year 19 15 has been a lean one as regards entomologi-
cal data from Scottish lighthouses. This was, of course,
inevitable under the circumstances. Owing to the war,
many of the lighthouse lanterns, especially those on the east
coast, have only been lighted occasionally and for the
briefest of intervals. Consequently at the majority of
stations few opportunities for obtaining moths or other
insects have presented themselves.

From the Isle of May lighthouse, formerly so productive,
a single consignment sent by Mr Baigrie in August is all
that I have received. Of the seven other light-stations,
which in my first Report ^ are referred to as the Forth
group, the Bell Rock, whence Mr M'Cormick sent a few
specimens in July, alone falls to be mentioned on the present
occasion.

On the west coast, with more opportunities, better results
were forthcoming. From Killantringan, Wigtownshire coast,
Mr D. A. Mowat has forwarded several lots of specimens,
including among other additions to the list for this station
an example of Xylophasia lithoxylea^ a moth I have not
previously seen from any of the lighthouses. On 24th
August Mr Mowat wrote as follows : — " I am sending a few
moths I have got. They are very scarce this season, but
they may come yet." Nothing in the nature of a "rush"
would appear, however, to have taken place. In September
Mr W. Begg, formerly stationed at Inchkeith, kindly sent
about forty moths (representing twelve species) and a beetle
from Little Ross lighthouse, on the coast of Kirkcudbright-
shire. These were especially welcome, seeing they came
from a station not previously on the contributing list.

^ Scottish Naturalist, 1914 and 1915.

54 R

130 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

As already recorded {Scot. Nat., 1915, p. 335), Mr R. Wilson^
captureda Death's-head Hawk-moth {Acherontza atropos) at
Skerryvore, on the i8th of September — a notable occurrence.
It is a male, and made its appearance with a south-easterly
wind. From Mr Clyne, a box containing a couple of dozen
moths taken at the Butt of Lewis lantern was received in
October ; as in the two previous years, Dasypolia templi was
among them, being this time represented by nine males and
three females.

In the third week of August Mr M'Eachern sent me
a number of moths and three caddis-flies taken on various
dates at the North Unst (Muckle Flugga) lighthouse and
shore establishment ; these comprise about a dozen additions
to the list previously given from this remote station. Two of
them, Aphelia ossemia and Plutella annulatella, are, moreover,
additions to the general list.

Referring to the published records of occurrences of
moths at lighthouses on the coasts of Great Britain and
Ireland, cited in the second section of my original Report,
attention should also be called to the following sentences in
Mr W. F. de V. Kane's account of the Lepidoptera collected
on Clare Island in the west of Ireland. " Further disappoint-
ment," he writes, "was caused by the almost complete
failure of the lighthouse lantern to attract night-flying
moths, which was attributed by the lighthouse keeper (who
was familiar with this method) to' the constant high winds
which sweep the lofty cliffs on which the buildings stand.
Dicranura v inula, Saturnia pavonia, Arctia caja, and a few
common Noctuse were the only captures at the lamp "
{Clare Island Survey, part 26, p. 2, 191 2).

In thanking, as I now do, those light-keepers who have
sent specimens during the past year, I venture to ask that
they will not forget us in 1916 should opportunities occur,
and to express the hope that the time may not be far off
when a return to more normal conditions will bring us not

' Mr Wilson, I regret to say, died in the beginning of February
1916. His cordial and enthusiastic assistance in this investigation
while he was stationed on the Isle of May, I have already acknowledged,
and shall always bear in grateful remembrance.

LEPIDOPTERA, ETC., AT SCOTTISH LIGHTHOUSES 131

only an increase in the number of specimens, but also in the
number of contributing stations.

The lists of species received from the seven above-
mentioned lighthouses during 191 5 are given below. An
examination of the specimens of Plusia gamma brings out
the fact that the paler, more silvery ones are all males.
In Barrett's Lepidoptera of the British Isles, the species is
described as " variable ... in the ground colour and general
tone of colour of the fore wings, from silvery whitish-grey to
deep slate-grey, brown-grey, and purple-grey " ; but there is
no suggestion that the question of sex has anything to do
with this. ,

Isle of May Lighthouse.

Captured prior to i ith August.

One butterfly, Vanessa urtiav, ? : and the following moths : —

Xylophasia polyodon, 12 ^ and 9 ? ; Agrotis lucernea, 2 $ and i ? ;

Triphcena pronuba, 1 ? . Also a Caddis-fly, Stenophylax pertnistus,

$ : and a beetle, Serica brunnea, ? . All are already on the list

of species obtained at this lighthouse.

Bell Rock Lighthouse.

Xylophasia polyodon, ^ , taken 12th July, wind N.E.
Caradrina quadripunctata, $, loth July, wind E.
Vespa twrvegica, ? (queen wasp), i6th June, wind S.E. All
were at the lantern.

Little Ross Lighthouse.

Taken during the summer, prior to 15th September: — Leucania
pallens, i c^ and i ? ; Xylophasia polyodon, 4 $ and 9 $ ; Charccas
gramiiits, 2 ^ ; Agrotis strigula, i S ; Nodua xanthographa, i $ ;
Triptimia protiuba, 7 ; Amphipyra tragopogojiis, i S ', Xatithia
flavago {silago), i $ ; Cirrhcedia xerampelina, i ? ; Calymnia
trapezina, i S ] Plusia gamma, 9. Along with these moths there
was a specimen of one of the Dung-beetles, Aphodius rufipes.

KiLLANTRINGAN LIGHTHOUSE.

From this station six parcels were received.

I. Contained the following moths (nine species), a beetle, and
an earwig, taken at the lantern, between May and July -.—Spilosofna

132 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

menthastri, i ^ ; Dicranura vi?ttila, i $ ; Notodofita didcea^ i $ ;
Phalera bucephala, i ^ ; "^Demas coryli, i (^ : Xylophasia polyodon,
L., 3 ^ and i $ ; Agrotis lucernea, 2 (^ ; Crafiibus tristellus, 2 ;
CEcophora pseudospretella, 2 ; Aphodius rujipes, 4 ; '^Forficula
auria/laria, i.

2. Eleven species, captured 9th to 12th August: — Notodonta
dictaa, i (^ ; '''Xylophasia lithoxylea, Fb., i (J ; X polyodon, L.,
2 c^ ; Apamea didyfna, 1 1;^ ; *Nocfua ri/M, i ^ ; N. xatithographa,
I S J TriphcBna pronuba, 3 (^ ; '^Hadena okracea, i (J ; Crambus

perlellus, i ; C tristelhis, 1 ; and Aphodius rufipes, 2.

3. Nine species, captured 9th to 12th September: — Lt/perina
cespitis, 2 (J ; Triphcsna pronuba, 5 $ ; Amphipyra fragopogofds,
I $ ; Anthocelis iunosa, 6 (^ ; Epunda fiigra, 1 ^ ; *Calocampa
exoleta, 1 ,$ ; Plusia gamma, xo $ and 8 $ ; * Aphodius rufescens,
I ; A. rufipes, 2.

4. Twelve species, taken in September and October, prior to
5th : — Agrotis suffusa, 2 ^ ; Triphccna pronuba, i $ ; Anchocelis
limosa, 3 (J and i ? ; Phlogophora meticulosa, i $ ; *Calocaitipa
exoleta, i $ ; Plusia gamma, \2 $ and 9 $ ; Scop aria sp. inc., i ;
Depressaria arefiella, 3. Also, Tipula confusa, 2 $ ; Z! okracea,
I (? j '''Ophio'ri hiteus, i (? and i ? ; Aphodius rifipes, i.

5. Three species, taken in October : — Agrotis suffusa, 2 ; Phlogo-
phora meticulosa, 6 ; Plusia gamma, 2.

6. Four species, taken on night of loth November: — *Pa'cilo-
campa poptili, i $ ; Phlogophora meticulosa, 6 $ and 2 ? ; Himera
penjiaria, 3 (^ ; *Cidaria miata, i $ .

Additions to the Killantringan list published in the first Report
are marked with an asterisk.

Skerryvore Lighthouse.

Death's-head Hawk-moth {Acherofttia atropos), i c^, iSth
September ; was found in forenoon clinging to the outside wall
beside the entrance door to the tower; wind S.E., a strong breeze
(vide Scot. Nat., 1915, p. 335).

Butt of Lewis Lighthouse.

A parcel received from this lighthouse in October contained the
following moths; most of them were got on 9th, loth, and nth
September, then a few on 4th-5th and 8th-9th October. All are
already on the Butt List : — Hepialus humuli, i $ (taken in the
summer, no doubt); Xylophasia polyodon, L., 1 ^ ; Agrotis lucernea,

LEPIDOPTERA, ETC., AT SCOTTISH LIGHTHOUSES I33

I (^ ; Dasypolia templi^ 9 $ and 3 9 ; Plusia gamma, 2 ^ ; Pliitella
dahlia, 6.

North Unst Lighthouse.

From this station the following were received on 23rd August,
most of them being additions to its list: —

1. Taken at Shore Station on 4th, 15th, and i6th July: —
Hepialus hitmuli v. hethlandica, i $ and i ? ; H. lupulinus, i ;
Agrotis strigula, 2 ; Hadena dentina, i $ ; Melanippe flucfuata, 3 ;
Cidaria ccEStata, i ; Aphelia osseana, Scop, {pratana, Hb.), i ;
Plutella cruciferarum, i ; and the Caddis-fly, Halesus radiatus, i $ .

2. Caught at lighthouse lantern, on 7th and 8th August : —
Charccas graminis, i $ ; Noctua festiva, dark var., 2 ^ and i $ ;
Cidaria ccEsiata, i; Sciaphila pefiziana \. colquhoiinana, 6; Plutella
annulatella, i ; also Stenophylax permistiis, i (J .

3. Taken at Shore Station, 9th to nth August: — Hepialus
Juanuli v. hethlandica, \ $ \ H. velleda, i (^^ ; Mamestra brassicce, i ;
Agrotis strigula, i (J and i 9 ; Noctua glareosa, 1 ^ ; N. festiva,
dark var., 9; Hadena adusta, i $ ; Cidaria ccesiata, 5; and Stetio-
phylax permistus, i (^ .

Tlie specimens of Noctua festiva all belong to the dark form from
Shetland figured as var. borealis in Barrett's " British Lepidoptera."

Neuroptera (in the Linnaean sense) from Inverness-
shire.- — Under this title Kenneth J. jMorton records {Ent. Mo.
Mag., May 191 6, pp. 114-116) the following species taken in the
Lochaber district (between the rivers Treig and Spean), during the
month of July last : — ^schna ccerulea, ^. jiincea, Somatochlora
arctica, Cordt/legaster annulatus, Leucorrhinia dubia, Libellula
quadrimaculata, Enallagma cyathigerum, Pyrrhosoma nymphula,
Perla maxima, P. cephalotes, Chloroperla grammatica, Isopteryx
torrentium, Nemoura variegata, N. cijierea, N. cambrica, N
inconspicua, Leuctra klapaleki, L. albida, L. iuermis, Panorpa
germanica, Hemerobius mortoui, H. stigma, H. pini, H. atrifrons,
H. orotypus, H. lutescens, H. margi7iata, H. conciunus, H. quadri-
fasciatus, Chrysopa vittata, C. alba, Sialis lutaria, Phrygauea
obsoleta, Limnophilus luridus, L. auricula, L. centralis, L. vittatus,
L. griseus, L. sparsus, Stenophylax stellatus, Lepidostoma hirtum,
Crunoecia irrorata, Sericostoma personatum, Odontocerum albicorne,
Leptocerus aterrimus, CEcetis ochracea, Mystacides azurea. Hydro-
psyche instabilis, H. pellucidula, Polycentropus flavomaculatus,
Philopotamus mo nt anus, Tinodes wancri, and Hydroptila femoralis.

134 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

DIPTERA SCOTICA: VI.— THE WESTERN ISLES.

By Percy H. Grimshaw, F.R.S.E., F.E.S.
(Concluded from page 119.)

Ephydrid^.

344. Notiphila cinerea, Fin. — 3, S. Uist, 13th June 1906 (Kinnear) ;

32,8. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw); 2, Balelone, N. Uist,
June 1905 (Waterston); Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

345. Pi. fiigricoriiis, Stenh. — i, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw).

346. iV~ uiiginosa, Hal. — 9, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw).

347. Hydrellia albiceps, Mg. — 5, S. Uist, June 19 10 (Grimshaw).

348. H. griseoia. Fin. — 4, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston) ; i. Loch

Ba, Mull, Oct. 1907 (Annandale) ; 3, Uunvegan, Skye, June
1905 (Waterston); 3, Uig, Skye, June 1906 (Waterston),
and one from same locality with white face ; 2, Lochboisdale,
S. Uist, June 1906 (Waterston); 38, S. Uist, June 19 10
(Grimshaw); 36, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston);
4, Stornoway, 8th July 1906 (Kinnear); Lewis, July 1914
(Lamb).

349. H. rafn/fici/h\ Hal. — i, lona, June 1906 (Waterston); i,

Lochboisdale, S. Uist, June 1906 (Waterston) ; 3, S. Uist,
June 1 9 10 (Grimshaw).

350. Philygria pundatonervosa, Fin. — 2, S. Uist, June 1910

(Grimshaw); Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

351. Pelina (enescetis, Stenh. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

352. Parydra quadripunctata, Mg. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

353. Scatella cestuans^ Hal. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

354. 6*. sibilans, Hal. — 3, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw); i,

Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston).

355. S. stagnalis, Fin. — 2, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston); 3, S.

Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw) ; Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

356. Cicnia fumosa, Stnh. — 1$, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

The only other British record of this fine and probably rare
species known to me is that of Walker's in Itis. Brit.
Diptera, vol. ii., p. 265, where he says: "Rare; found in
August at Loch Fad, Isle of Bute."

DROSOPHILIDyE.

357. Scaptomyza flaveola^ Mg. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

DIPTERA SCOTICA : VI. THE WESTERN ISLES 135

358. Scaptomyza graminum, Fin.— 6, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston);

I, lona, June 1906 (Waterston) ; 4, Balelone, N. Uist, June

1905 (Waterston).

Geomyzid^e.

359. Opomyza ger?ntnatiotiis, L. — i, Machrie, Islay, 30th Aug.

1904 (Miss Evans); 2, Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston); i,
Dunvegan, Skye, June 1905 (Waterston); 2, Lochboisdale,
S. Uist, June 1906 (Waterston); 5, S. Uist, June 1910
(Grimshaw) ; 3, Garynahine, Lewis, 4th July 1906 (Kinnear) ;
I, Stornoway, Lewis, 8th July 1906 (Kinnear); Lewis, July
1 9 14 (Lamb).

360. Balioptera ventista, Mg. — i, Lochboisdale, S. Uist, June

1906 (Waterston); Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

OCHTHIPHILID.E.

361. Ochthiphila flavipalpis^ Hal. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

362. O. geiiifi/hita, Hal. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

363. O. polysfigma, Mg. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

MiLICHIDiE.

364. Phyllomyza secuj'icoriiis, Fin. — i Si Skiport, S. Uist, June

1906 (Waterston) ; i 9 , Stornoway, 8th July 1906 (Kinnear).

Agromyzid^.

365. Cerodonta denticornis, Panz. — i, lona, June 1906 (Waterston) ;

5, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw); i, Balelone, N. Uist,
June 1905 (Waterston).

Phytomvzid^.

366. Phytomyzaflava, Fin. — i. Jura, Sept. 1907 (Waterston).

367. P. varipes, Mcq. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb). If this is

correctly identified it is an addition to the British list. I
have not seen the specimen.

368. Napojuyza lateralis^ Fhi. — i, S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw);

3, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston).

PUPIPARA.

HlPPOBOSCID^.

369. Ornithomyia avicularia, L. — 2, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 19 14

(Eagle Clarke).

370. Lipoptena cervi, L. — 2, Loch Ba, Mull, Oct. 1907 (Annandale).

135 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

ADDITIONAL SPECIES.

DOLICHOPODID.'E.

371. Dolichopus griseipennis, Stann. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

372. D. longicornis, Stann. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

373. Hydrophorus pracox^ Lehm. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

374. Ca7npsicne??ius scamkis, Fin. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

375. Micromorphus albipes, Ztt. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

Syrphid^,

376. Pipizella flavitarsis, Mg. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

377. Neoascia podagrica, Fab. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

378. Sericomyia lappona, L. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

Tachinid/e.

379. Sarcophaga melajiitra, Mg. — i $, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 1914

(Eagle Clarke).

Anthomyiid^.

380. Fucellia maritima, Hal. — i S, S. Uist, 13th June 1906

(Kinnear); 17 $ and 10 ? , S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw).

ADDITIONAL LOCALITIES.

[Of the additional records obtained since the compilation of the
earlier portion of this paper, only such are included in the following
list as extend the distribution to a different island.]

48. Simulium reptans, L. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

82. Tipiila oleracea, L. — i $, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 1914 (Eagle
Clarke).

86. Chloromyia forinosa, Scop. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

93. Lepiis scolopacea, L. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).

95. Thereva noMHfata, Fab. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).
108. Enipis tessel/ata, Fab. — 3 ?, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 1914

(Eagle Clarke).
133. Dolichopus hrevipennis^ Mg. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).
139. D. ufigulatiis, L. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).
155. Ectomus alpifius, Hal. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).
159. Liogaster metallina, Fab. — Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).
164. Platychirus manicatus, Mg. — i ?, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 1914

(Eagle Clarke) ; Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb),
176. Rhi>igia campestris, Mg. — Lewis, July 19 14 (Lamb).

DIPTERA SCOTICA : VI.- — THE WESTERN ISLES 137

178. Eri stalls horflcola, Deg. — i $ and i ?, Butt of Lewis,

Sept. 1914 (Eagle Clarke); Lewis, July 1914 (Lamb).
182. E. fefiax, L. — 2 ?, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 1914 (Eagle Clarke).
184. Helophllus pendubis^ L. — 8 $ and 5 $ , Butt of Lewis, Sept.

1914 (Eagle Clarke); Lewis, July T914 (Lamb).
187. Serlcomyla borealls, Fin. — i $, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 1914

(Eagle Clarke).
194. Bucentes genlculata, Deg. — i $ and i ?, Butt of Lewis, Sept.

1914 (Eagle Clarke).
203. Cyfiomyia mortuorum, L. — 4 $, Butt of Lewis, Sept. 1914

(Eagle Clarke).
208. Pseudopyrellia cornlclna, Fab. — 4 ? , Butt of Lewis, Sept.

1 9 14 (Eagle Clarke). ,

274. Schccfiomyza lltorella, Fin. — 4 $, and 4 ?, Jura, Sept. 1907

(Waterston) ; 5 ? , S. Uist, June 1910 (Grimshaw) ; 2 $ and
3 $, Balelone, N. Uist, June 1905 (Waterston).

275. Fucellla fucorutn, Fin. — -7 $, and 15 ? , S. Uist, June 1910

(Grimshaw).

From the preceding list it may be noted that, as regards
the number of species collected in each island. Jura heads
the list with 166; then follow Lewis with 150, South Uist
with 148, North Uist with 90, and Skye with 78. Of the
smaller islands we have Benbecula with 27 species and lona
with 22. The lists for the other islands are so small as to
be negligible.

I have endeavoured, by tabulating the results in various
ways, to ascertain whether any trustworthy conclusions can
be drawn from the distribution of the various species, but
have failed to obtain anything of a satisfactory nature. It
is obviously unsafe to found any deductions upon collections
formed by various individuals whose methods of collecting
no doubt varied in detail, who visited the islands in different
months, and who experienced different weather conditions.
Until the islands are thoroughly and systematically in-
vestigated on a uniform plan, our lists must remain unre-
liable for statistical purposes, and the only value one can
attach to the foregoing list is that of actually placing on
record the existence of the species on the islands concerned,
and of extending in a great many cases their known dis-
tribution in a northward and westward direction.
54 S

138 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Since the earlier portion of my paper appeared, I have
been favoured with a large number of specimens and records
from Lewis, through the kindness of Mr C. G. Lamb, of
Cambridge, and also with a number collected by Mr W.
Eagle Clarke at the Butt of Lewis. To both these gentle-
men I here express my sincere thanks.

It is necessary to expunge the remarks I made in the
last paragraph of the introduction regarding Meigen's 1900
paper, as I have entirely (and I hope finally) changed my
views as to the validity of the generic names contained
therein. On consulting an actual copy of this rare pamphlet
in the library of the British Museum, I found that, although
it was certainly published and the genera briefly described,
yet no species are actually referred by name to these
genera, and that therefore, on this ground alone, we are
justified in consigning them to oblivion.

Miscodera arctica in Forth area. — With reference to the
record of this beetle from Ben Ledi by Mr William Evans in the
March number of the Scottish JVaturalist, I would like to mention
that I got a specimen on the hills at Strathyre. It was found under
a stone on 3rd January 1912. I showed this beetle to Mr Evans,
and he kindly identified it for me. — D. Hamilton, Edinburgh.

Quedionuchus Isevigatus, Gyll., in Forth. — From under-
neath the bark of a decayed oak in Castle Campbell Glen, Dollar,
I was fortunate enough to secure, on ist May (1916), a specimen
(male) of this Staphylinid. It would appear to be an addition to
the list of Forth beetles. In Fowler's Britis/i Coieoptera, Vol. II.,
p. 246, its distribution is given as Tay, Argyle, Dee, and Moray,
where it occurs " under bark of decaying Scotch fir." In Durham,
Mr Bagnall has taken it under the bark of a beech. — William
Evans, Edinburgh.

HIBERNATION OF FLIES IN A FIFESHIRE HOUSE 139

THE HIBERNATION OF FLIES IN A
FIFESHIRE HOUSE.

By Major T. K. Gaskell.

Having read Dr Ashworth's paper in the April number of
the Scottish Naturalist, I think perhaps the following few
notes on flies may be of interest. In February last year
I was staying at Lahill, Largo, and on several occasions
noticed small flies coming out from a small crack behind the
mantelpiece in my bedroom (which faces west), no doubt
attracted by the heat of the fire. They crawled about on the
mantelpiece and windows, in a sleepy and sluggish fashion ;
altogether I killed about ninety of them. This year in
March I was staying in the same room, and large numbers
of what seems to be the same kind of fly appeared. They
behaved in the same way, and were found in small numbers
congregated behind the shutters. There were a few large
flies among them.

I killed about six hundred of the small flies, and Mr
Grimshaw has kindly identified them as Limnophora
septcmnotata (thirty-one specimens, all females). There were
small numbers in other rooms, but in no room were there
so many.

Some of the other specimens collected in a south room in
the same house were identified by Mr Grimshaw as follow: —
I $ and I ? PoUenia rudis, six specimens of Aphiochcsta
rufipes, 14 c? and 8 ? Pyrellia eriopJithalma, i ? Muscina
stabulans, 2 ? Phaonia signata, 2 Leria serrata, 10 Simulium^
sp. Also several Chalcids, which are dealt with by Mr
Waterston in the article which follows.

140 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF STENOMALUS
MUSCARUM (LINN.) IN COMPANY WITH
HIBERNATING FLIES.

By James Waterston, B.D., B.Sc, Imperial Bureau of
Entomology, London.

In December 191 5 the late Mr G. Meade- Waldo handed me a
few living Chalcids which he had just taken " from windows "
at Hever, Kent. These specimens, evidently Pteromalini,
were staged and put aside to be worked out later. More
recently — January-February of this year (1916) — through
the kindness of Dr C. J. Gahan, Keeper in the Department
of Entomology, British Museum, South Kensington, London,
who was at the time conducting an inquiry into the com-
position of the swarms of flies occasionally found hibernating
in houses, two additional lots of Chalcids from English
localities were submitted to me.^ After considering these
and the Kentish material I came to the conclusion that all
belonged to the species named by Walker, Pteromalus
thessalus, a synonym of the older Ichneumon niuscarum,
Linn., for which Thomson erected Stetiomalns in 1878.

On seeing Mr Grimshaw's note on p. 114 of the May
number of this magazine, it occurred to me that the Chalcids
incidentally mentioned there might be worth examining.
Although Mr Grimshaw could not, unfortunately, supply any
of the specimens mentioned in his note, he was able to send
some Chalcids from a similar assemblage of flies found
at Largo, in Fife, which form the subject of the preceding
article. These also proved to be Stenomalus inuscanim
(Linn.). A few notes on the above occurrences may be
given.

I. S. muscarum (Linn.) appears to be a more or less
constant member of the mainly Dipterous association of
insects found wintering in houses.

^ The following details have been received regarding one of these
consignments: "On shutter, Swindon, Gloucestershire, January 1916
(coll. Rev. E. D. Goddard)." The accompanying flies were PoHema
rudis and Lwwophora septemnotata.

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF STEXOMALUS MUSCARUM 141

2. The species is reported to have been bred from
the puparia of Musca, and the female is said to lay its eggs
on JZ/cj-aV/ larvae.

3. All the hibernating examples which I have personally
examined prove to be females.

4. Is the occurrence of this Chalcid with the Diptera
a fortuitous association to be explained simply on the
ground that different species have selected the same winter
quarters, or have we here an adaptation of habit on the part
of the Chalcid enabling the parasite to oviposit most
advantageously in the spring? There is evidently room for
an interesting piece of oncological research. To draw
attention to this, indeed, is one of the purposes of the
present note. The chief points to be ascertained are
how the Chalcid comes to its winter quarters, and what it
does after leaving them.

5. The Chalcid parasites of household insects are
numerous. Of the single family Pteromalidae, within which
Stenonialns falls, there are seven or eight or possibly more
genera with such hosts. Some, like Spalangia, Latr. (on
Mused) and Cerocephala, Westw. (on Calandra), are easily
recognised ; but others, like Arthrolytus^ Thoms {Sitodrepa,
etc.), Dibraehys, Forst (various hosts), Pteromalus, Swed.
(Lepidoptera, etc.), are somewhat difficult to separate from
Stenomalus, Thoms.

In the last-named genus the right mandible has four and the left
three teeth, the uppermost being broad ; the occipital foramen is
not margined ; the antennas are inserted above the base line of the
eyes in circular scrobes ; the gente are narrowed and very distinctly
convergent towards the mouth, while the clypeus bears a median
tooth in addition to the usual lateral lobes (see figure). The normal
fore femora, elongate thorax and abdomen, anteromedianly ridged
pronotum narrowed in the middle and expanded on the slightly
concave sides, and the medianly carinate propodeon, which, though
long, develops no definite " nucha," further characterise the genus
Stenomalus. In S. vmscarutn (Linn.) the legs are pale, yellowish,
or straw-coloured, only the last tarsal joints being dark. In the
male the fore and mid coxse are concolorous with the femora, etc.,
only the hind coxae being dark and metallic. In the female all the
coxaj are dark, and the femora are occasionally a little smoky.

142 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Other specific characters are to be found in the antenna:, the
chtetotaxy of the radius and the shape of the abdominal tergites.

In the British Museum the type of Pteroinahis thessahis,
Walker — a male — is still extant in the British collection, while
in the General Collection there are two more males under the

Head of Stenomalus muscantm, Linn., 9, seen from in front.

same name. With Walker's type there is also a correctly
determined female from the Marshall collection labelled P.
iniiscarum. Some additional specimens under the same
name from the Cooke collection are incorrectly determined.
The species occurs all over Europe, and is doubtless common,
but I shall be glad to examine examples of this or any
Chalcid either bred from Muscids or found in association
with the adult flies themselves, from any part of Britain.

British Museum (Natural History),
South Kensington, S.W.

ON THE SPECIFIC IDENTITY OF THE OmSCUS FOSSOA' 143

ON THE SPECIFIC IDENTITY OF THE WOOD-
LOUSE, ONISCUS FOSSOR, KOCH.

By Walter E. Collinge, M.Sc, F.L.S , Research Fellow of the

University of St Andrews.

The terrestrial Isopod termed Oniscus fossor was described
by Koch^ in 1838, and with a few exceptions has been re-
garded by the majority of workers as a synonym of O. asclhis,
Linn. ; but in the light of our more recent knowledge of the
terrestrial Isopoda it seems worth while re-examining the
subject.

Kinahan," in 1857, firsi! recorded O. fossor as a British
species from Dublin, Epping Forest, and Chisselhurst,
stating that the body is "oval, covered with numerous
rough granulations, which give it a powdered appearance ;
head convex ; lateral lobes moderate, rounded ; frontal line
produced into a triangular lobe which belongs to the head,
not to antennal ring." Whole animal much smaller than
O. asellus.

G. O. Sars''^ remarks, "The Oniscus fossor of Koch is
scarcely different from this species [^Onisais asellus\ the
characters assigned to this form being such as pretty well
apply to younger specimens of Oniscus asellus^ which are
generally of a duller appearance, with the dorsal face more
roughly granulated than in adult animals."

Budde-Lund* gives it as a doubtful species.

Scharff ^ states that he " submitted specimens of Prof.
Kinahan's Oniscus fossor to Prof. Budde-Lund, who failed to
recognise any specific distinction between it and O. asellus^

In April 191 3, Mr P. A. Aubin very kindly forwarded to
me a number of small Oniscoids from St Helier, Jersey,
which agreed in every particular with Kinahan's description.
Similar specimens have been received from Miss M. Grace
Giles (February, 1914) from Bonchurch, Isle of Wight;

1 Deutschland Crtist., 1838, Heft 22, pi. xxii.
- Nat. Hist. Rev., 1857, vol. iv., p. 21 (reprint).
3 Crustacea of Norway, 1898, vol. ii., p. 172.
•* Crust, hop. Terr., 1885, p. 205.
5 Irish Ndt., 1894, vol. iii., p. 28.

144 • THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

from Mr W. G. Banfield, Tenbury, Gloucester (June, 1914);
Mr Jno. Ellis, Walsall (July, 1914); Mr G. A. Clout, Maid-
stone (December, 1914); Mr H. Overton, Sutton Coldfield,
Warwickshire (February, 1915); and I have also collected
specimens in Cheshire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Oxford-
shire, Fife, and Perthshire.

All the above specimens I have referred to O. asellus,
Linn., believing them to be immature forms of that species.

In January last Mr R. Standen, of the Manchester
Museum, sent me numerous examples of a small form of
O. asellus from Arnside Knott, Westmoreland, collected
by him in March 1914. All these specimens are richly
tuberculated, oval in form, with the frontal margin of the
cephalon produced into a triangular lobe, and of a brownisJi
red colour (in alcohol).

Excepting in colour, th'^se specimens agree very closely
with the immature specimens of O. asclhis received from the
Channel Isles, Isle of Wight, Gloucester, Warwick, etc.

The external skeleton, including the oral appendages,,
has been subjected to a very careful examination ; and, com-
pared with the corresponding parts of a large and typical
example of O. ascHus, and excepting for the larger size of
the tubercles on the mesosomatic segments, I fail to find the
slightest difference from the type. Further, I have similarly
examined some of the light coloured forms, from the above-
mentioned localities, with like results.

So far as I am aware, young forms of O. asellus are
always more or less tuberculated. I have carefully examined
hundreds of specimens, but have failed to find a single smooth
example. The frontal margin of the cephalon is always pro-
duced into a triangular lobe, the apex of which becomes
slightly more obtuse in older specimens,

I am of opinion, therefore, that the form described by
Koch is, as already surmised by Prof. G. O. Sars, nothing
more than an immature example of 0. asellus, Linn., and has
no claim to specific rank.

report on
Scottish Ornithology

IN 1915

fT'^.C-''/'

INCLUDING MIGRATIONf*^/^ 2^"*" „

lyjL I B R A R

BY

EVELYN V. BAXTER AND LEONORA JEFFREY RINTOUL

Hon. Members British Ornithologists' L'nion, etc.

" The Scottish Naturalist,''' Nos. 55 and ^6, July-August 1916

EDINBURGH : OLIVER & BOYD, TWEEDDALE COURT
LONDON : GURNEY & JACKSON, 33 PATERNOSTER ROW

1916

CONTENTS

PAGE

Introductory Remarks . . . . , . i47

Species New to Scotland . . . . .150

Birds New to Faunal Areas, and Uncommon Visitors . 150
Extension of Breeding Range . . . .152

Summer and Nesting . . . . . -153

Winter . . . . . . . .158

Ringing . . . . . . . -159

Plumage ........ 161

Habits, Food, etc. ...... 162

Migration — Summary of Movements during 1915 . . 165

Notes on the Movements of Birds in 1915 . . 171

Index . . . . . . ,. .215

REPORT ON
SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN 1915,

INCLUDINp MIGRATION.

Introductory Remarks.

Once again this Report comes out under the shadow of
War; the }-ear 191 5 has come and gone, and finds our
nation still involved in a life-and-death struggle. More
of our recorders have joined the colours, and, in addition
to those actually serving with the forces, others have
undertaken various forms of war work, and have therefore
less time at their disposal for ornithological observations.
In spite, however, of these and kindred disabilities the
number and quality of the notes sent are splendidly main-
tained. The lantern returns have suffered through the
extinction of some of the lights, but the lightkeepers, by
their daylight observations, have nobly striven to fill the
blanks. No expeditions have been possible, and in many
cases unavoidable military restrictions have handicapped
our mainland observers. We have, however, received a
large and representative series of notes, and any merit which
lies in this Report is due to the faithful work done by
our recorders. We wish to thank them all specially heartily
for the excellent work done in 1915, and to ask each and
all to help us to carry on the Report till the dawn of better
and happier times. We have to deplore the loss of an
excellent recorder in Mr Robert Wilson, assistant light-
keeper, Skerryvore, who died after a short illness. He

147

148 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

sent us most interesting notes from that isolated station,
and we shall miss his help with the Report. Our best
thanks are due, in the Northern group of localities, to —
William Crowe and Claude MacEachern, North Unst ; the
Lightkeepers, Whalsay Skerries ; John S. Tulloch, Lerwick ;
Samuel Bruce, Lerwick, and Island of Noss ; Jerome Wilson,
Lerwick ; the Lightkeepers, Sule Skerry ; John Gilmour,
Hellyar Holm ; T. S. Peace, Kirkwall ; M. Spence, Deerness ;
John Bain, Hoy High and Swona ; John G. Thomson,
Pentland Skerries ; and the Students of the Sutherland
Technical School, Golspie. In the Eastern group, to —
Thomas Allan, Tarbatness ; A. C. Jackson, East Ross ; W.
Berry, Lentran ; M. Sanderson, Rattray Head ; D. Hamil-
ton, Braemar ; John B. Henderson, Bell Rock ; Henry Boase,
Dundee ; George Cuthill, Alyth ; the Keeper at Nevay
Park, Meigle ; Professor W. M'Intosh, St Andrews; The
Hon. Gladys Graham Murray, Dunkeld ; W. Berry, North
Fife; M. A. Fell, Tayport ; A. Munro, E. Fife; N. Miller
Johnson, Kirkcaldy and Dysart ; William Eagle Clarke,
Edinburgh ; William Evans, Edinburgh ; R. Page, Edin-
burgh ; John Pagan, Bathgate ; J. A. Harvie-Brown, Duni-
pace ; Sim Baigrie, Isle of May ; Thomas Rodger, Bass
Rock ; William F. Little, Crosswood ; Fred. S. Beveridge,
Penicuik. In the Western group, to — Robert Clyne, Butt
of Lewis ; James F. Combe, Tiumpanhead ; John Morrison,
Galson ; William Mouat, Barrahead ; F. W. Collie, Flannan
Islands ; D. Macdonald, Kyleakin ; the late Robert Wilson,
Skerryvore ; B. S. Macmichael, Craignish ; Stewart Wilson,
Rhinns of Islay ; William Wards, Holy Island; John
Paterson, Glasgow ; John Robertson, Glasgow ; T. Thornton
Mackeith, Glasgow ; D. Macdonald, Glasgow ; C. W.
Marriott, Glasgow ; J. M'Corrisken, Glasgow ; W. Jamieson,
Glasgow ; George W. Stout, Glasgow ; Mr Ballantyne,
Glasgow ; T. W. Wilson, Glasgow ; W. L. Walker, Glasgow ;
R. W. S. and H. W. Wilson, Glasgow; T. Mallock, John-
stone, Renfrew ; Nicol Hopkins, Darvel ; John Craig,
Beith ; James Bartholomew, Glenorchard. In the Southern
group, to — The Rev. W. MacConachie, Lauder ; Andrew
Anderson, Megget Knowes; T. G. Laidlaw, Duns; G. P.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 149

Brown, Longcroft, Oxton ; A. C. Gairns, Broughton ; Gilbert
D. Davidson, Melrose ; John Murray, Thornhill ; J. B.
Hough, New Galloway ; David A. Mowat, Killantringan ;
William Begg and G. Mackie, Little Ross ; and J. G.
Gordon, Corsemalzie.

The under-mentioned have joined His Majesty's Forces
in 191 5 — Samuel Bruce, R.N.R. ; Robert W. S. Wilson,
R.A. ; Jerome Wilson, Watcher on Fair Isle, R.N.V.R.;
George W. Stout, R.A.M.C. ; Lieut. W. T. Blackwood, Inns
of Court O.T.C.

We are indebted to the Weather Report of the Meteoro-
logical Office for meteorological data. Owing to the war, these
data are drawn from a much more circumscribed area than
usual, and it is therefore more than usually difficult to
correlate the weather conditions with the movements of
birds.

The following abbreviations will be used in this Report : —

1 = TJie Scottish NatiD-alist.

2 = The Glasgozv Naturalist.

3 = Britisli Birds (magazine).
(L.) = Lantern.

(O.H.) = Outer Hebrides.

There is only one addition, in 191 5, to the list of Scottish
birds, namely, the Dark-breasted Barn Owl — an interesting,
but not unexpected, occurrence. There is a goodly list
of uncommon visitors, which reflects favourably on the keen-
ness of Scottish observers. Important extensions of Scottish
breeding ranges are noted in the case of the Crested Tit
and Gannet, both being species whose breeding places in
these islands may be described as limited, and no extension
of either has previously been recorded for many years. In
the case of the Crested Tit, the spread was first noticed
several years ago, but the records have only now been
published.

Migration in 191 5 followed a uniform course; the only
rush took place in October, when a spell of east wind
brought the usual big influx of migrants. In spring, some
species arrived unusually early, while others were inclined

150 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

to be late in putting in an appearance. It was a cold,
late spring, and winter visitors in some numbers remained
unusually late. No large immigration of any species is
recorded during the year, but the irruption of Little Auks,
which began in December 19 14, continued into January
191 5, and the Continental Great Tits lingered in Shetland
well into the New Year.

Species New to Scotland.

The only addition made to the Scottish Avifauna in
191 5 was the Dark-breasted Barn Owl {Tyto alba guttata), of
which a fine specimen was caught in a rat-trap in a shed at
Baltasound, on 5th November (i. 1916, y6). This Owl breeds
in " South Sweden, Denmark, Germany to East France
(where and even on the Rhine the ranges of this form
and T. alba alba overlap) south to Alps, Austria and
Hungary." It has been recorded as an irregular visitor
to England, but this is the first time it has been known to
occur in Scotland.

Birds New to Faunae Areas, and Uncommon

Visitors.

Notwithstanding the absence of many of our observers
and the unavoidable curtailment of our lantern records,
there are quite a lot of interesting occurrences to be included
under this heading. A female Northern Bullfinch {Pyrrhula
pyrrhula pyri^iiihi) was shot at Shurrery, parish of Reay,
Caithness, in early January (i. 191 5, 68), the first record for
the faunal area of Sutherland. Ortolan Buntings {^Eviberisa
hortulana) visited Fair Isle on 6th and i6th October and
1st November, while a Little Bunting {Eniberiza ptisilla)
is recorded from Pentland Skerries on 12th October (J.
Thomson). Three Wood-larks {Lulhila arborea arborea) are
recorded from Fair Isle on 5th and one on 8th January, a
male Shore-lark {Ercvwphila alpestris flazni) at Hoy High
on 25th March (John Bain), and two females at Swona on
1 6th October (i. 191 6, 24).

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 151

Wac^tails, either Blue or Grey-headed, occurred at Fair
Isle on 1 6th, i8th, and 26th October, and a British Tree-
creeper {Cei'thia faniiliaris binttanicd) was killed while sitting
on a haystack at Galson (O.H.) on 13th October (i. 1916,
75) ; this is the first record of a Tree-creeper for the Outer
Hebrides. Continental Great Tits {Par?is major Jiiajor)
wintered in Shetland ; two are reported from Fair Isle up to
23rd January (i. 191 5, 103). A Red-breasted Flycatcher
{Mtiscicapa parva parva) visited Swona on 7th October
(i. 1916, 24), and Yellow-browed Warblers {Phylloscopus
superciliosus siiperciliosus) are recorded from Swona on
6th October (i. 1916, 23), P^entland Skerries on 8th and 9th
October (i. 1916,24), and Lerwick on i8th October (i. 1916,
24). There are few mainland records of Lesser Whitethroats
{Sylvia curruca curruca) on the west side of Scotland ;
we shall therefore include one at Arisaig on 23rd May
(i. 1916, 78), and another at Loch Treig on 13th June
(i. 1916,78), these being the first records for the faunal area
of Argyll. Black Redstarts {Phcenicurus ochriirus gibral-
tariensis) are recorded in spring from Little Ross (W. Begg),
Isle of May (S. Baigrie), not far from Glasgow (George Stout),
and Pentland Skerries (J. Thomson), and in autumn from
Tarbatness (T. Allan) and Pentland Skerries (J. Thomson) ;
while a Bluethroat visited Fair Isle on 8th October. An
Alpine Swift {Apus melba vielba) is recorded as having
been seen at Whithorn, Wigtownshire, on 30th July (i. 191 5,
308) ; the first time the bird has been noted in Solway,
the only previous Scottish records being of two seen in
Clyde ; and a Bee-eater {Merops apiaster) frequented the
neighbourhood of Lerwick from 4th to nth July (i. 1916,
24). A Hoopoe {Upiipa epops epops) arrived on Pentland
Skerries on 19th May (J. Thomson), and a beautiful white
Snowy Owl {Nyctea nyctea) was observed at Little Ross
on 24th February (W. Begg). The first record for Tay of
Tengmalm's Owl {Aigolius funereus funereus) is of an adult
male got at Craighall, near Blairgowrie, in February
(i. 1915, 116); and a male Hen-harrier {Cirais cyancus)
is reported from Kirkcudbrightshire on 9th October (i.
191 5) 35^)- -^ Honey-buzzard {Pernis apivoriis) was

152 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

got near Duns (i. 1916, 69), in July, and there are two
separate records of Ospreys {Pandton Jialiaetus halia'etus),
one in summer and one in autumn. On or about 20th
April a Bittern {Botmirus stellaris stellaris) was killed
at Loch Maddy (J. A. Harvie-Brown) ; and three Smews
{Mergus albellus) are recorded from Loch Ewe (W. Ross) on
loth January (W, Berry). Sooty Shearwaters {Pnffimis
griseus), one bird in each case, are noted at the Butt of Lewis
on 19th and 25th July (R. Clyne). The first record for Fair
Isle of the Red-necked Grebe {Colyvibus griseigena griseigend)
is of a female procured there on 9th February (i. 1916, 79).
In 191 5, Green Sandpipers {Tringa ocJiropiis) are recorded
from Luce Sands (J. G. Gordon), Fair Isle, Swona (J. Bain),
Balgray (i. 191 5, 357), and Bardowie, Stirlingshire (J.
Bartholomew). A Black-tailed Godwit {Liinosa liviosd) was
seen in Aberlady Bay on 7th August (i. 1916, 70), and
a Little Gull {Lams minutus) was found dead at Girlsta,
Shetland, on 21st September (J. Tulloch). Last on the list
is a Water-rail {Rallus aquaticus aquaticus) procured on
Hirta in autumn, and new to the St Kildan avifauna (i. 1916,
77)-

Extension of Breeding Range.

A further spread in the breeding range of the Hawfinch
took place in 191 5, a young bird of this species being picked
up on 1 8th July, "on the road which runs over the shoulder
of the Dunion into the valley of the Teviot. The presence
of the fledgling— it could not have been very long flown,
judging from the condition of its plumage— at this season of
the year, is pretty conclusive evidence that the nest in which
it was reared was in the neighbourhood of Jedburgh"
(W. W. M. in Scotsman).

Some interesting observations have been published
this year on the extension of the breeding range of the
Crested Tit. Mr G. G. Blackwood records one in Nairn-
shire in May 191 5, which, from its actions, he believed
had a nest (i. 1915, 285); Mr Ogilvie Grant reports
the species in Ross-shire in October (3. ix. 182); and

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 153

following on these notes, a most interesting series of
records made by Mr Berry (Lentran) appeared in the
Scottish Naturalist, 1916, 68. Although these do not all
belong to the year under review, we think it well for the
sake of completeness, and because of their ornithological
importance, to include them here. Mr Berry mentions
having seen Crested Tits in north-east Inverness in
September 1907; in May 1910 he came upon them in
the locality mentioned by Mr Blackwood, and also in
"another locality further to the east." He knows of them
in two distinct localities in the lower reaches of the Findhorn
Valley. In 1911 he found ^hem in a new part of north-east
Inverness, where he has seen them several times since.
They were first noted by him in east Ross-shire in 19 10, and
he records their spread in that county.

The most interesting and important extension of
breeding range which has taken place for many years
is that of the Gannets, which nested on the Noup of
Noss, Bressay, Shetland, this season. They were first
seen on the 7th of May when they began nesting opera-
tions, four nests being built (i. 191 5, 251). As no new
sites have been colonised by the Gannet for a great many
years, and all the known nesting places in our islands, with
the exception of the Bass Rock, are on the west coast, this
may indeed be regarded as a "remarkable occurrence." One
of our correspondents in Shetland tells us that he was told
by some fishermen that they had seen Gannets on several
occasions this summer sitting on a stack, called the Burra
Stack, about one and a half miles from the lighthouse
on Bressay, but they do not think they were breeding. Is it
possible however that, like the Fulmars, they like to prospect
for a year or two before nesting?

Summer and Nesting.

There are not quite so many nesting notes as usual in
191 5, but the shortage is accounted for by the fact that
many of our usual correspondents are away on active
service. The notes sent are, however, sufficient to show

154 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

that nesting was early this season, a fact which is commented
on by several recorders.

From Duns we have records of an increase in the number
of Linnets ; there, too. Bullfinches, Wood-warblers, and Tree-
sparrows are also common in summer, although the last
mentioned is said not to have been seen in winter this
year. There were unusual numbers of Willow-warblers at
Duns, and Blackcaps were "exceptionally plentiful in Duns
Castle woods — usually there are only a pair or two, this
year there are quite a dozen pairs." A Stonechat's nest
and young was found at Beith, and our correspondent
there adds that it is eleven years since he saw a nest
of this species (2. viii. 22). A good increase of Tufted
Duck, Goosander, and Great Crested Grebes was observed
in Tay. At North Unst the Kittiwakes have started a
new colony, and have made about twenty nests on a cliff
facing north-east. Little Ross, too, records a new Kittiwake
colony, and at North Unst, we are told. Guillemots were
even more numerous this year than last. Fulmars were
noticed at the Butt of Lewis during the breeding season,
but they were " not definitely ascertained " to be nesting.

Turning now to the records sent of the decrease of
species in certain places, we find that there were no
Hawfinches at Duns, Garden - warblers were scarcer there
than usual, Whitethroats and Reed-buntings were " thinly
scattered," Sedge - warblers were quite scarce in the dis-
trict, and only one pair of Corn-buntings was noted there.
There were fewer Pied Wagtails than usual at Dunkeld
this year, the Peregrine was not seen at the Burnmouth
eyrie, and no Corncrakes were heard at Nevay Park,
Meigle. Only seven or eight pairs of Coots bred on Loch
Stiapavat (O.H.) this year, and neither Moorhens nor Little
Grebes were observed there.

Three pairs of Hawfinches were found nesting in East
Lothian this year (i. 191 5, 284). A Chaffinch at Beith
reared two broods in the same nest (2. viii. 23), and at
the same place a Garden-warbler's nest was found with
five eggs, which resembled those of the Common White-
throat, and were smaller than those of any Garden-warbler

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 155

our correspondent there has ever seen. The young left the
nest three weeks after the last egg was laid (2. viii. 22).
A Swallow's nest with five eggs was found at the same
place — of these, two were taken, two hatched, and the other
egg was left in the nest ; a second clutch was laid in the
same nest, but in this case there were only two eggs (2.
viii. 23). When repairing a broken nest for a second clutch,
a House - martin at Beith " left an open space round the
top of the nest instead of the usual hole at the side "
(2. viii. 23). Four broods of the same species were reared
in two nests under the eaves of a house at Duns. Great
Spotted Woodpeckers were, frequently heard at Duns, but
only one nest seen ; most of the young are said to fall
victims to the Sparrow-hawk. A bird of this species
was shot, and another seen on loth May in Inverness-shire.
Shags nested in the same place on the Isle of May, as
they have done for several years. Single Fulmars were
seen at Fowlsheugh this season, and to the north of St
Abb's on 13th June (i. 191 5, 310), but no evidence of nest-
ing is forthcoming as yet.

The only notes of nesting in February are of Ravens
and Falcons (Peregrine) "busy nesting" at Little Ross,
and Rooks were seen carrying sticks for their nests near
Markinch, Fife. In March we have the usual records of
Dippers, Song-thrushes, Blackbirds, Lapwings, etc., all nest-
ing, the only ones requiring special notice being a Wood-
pigeon sitting on two eggs on 27th March, and a Hedge-
sparrow which had five eggs on 28th March, both records
coming from Corsemalzie. From the Butt of Lewis we
hear that Herring-gulls began to clean their nests on 7th
March, by which time Starlings and House-sparrows had
returned to the rocks there. At the same station a Shag
had a nest nearly built on the 22nd ; this was, however,
totally destroyed, and another built, the eggs being laid by
5th May. After the first brood left the nest it was
replenished, and a clutch of three eggs was laid ; these
hatched about 5th September, and two young Shags were
still in the nest on 24th October; on 31st October one
left the nest, on 3rd November the other was still in the

156 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

nest, but the old bird was seen pulling the remains of the
nest off the ledge ; by 6th November all had left. Cor-
morants at the Butt of Lewis were noticed on 3rd April
making their nests of " oily paraffin waste." April brings
yet more records of the nesting of our earlier breeding
birds. A Stockdove's nest and two eggs was found on the
Lammermuirs on 4th April, a Snipe at Corsemalzie had
four eggs, and was sitting on the 9th, next day a Long-
tailed Tit in East Lothian had a nest and egg, on the
nth a Redshank at Craignish had two eggs, and on the
15th a Carrion Crow at Penninghame had six eggs in
an advanced state of incubatioiL From Hoy High comes
a note of a Rock Pipit with two eggs on i6th April,
and by the 19th Rooks and Herons had hatched in
East Ross. On the 26th, records come of four Curlews'
nests, three with four and one with three eggs, on the
moor at Corsemalzie. By May there are reports of the
nesting of our summer visitors, and of later breeding
species generally. On 3rd May Eiders' nests with five,
six, and three eggs were found at Craignish, where also
lots of Gulls had eggs. On the 5th, at Mochrum Castle
Loch, there were a good many Herring-gulls' nests with
three eggs, also three Greater Black-backed Gulls' nests
with three eggs each, while six Cormorants' nests, each
containing five eggs, were also found. A Goldcrest nesting
in a spruce tree on an island in the same loch had nine
eggs nearly ready to hatch on the same date. By i8th
May a pair of Stonechats, with young " flying well," were
seen on the shore at Luce Bay, a very early date. On
the 1 2th Fulmars began to sit at North Unst, the first
young left the nest on 4th September ; this species is also
reported from Doune Tower, on the east side of the Lewis
on 26th May, to which part it only spread in 191 3. On
14th May a Swallow's nest was found built in a horse collar
hung up in a stable at Soulseat, and on the same day two
nests of the Grey-lag Goose with four and five eggs were
found at Galson (O.H.), and the first Guillemot's egg was
laid on the Bass. Nesting there began early in 191 5, the
first Puffin's egg being seen on 4th May, the first Herring-

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 157

gull on the 8th, and the first Razorbill on the loth, while
the first Kittiwake's egg was laid on the 23rd. Young
Grouse were found at Oxton, Berwickshire, on 15th May,
and two Wood-warblers' nests with eggs were found in East
Lothian on 26th May. On 29th May at Corsemalzie a
Common Sandpiper with four three-quarter-grown young
was seen by the burn, a very early date for this species to
have well-grown young. On the same date, a Spotted
Flycatcher had a nest and five eggs in the ivy on the
house at Corsemalzie ; it had a second brood, and by 6th
August was feeding a second family of four. On ist June
a Little Grebe in Arisaig , Forest had two stripy young,
and this species is also recorded as nesting at Kirkmichael
during the month. A Hedge - sparrow at Arisaig had a
nest and young on the 4th ; this was the only nest of
the species found in the district, and was built in some
ivy at the station. A Redstart's nest and eggs was found
at Craignish on the 2nd June ; while by the 8th Great
Spotted Woodpeckers were seen feeding young at Gask,
and on the 12th Willow Tits were similarly employed on
Bathgate Hills. The Arctic Terns at Whalsay Skerries
had "nests and eggs in every direction" on 12th June;
they left the island later, and under date of 14th July
our correspondent there writes, " most of the Terns have
left, their young have apparently died of starvation." From
Pentland Skerries, too, come sad tales of great mortality
among the young Terns; on i8th July hundreds are
reported dead or dying, this being attributed to the heavy
rainfall on the i6th. But under 26th to 31st we find
the note, " hundreds of young birds dying, and the Terns
daily decreasing in numbers." On 19th June the Terns
on Tentsmuir all seemed to be hatching, and enormous
numbers were seen; "breeding more thickly than ever"
is the note made on this date. A Woodcock's nest and
four eggs was found near Duns on 22nd June, a very late
date. On 4th July a Great Spotted Woodpecker boring
was seen in a wood on the Cardross estate, Lake of Menteith,
and on the i6th two newly-fledged Little Terns were seen
in Largo Bay, having evidently been bred near by, as they

158 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

could hardly fly. A pair of Grey Wagtails were nesting
at Braemar on 13th July. Our correspondent writes, "I
never saw such a wonderful example of a bird choosing
a nesting site of the same colour as itself, for just for a
few yards where the nest was, the face of the rock looked
as though sulphur had been thrown down and remained
on the ledges (really a yellow lichen) ; the face of the
rock was grey, with marks of soft brown — all the colours
exactly those of the Grey Wagtail."

By the 30th July many young birds on the Isle of
May were on the wing and leaving the cliffs; thereafter
there are no further notes referring to this heading, with
the exception of reports of Kittiwakes leaving their nesting
ledges at the Butt of Lewis and Sule Skerry in August,
Lesser Redpolls and Sedge-warblers with young at Darvel
in mid-August. A family of newly-hatched Goldcrests was
seen near Invergowrie on 6th September, and Wood-pigeons
with young a few days old at Darvel.

Winter.

The winter of 1914-15 was notable for the fact that for
the first time on record Continental Great Tits wintered in
Shetland. It is generally supposed that several of the
Continental races of our own breeding birds do winter in this
country, but definite records are few and valuable. Gannets
are recorded more often and in greater numbers this winter
than is usual. Whimbrel are reported in January from
Galson (O.H.) (shot), Fairlie (Ayr), and Musselburgh,
and a Greenshank was seen at the Cromarty Firth.
Hawfinches are reported from Lauder all through the
winter, as many as ten birds being seen at one time. In the
winter of 1914-15 Goldcrests were very numerous at Corse-
malzie, Blackbirds wintered at Pentland Skerries, and were
very numerous at Holy Island (Arran), where they are said
usually to be very scarce in winter. Wrens, too, are
described as numerous on the Bass, where about twelve
Snow - buntings also spent the winter. Eider were very
scarce about the shores of East Fife and the Isle of May in

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 159

January and February. A lot of Little Auks arc recorded in
January — these were, as was to be expected, most numerous
on the east coast and in the Northern Isles, but there are
also a good many notes of individuals driven inshore, and
of others on the west coast. These are all probably the
remains of the wreck which occurred in the end of 1914.
Otherwise the winter seems to have been a normal one, and
there is nothing else reported worthy of notice here.

For the last six weeks of 191 5 there is little to record ; the
usual winter visitors were present, but they do not seem
to have been in unusual numbers with the exception of
Redwings. These are reported in very large numbers from
East Fife and East Renfrew ; at the latter place they
were seen feeding on haws, and after the heavy snowfall in
November were so tame that they sat on the thorn bushes
till they could almost be poked off with a stick. Pied
Wagtails were more numerous than usual in Dundee, and
flocks of as many as two hundred Goldfinches were seen in
Wigtownshire in November and December. At the Butt of
Lewis a small flock of Corn-buntings remained throughout
the winter, and a few Skylarks were there in November and
December, and Gannets were seen nearly up to the end of
the year (i. 1916, 58). There were no Coots on the loch
at the Butt of Lewis although they were not " frozen out,"
Starlings and Golden Plover were scarce. Curlew, on the
other hand, were numerous, and a good many Wigeon were
seen occasionally. Duck were few on Lindores and Kilcon-
quhar Lochs after the hard weather in November and very
few were seen at Crosswood, while Eider were very scarce
at the Isle of May. Large flocks of Wood-pigeons were
present in East Fife and Wigtownshire this winter, and at
the latter place Stockdoves, too, were unusually plentiful.
The only records of Little Auks in numbers come from
Pentland Skerries.

Ringing.

There are some very interesting records to come under
this heading in 191 5, and we once more congratulate
Mr Witherby on the excellent work done by the " British

i6o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Birds Ringing Scheme." In this Report we can only deal
with those notes which are directly connected with Scottish
Ornithology, but we recommend everyone who is interested
in migration to study all the returns.

A Starling, marked at the Mull of Galloway on 26th
February 1914, was recovered at Gretna on 26th November
191 5 (3- i^- 266), and a Swallow marked near Glasgow
on 29th June 1914 was recovered near Skipton, Yorks,
on 23rd May 191 5 (3. ix. 268). There are a good many
returns of Mallard marked at Stranraer as adults ; one
marked on 27th February 191 5 was recovered at Ardmaal,
Sweden, on ist August 191 5 (3. ix. 269), while three others
marked on 17th and 27th February 191 5 were got at the
place of ringing on 22nd August, i8th September, and
4th October 191 5 (3. ix. 269). Four others marked on
28th February 1914 were recovered at the same place
in January and February 191 5 (3. ix. 43); while three
others marked on 9th and loth October 191 5 were recovered
at the place of ringing in November (3. ix. 269). A
Wigeon, also ringed at Stranraer, 31st January 1914, as
an adult, was recovered there on 23rd January 191 5 (3.
ix. 43) ; and of two Teal marked there, both being adult
and both ringed on 17th February 191 5, one was recovered
in Montgomeryshire on 24th September, and the other was
retaken at Stranraer in November (3. ix. 269). A Cor-
morant ringed in Sutherland on i6th June 1914, was
recovered at Stornoway (O.H.), in February 191 5 (3. ix.
43), and another bird of the same species, marked on the
Fame Islands in August 191 3, was recovered in Hadding-
tonshire in November 191 5 (3. ix. 269). The migrations
of Lapwings and Woodcock to Ireland, in winter, with
which we are now so familiar, are again much in evidence.
Lapwings marked in Moray and Sutherland in June were
recovered in Cork and Co. Limerick in January and
February (3. ix. 44 and 270) ; while Woodcock ringed in
Stirlingshire, Dumfriesshire, and Kirkcudbrightshire, were
recovered in Ireland in January, February, November, and
December (3. ix. 45, 46, and 270), in two cases, both
Dumfriesshire birds, three years after ringing. In addition

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 161

to these there are records of birds being recovered at, or near,
the place where they were ringed, in some cases as much as
three or four years, in one case five years, after ringing.
Thus a Chaffinch marked at Torrance, Stirlingshire, as
an adult on 30th March 191 2, was recovered there in
December 191 5 (3. ix. 266). A British Song Thrush marked
at Torrance as a nestling on 6th June 1911 was recovered at
Cadder on i6th January 191 5 (3. ix. 22). Another, marked
at the same place in June 1914, was found there in July
191 5 (3. ix. 266), while two nestlings marked in Ayrshire on
1 2th and 25th May 191 3 were recovered at the same place in
June and November 1915 (3. ix. 267). There are also
records of a Blackbird recovered at the place of ringing
three years later (3. ix. 267), a House-martin retaken two
years after ringing (3. ix. 268), a Lapwing five years after
(3. ix. 45), another four years after (3. ix. 270), and lastly a
Woodcock recovered within a mile of the place it was
marked three years before (3. ix. 270).

Plumage.

A Rook with some white feathers in its wings is recorded
from Beith, and a " Crow " with a lot of white on its wings
was seen on Fair Isle all summer. Our observer there says,
"I think it was brought out on the cliffs"; the only Crovv'
which breeds on Fair Isle is the Grey Crow, so it probably
belonged to this species. At Pentland Skerries, a buff
or cream-coloured Starling, which had been bred on the
island, was still there on 17th July; and during November
" an almost white Starling " was several times observed at
Darvel, while an albino Twite was seen among a large flock
at North Unst on 5th November. A female Chaffinch
with a white head was seen near Largo on 8th February,
and a pure white Sparrow at Penninghame on 20th Novem-
ber, while from Darvel, on 7th January, we have a record
of a melanic variety of a male Sparrow. Blackbirds having
some white feathers in their plumage are recorded from
Beith, Pentland Skerries, Melrose and Largo, and white or
almost white birds of this species occurred at Craignish,
55 AND 56 U

i62 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Corsemalzie, and Whithorn. " An almost pure white Whin-
chat " frequented the neighbourhood of Darvel during
August, and an all-black specimen of the Black Guillemot
was at the Butt of Lewis on 28th June. On nth August
a Moorhen was caught at the Cromarty Firth, which "had
every one of the remiges in quill." An adult male Black
Grouse with white speckled neck and head was shot at
Mindock on 28th September, and a male Red Grouse with an
almost white wing was seen at Mallochglass, Mochrum, on
1 6th September, and on 23rd October two pied male
Pheasants were shot at Barnbarroch.

Golden Plover, Dunlin, Black-headed Gulls, and Guillemots
are recorded in spring plumage from various localities
in January and February.

Habits, Food, Etc.

Under this heading we have a larger series of notes than
usual ; these deal with a considerable number of different
species. We have also included here notes made on the
behaviour of birds in the vicinity of aeroplanes, as well
as the observations on oil-clogged birds, along our coasts.

Twenty-one Redpolls at Corsemalzie determinedly
chased a Pied Wagtail over the garden ; there, too, flocks of
Greenfinches and Chaffinches were feeding on elm seeds
in July, and the last - mentioned species was seen on the
Beauly Firth, pecking and eating a kind of glasswort
growing on the mud during a spell of frost. Our corres-
pondent at Swona (Orkney) says, " In the autumn of 191 5,
all the birds I have seen leaving the island— Snow-buntings,
Skylarks, Twites, Starlings, and Thrushes — leave from the
most northerly point and fly in a north-easterly direction."
A partly moulted Meadow-pipit caught at the Butt of Lewis
lantern on 4/5th October had three small snails' shells (living)
attached to its underparts (i. 191 5, 336). At Corsemalzie, on
17th July, a Whitethroat was seen greedily eating fallen red
currants, and at the same place on 31st July three Swallows
chased a Missel-thrush over the garden, "pecking viciously
at it," and hundreds of Blackbirds there were eating goose-

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 163

berries on 2nd August. A young Hedge-sparrow was seen
at Braemar trying to fly across the Clunie Water — it dropped
into the stream about two feet from the shore ; " it seemed,
however, to be quite able to swim to the rock, and scrambled
up it, looking very much pleased with itself." Our observer
at the Bass Rock records, under 15th May, two immature
Gannets seen salaaming and rubbing beaks and behaving
like a mature pair. Some immature male Goldeneye were
displaying in the sea near Portmahomack on 27th April.
Our correspondent at Melrose tells us that he noticed in the
winter that Wild Ducks, when flushed off" the river, nearly
always make for a quiet )3ay or backwater. Whereas
Goosander, when flushed, fly, as a rule, upstream and alight
on the water in the centre of a strong stream. He has never
seen them alight on the water on a quiet smooth stretch ;
"certainly their plumage harmonises with the foam and
waves of the rough stream, and they are difficult to see after
alighting. I wonder if it is a way of concealing themselves."
The same observer writes : — " During the frost, in November,
I often used to see Wild Duck under the beech trees near
the Tweed, presumably feeding on the beech - mast." A
female Merganser in Largo Bay was attacked by an imma-
ture Greater Black-backed Gull, which stooped at her when
she came up from a dive. The first time it happened she
dived again, but on being again attacked opened her bill,
elevated her crest, and drove the Gull awa}-.

A Wood-pigeon at Corsemalzie was seen eating cherries on
24th July, and in late autumn several birds of this species were
found dead or dying, covered all over with warty excrescences
and in a very emaciated condition. Notes of Golden Plover
and Black-headed Gulls being attracted by lighted tents
appeared in the Scottish Naturalist, 1916, 23, and young
Lapwings were seen to swim thirty or forty yards across
parts of Knapps Loch, Kilmacolm (i. 1916, 94). On 19th
June Black-headed Gulls were seen in Renfrewshire, about
9 P.M., flying over a hayfield after Ghost Swift Moths
{Hepialus humuli), and this species was courting on the
Cromarty Firth on 23rd April; "one of them regurgitated
some food which it put on the sand ; the other, which was

i64 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

the smaller of the two, presumably the female, picked it up
and swallowed it, and afterwards put up her beak, open, and the
male fed her with food which he regurgitated." There, too,
an immature Common Gull, with a small fish, hovered some
six feet over the water and dropped the fish, swooped down
again and seized it ; it did this about half a dozen times, then,
other Gulls appearing, swallowed its prey. A Herring-gull
at Corsemalzie was mobbed by a flock of Lapwings on i6th
March. From Hoy High, under date of 12th April, our
correspondent reports considerable numbers of Glaucous and
Iceland Gulls ; these, he says, follow the plough with the other
Gulls. " The Glaucous does not eat worms, but goes for the
grubs in the seaweed manure; the Iceland, on the other
hand, eats worms like the other Gulls." In winter, at Corse-
malzie, the Pheasants not only ate off the turnip tops in the
garden, but devoured cabbages, brussels - sprouts, beetroot,
parsnips, parsley, and carnations wholesale, unless wired
over. Interesting observations on birds killed by oil on the
sea in Forth and Tay appeared in the Scottish Naturalist,
191 5, 282: from these it will be seen that many birds lost
their lives from their feathers becoming so clogged with oil
that they were unable to dive or fly, and therefore starved.
The principal victims were Guillemots, but a good many
Eider, Razorbills and Puffins were also found dead or dying.
Notes have also been published on the behaviour of birds
with aeroplanes ; in every case cited, with one exception,
the birds showed fear and flew away from the aeroplane — in
the exceptional case they rose up and pursued it (i. 1916,
39 and 66). In autumn 191 5 a passing aircraft caused the
great flocks of Wood - pigeons frequenting Barnbarroch,
Wigtownshire, and feeding on the beech-mast, to fly off
in all directions ; they did not return for several days.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 165

Migration.

SUMMARY OF MOVEMENTS.

January.

The weather in January was very unsettled, strong
winds prevailed, chiefly from some westerly quarter. No
severe or prolonged frost is recorded in Scotland.

A good deal of migration is noted in January, the
movements being constant throughout the month. In the
first half there were movements of Rooks, Starlings, Lap-
wings, and Golden Plover. The movements of Starlings
and Golden Plover were more pronounced in the second
half of the month, and in addition there were distinct move-
ments of Snow-buntings, Skylarks, and Blackbirds. Guille-
mots and Fulmars are reported as visiting their nesting
places,

February.

The weather in February was very unsettled, the wind
mainly south-westerly or south-easterly till the 13th, when
it changed to some northerly quarter, the temperature
fell, and snow and sleet were recorded from many stations.
The movements during the month were of a very normal
character. Throughout the month partial migrants were
returning to their Scottish breeding places ; during the first
week Curlew, Golden Plovers, and Gannets arrived at their
nesting quarters, as did Herring-gulls in the second week.
A big Skylark movement took place from the 9th to the
nth, and the migrations of this species continued till the
end of the month. During the third week many arrivals of
Lapwings and Thrushes are recorded ; Oystercatchers were
on the move, and Rooks were emigrating. The last week
brings arrivals of Pied Wagtails.

i66 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

March.

The weather in the first week of March was cyclonic
in character, and the wind was chiefly from some westerly
quarter. During this period little movement is recorded,
and this is mostly confined to Starlings and Turdinae.
Wader were returning to their breeding places in our
inland districts or Northern Isles. An anticyclone was the
dominating influence in our area during the second week
of March, and the winds were light and chiefly westerly.
Much migration is recorded, the period of maximum move-
ment being from the 9th to the 13th, when large numbers
of Starlings, Skylarks, Turdinae, and Wader are recorded.
There was also a good deal of Duck and Goose movement,
and sea-birds were seeking their nesting haunts. There-
after to the end of the month the conditions were cyclonic,
and the wind was chiefly westerly. The movements con-
tinued, becoming intensified in the last week, in which tim^e
we have a good many notes of the arrival of Wheatears.
Partial and passage migrants still predominated, but there
are also records of the departure of some of our winter
visitors. The migration throughout the month seems to
have been of a very normal character.

April.

In April there was a slow and steady flow of migration,
which did not develop into a rush but became more pro-
nounced as the month progressed. Up to the 25th the
weather was variable, and the wind was chiefly north-west ;
from that time to the end of the month an anticyclone
prevailed over the area. The temperature was low all the
month. Very little movement is recorded during the first
week, though there are spasmodic and unexpectedly early
arrivals of summer visitors, though they were, on the
whole, late in arriving in 191 5. The same type of migra-
tion continued throughout the month, the stream of arrivals
becoming greater towards the end. As was to be expected,

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 167

the number of summer visitors recorded increased as the
month advanced, and as there are few notes from the
Northern Isles during this period, it is probable that these
were arrivals of our own breeding birds. There are also
a good many records of winter visitors and passage migrants.

May.

May was a calm month, cold up to the 20th, after
which it became somewhat warmer. Variable light airs
characterised the first week, and a great rush of summer
visitors poured into the ^country ; a certain amount of
passage migration is also recorded, and an unusual number
of winter visitors were still with us. Up to the 20th the
weather was cold, and the wind almost entirely from some
northerly quarter ; from the 20th to the 24th the winds
were south and south-east, after this they were chiefly
north and light to the end of the month. The arrivals
continued, becoming less as the month advanced, until by
the end it was apparent that our summer visitors had
reached their nesting places. Less passage migration than
usual was recorded, this assuming the character of a steady
trickle, there being no sign of the rush which often comes
at this season. An unusual number of winter visitors are
recorded as remaining with us throughout the month,
these naturally becoming fewer towards the end of the
period.

June.

Up to the 1 2th of June the winds were chiefly westerly
and southerly, and light ; after this till the end of the month
they were from north-east to north-west, and light or
moderate in force. A little passage migration is recorded
in the first week, and arrivals of Terns at their northern
breeding places are also reported. In the second week
there was a little passage of Hirundinae and Swifts, and
a late Fieldfare is noted. To the end of the month there
was little migration ; birds began to flock after nesting, and
niovements of small numbers of Wader wer.e noted. Large

i68 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

numbers of Black-headed Gulls returned to the shore after
breedincf.

'fc.*

July.

The first week of July was warm and the winds chiefly
southerly ; thereafter there was a great prevalence of northerly
winds, and the weather was therefore cold for the time of
year. In the first week the only movements recorded are
departures of adult Cuckoos and a little Wader movement.
The second week showed little more migration : besides the
Wader a few passage migrants are noted ; a noticeable
decrease of Terns is reported from Sule Skerry on the 13th,
and of Puffins there on the 17th. In the last week of the
month the movement became more pronounced ; departures
of Swifts and Tree-pipits are noted, and from the 27th
onward a considerable overseas arrival of Wader took place,
and a good deal of Duck movement is also recorded.

August.

Up to 8th August the wind was between north-east and
north-west, and light, and the movements recorded principally
refer to departures of our summer visitors, and arrivals of
Wader from overseas. From the 9th to the 14th the wind
was chiefly south-east, and a rather stronger movement of the
same character is recorded. Thereafter to the end of the
month the wind was almost entirely between north-west and
south-west, and moderate in force. The movements
continued the same, small but constant, with nothing
approaching a rush. Few passage migrants are recorded,
with the exception of White Wagtails, which are noted in
some numbers.

September.

The wind during September was almost entirely from
some quarter between west and north-east, except from the
9th to the 13th and the 19th to the 23rd, when it was south-
east and south.

Uniform and normal migration was the feature of

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 169

September; the movement comprised departures of our
summer visitors, arrival of winter visitors and some passage
migration, rather more Pied Flycatchers than usual being
recorded. The movement was slightly increased from the
9th to the 13th, coinciding with a brief spell of south-east
and south wind, and there was a good deal of Wader
movement from the 24th to the end of the month, but at
no time was there anything approaching a rush.

October.

Up to the 8th October* the wind was from some westerly
quarter, and there was steady normal migration, chiefly
arrivals of winter visitors. From the 8th to the 24th the
wind was in the south-east, with the exception of an interval
from the 14th to the 19th, when it was westerly. During this
time a big rush took place, slackening somewhat from the
14th to the 19th, thereby corresponding to the change of
wind. The species affected were chiefly winter visitors, but
there was also a good deal of passage migration, and some
uncommon visitors are recorded. Thereafter to the end
of the month the wind was variable, and there were
practically no fresh arrivals, the birds recorded being mostly
those lingering after the big rush.

November.

Up to the 17th November the wind was almost entirely
between north-east and north-west ; thereafter to the end of
the month it was very variable, and frost is recorded from
the 14th onwards. Constant small arrivals of winter visitors
are recorded up to the 14th ; after this, and up to the end of
the month, the frost caused movements to our shores
and island stations. The species affected were chiefly
Jackdaws, Turdinae, Robins, Curlew, Jack Snipe, Lapwings,
and Golden Plover, the last two being recorded in large
numbers from our south-western lanterns on the night of
the 29th,

170 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

December.

The first week of December was pretty cold, with winds
chiefly between north-west and north-east. During this period
some movement is recorded from the Killantringan and
Little Ross lanterns. The rest of the month was stormy, and
the wind frequently rose to the force of a gale, the heaviest
winds being from the south-east. Hardly any movement
is reported ; there are one or two records from various
stations of small numbers of Starlings, Skylarks, Turdinae,
and Wader, and many Little Auks were seen at sea off
Pentland Skerries.

NOTES ON THE MOVEMENTS OF
BIRDS IN 1915.

arranged' under species.

The Hooded Crow, Corvus comix coi-nix. — A single bird
visited the Isle of May on 15th February, thirteen arrived at
Pentland Skerries on 3JSt March, and three at Sule Skerry on 3rd
April. On 5th April eleven were seen at Pentland Skerries flying
north; last observed in Largo Bay on 12th April, and a northward
passage of seventy to eighty at the former station at 7.15 a.m. on
the 23rd, and thirteen on the island on 26th April. Two are
recorded from the Mull of Galloway on 24th May, and on that
date, the next day, and 2nd June, single birds visited the Isle of
May.

Large assemblies of one to two hundred Hoodies were seen
daily at Tiumpanhead (O.H.) from ist to 20th July, single
birds at Corsemalzie on 17th August and 29th September, two at
Pentland Skerries on 9th October, and small arrivals are recorded
from the Isle of May, Largo Bay, and Pentland Skerries between
1 8th October and 7th November.

The Carrion Crow, Corvus corone corone. — A Carrion Crow is
noted at the Isle of May on nth March, and two there on 22nd
March, four at Hoy High on 28th March, while on the 31st of the
same month two were watched coming in over the sea from the
east at Balcomie (E. Fife). Three were at the Isle of May on 13th
April and two at Hoy High on 3rd May, while on 17th September
two are recorded from Keppoch, Arisaig.

The Rook, Corvus frugilegus friigilegics. — Single birds are
noted at Fair Isle on 7th, nth, and i8th January, two there on 15th
February, and about twenty at Lerwick on 20th February. Small

172 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

numbers are recorded from stations in Orkney and Shetland
frequently from 5th to loth March and from 21st March to 28th
April, these being evidently Continental breeding birds on the way
to their nesting places ; the only other records of movement
during this period being from Little Ross and Tarbatness on 26th
March. Single birds appeared at Fair Isle on 8th and Pentland
Skerries on loth May, and two at the latter station on 24th May.

Arrivals in small numbers are reported from Fair Isle, Pentland
Skerries, and the Isle of May between 13th and 25th October;
single birds visited the first-named station on 3rd and 6th
November, and on 17th November several flocks were seen passing
Little Ross, probably a weather movement, caused by the snow and
frost prevailing at that time.

The Jack-DAw, Colceus vionediila. — Two are recorded from
Pentland Skerries on 22 nd March, and on 17th November several
flocks were observed at Little Ross, and parties kept arriving in
Largo Bay, all coming from the south-east.

The Starling, Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris. — On 7th January
numbers of Starlings were at the Little Ross lantern at 11 p.m., and
from 13th January to 19th February there are numerous notes of
this species from lanterns and lighthouse stations in Southern
Scotland, the only records of arrivals in the northern part of our
country being from Pentland Skerries and Tiumpanhead on 24th
January and Hoy High on i6th February. From 4th March to
the end of April large and constant movements of Starlings are
reported; the periods of maximum movement seem to have been
from 7th to 12th March, 20th March, nth and 15th April. The
records come from the length and breadth of Scotland, from N.
Unst to Little Ross and from Skerryvore and the Outer Hebrides
to the Bell Rock and Pentland Skerries. Some of these were
doubtless our winter visitors leaving us ; others probably refer to the
arrival of our breeding birds and to passage migrants en route for
further north. The May notes are — flocks of twenty or thirty at
Crail on the 5th, four at the Bell at 6 p.m. next day, and one there
on the 13th; two at the Killantringan lantern at 3 a.m. on the nth,
and one at the Little Ross lantern at 12.30 a.m. on the 20th May.
Flocking had begun at Largo by i6th June, and is noted in many
localities after 12th July. On 2nd August four are noted at Sule
Skerry and one at the lantern there on 13th August, while on the
mornings of 3rd and i6th September one or two appeared at the
Killantringan lantern. Throughout October large arrivals are
noted in our Northern Isles and at the Isle of May, doubtless

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 173

immigrants from overseas, while from 8th October to 4th November
there are frequent records of small numbers from the lanterns at
Killantringan and Little Ross, and on 30th October four visited the
Bell Rock. Small numbers of Starlings were at the Killantringan
lantern early on the 3rd, 6th, and 14th December, at the Little Ross
lantern on 5th, 9th, loth, 15th, and i6th, three on the Bell on
the loth, and an increase at the Isle of May on the 24th December.

The Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes coccothraiistes. —
During January, Hawfinches are several times reported from Lauder
(i. 1915, 45), as many as ten birds having been seen on one occasion.
A bird of this species is noted from the mainland opposite Little
Ross (Kirkcudbright) on 23r4 July.

The Greenfinch, Chloris Moris chloris. — From ist to 12 th
January Greenfinches are noted at Fair Isle and Galson (O.H.), and
several at the Isle of May on 7th January. Seven visited Lerwick
on 30th January, and single birds are recorded from Hoy High on
ist February and the Isle of May on 6th April. On 22nd October
an enormous flock was seen at Castle Kennedy, a female at Swona
and one on the Bell on 23rd October, and a lot at Little Ross on
30th November.

The Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis britatittica. — One bird of
this species was seen near Largo on 4th May, about six in East
Inverness-shire on 25th October, and several near Beith on 13th
November (2. viii. 23). These birds probably belonged to the
British form.

The Siskin, Carduelis spinus. — There are no spring records of
Siskins this year.

On 5th October a young bird was killed at the Flannans lantern
and eleven were seen at Mochrum Park, on the 8th two arrived at
Fair Isle, a female at Swona next day, while on the night of the
9/ioth October a male was at the lantern of the Butt of Lewis.
From this time to the end of the month there are constant records
of small numbers from Fair Isle, Lerwick, Swona, Pentland
Skerries and the Isle of May : one is reported from the first-named
station on 12th November, and seventeen from Carseriggan
(Wigtownshire) on 25th November.

The Twite, Carduelis flavirostris flavirostris. — On 24th
January arrivals are recorded from Pentland Skerries and
Tiumpanhead, and from Hoy High on 28th March; about twelve

174 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

at the Butt of Lewis on 2nd May, increasing at Fair Isle on the 4th,
and two at the Isle of May on i4tli May.

In autumn, arrivals are noted at Fair Isle on 15th September,
a very large flock at the Butt of Lewis on 3rd October, and increases
at Pentland Skerries on 5th and Swona on 6th and 7th October.
By mid-October Twites were decreasing at Pentland Skerries, and
all had left by 29th October, but a flock of over thirty reappeared
there on 3rd November.

The Mealy Redpoll, Cardiielis li?taria linaria. — The only
records of Mealy Redpolls in 1915 are — single birds at Lerwick on
3rd October and Pentland Skerries on 2Sth October, and about
eight at WiUiamwood, Clyde, on 12th December.

The Linnet, Ca?-duelis cannabi/ia cannabina. — On [4th January
a Linnet is reported from Fair Isle, many at Little Ross on 18th
March in snow, varying numbers at Hoy High up to the end of
April, and four there on 1 7th May. A flock is noted at Kyleakin
on ist and nth October, a few on Swona from 7th October to i6th
November, two at Pentland Skerries on 24th October, and a few at
Hellyar Holm on 9th December.

The Northern Bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrliula pyrrhiila. — A
female of this large Bullfinch was shot early in January at Shurrery,
parish of Reay, Caithness (i. 1915, 68). See p. 150.

The Chaffinch, Fringilla avlebs ceclebs. — Small numbers of
Chaffinches are recorded during January from Fair Isle and Pentland
Skerries, one at the Butt of Lewis on 5th February, and fourteen
at Lerwick on 21st February. A female appeared on Pentland
Skerries on nth March, one on the Isle of May on 17th March,
and next day numbers were on the island at Little Ross, a weather
movement caused by the snowstorm. A lot, chiefly females, are
noted at the same station on 4th April, and northward passage is
recorded from stations in Orkney and Shetland, and from the Isle
of May from 8th April to ist May; at the last station single birds
appeared on 8th and nth May.

The Butt of Lewis reports two Chaffinches on 27th September,
and a strong arrival is recorded from 9th to 27th October; the
stations recording this movement are Lerwick, Fair Isle, Swona,
Pentland Skerries, the Isle of May, and (after the 22nd) Little Ross.
On 17th November a weather movement caused by snow is noted
at this last station, and Chafifinches were again plentiful there on
30th November.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 i75

The Brambling, Fringilla mon/ifringilla. — On 12th March
four Bramblings appeared at Lerwick, last seen at Melrose on
1 6th April, a few on the Isle of May on 19th, 26th. and 30th April,
and on Fair Isle on 7th May. A very interesting record is that of
three birds of this species on the Island of Noss on 4th July.

The first of the autumn immigrants is reported from Fair Isle on
25th September, and from ist to 30th October steady arrivals are
recorded from our stations in the Northern Isles and the Outer
Hebrides, the Isle of May and Tarbatness, while on loth October
great numbers were seen near Duns. Large flocks are noted at
various localities during the second half of November, and
a Brambling at the Butt of Lewis on 19th December.

The Tree-sparrow, Pasier montanus /iiontamis.—A flock of
sixteen to twenty are noted near Inverness on 8th October, and two
at Pentland Skerries on i6th October.

The Corn-bunting, Emberiza calandra cala?idra. — From yth
to 22nd February we have some records of arrivals of Corn-buntings
from stations in Sllf tland and the Outer Hebrides and Tarbatness.
The Butt of Lewis records "none of the usual arrivals of Corn-
buntings in April and May"; on 20th April "a good few" were
seen near Garlieston, Wigtownshire, a flock of twenty-three at North
Unst, and one bird at Pentland Skerries on 30th April.

On 4th July one of these Buntings visited Pentland Skerries, and
some movement is noted at Fair Isle, Swona, and the Butt of Lewis
from 2nd to 13th October. A flock of thirty was seen at Barnbarroch
on 15th November.

The Yellow Bunting, Einheriza citrinella citrinella. — A few
Yellow Buntings are recorded from Fair Isle during January, on
nth February, from 24th to 29th March, and on 8th, 12th, 17th,
and 26th April, one at this station on 8th May, and one at the Bell
Rock on nth May.

The autumn records are, one at Fair Isle on 27th October, two
at Lerwick on 31st October, one at Fair Isle on 5th November,
a few at the Isle of May on 23rd November, and one at Barra Head
on 31st December.

The Ortolan Bunting, E/nberiza hortidana. — Single birds are
reported from Fair Isle on 6th and i6th October and ist November.
See p. 150.

The Little Bunting, Emberiza pusilla. — A bird of this species
is noted at Pentland Skerries on 12th October. See p. 150.

176 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Reed-bunting, Emberiza schcenidus schoeniclus. — From
8th October to 3rd November arrivals of Reed-buntings, doubtless
immigrants from overseas, are recorded from Fair Isle, Svvona, and
Pentland Skerries.

The Snow-bunting, Plectrophe7iax nivalis. — During January
and February movements of small numbers of Snow-buntings are
reported from stations in our Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides.
The northward movement was very pronounced throughout March
and April, there being constant notes of emigrants from our
northern stations during this period, the greatest numbers noted
being on 24th, 25th, and 28th March, and 2nd and 28th April; the
last mainland record is from Lundin Links on loth April. In May
two were seen on the ist and one on the 3rd and 8th, all at
Pentland Skerries.

The first autumn records come from Pentland Skerries on 13th
September, Fair Isle next day, Hellyar Holm on the 15th, North
Unst on the 21st, and Swona on the 24th September; the first
mainland note comes from Tarbatness on 25th September. Steady
immigration is recorded after this up to i8th November from our
Outer Hebridean and Northern Island stations, and to a lesser
degree from Rattray Head, the Bell, Isle of May, Longcroft, and
Corsemalzie. The numbers noted are usually small, with the
exception of 26th September, when numbers visited North Unst, and
20th October and 5th November, when a large flock appeared at the
Butt of Lewis. During December small numbers frequented Fair
Isle and Pentland Skerries.

The Wood-lark, Lulliila arborea arborea. — Three birds of this
species are recorded on 5th and one on Sth January from Fair Isle.
See p. 150.

The Skylark, Alaiida arvensis arvensis. — On 17th January
a Skylark is noted at Lerwick, one at the Bell on 20th January, and
during this month and up to 14th February there are many notes of
Skylarks in some numbers from stations in the Outer Hebrides.
From 24th February to ist March flocks are noted at Galson (O.H.),
and a flock at the Butt of Lewis on Sth March. Between the 6/7th
February and 3rd April constant movement is recorded from our
southern lanterns and stations — Little Ross (and L.), Killantringan
(L.), Isle of May, Skerryvore (L.), and Bell Rock. The periods of
maximum movement were on nth February, 9th, loth, i8th, 20th,
and 24th March; the earlier arrivals were doubtless our breeding
birds returning, but it seems probable that some, at any rate, of the

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 177

later records refer to passage migrants on their way to breed further
north. To this latter category belong, we think, the Skylarks at the
Muckle Flugga lantern on nth April, at Sule Skerry on 28th April,
the Isle of May on 27th April, 7th and 22nd May, and the Bell
Rock on 13th May. Three stragglers are reported from this last
station on 14th June.

From 1 6th September up to 2nd November much movement
is recorded from our southern stations, chiefly from the Little
Ross and Killantringan lanterns, the largest numbers reported
being on ist and 2nd October at the former light. Records
during this period are scarce in our northern area: on 20th
September small parties were flying south over the sea parallel with
the coast at Tarbatness, a few \vere at the Muckle Flugga lantern
on 9/ioth October, Skylarks were leaving Swona in parties of six to
twelve from 8 a.m. to noon on 19th October, and about fifty were on
that island next day. A weather movement in snow is noted from
Beith and Little Ross on i6th and 17th November. The December
records are, some at the Little Ross lantern at 9 p.m. on the ist,
9th, nth, 15th, and i6th, one at the Killantringan lantern on
the 3rd and 14th, one at the Bell on the nth, at Lerwick on the
12th, and a few at the Isle of May on the 24th, 25th, and 30th, and
at the Rhinns of Islay lantern on the 28th December.

The Shore-lark, Eremophila alpestris flava. — A male occurred
at Hoy High on 25th March, and two females at Swona on
16th October (i. 1916, 24). See p. 150.

The Tree-pipit, Anthus trivialis trivialis. — The first recorded
for the season is at Inchlonaig, Loch Lomond, on 25th April ■ the
species is noted at Duns next day, at Darvel on the 27th, Strathyre
29th, and Melro':e on 30th April. After this arrivals are reported
up to loth May, by which time our Tree-pipits seem to have been
very generally distributed.

From 27th to 30th July movement is noted at Kirkmichael,
from 8th to 28th August there are several records from Balgay near
Dundee, one was seen in Largo Bay on 24th August, and the last
for the season at Balgay on 25th September.

The Meadow-pipit, Anthus pratensis. — On 3rd January there
were one or two Meadow-pipits in Largo Bay, one at Whalsay
Skerries on the 12th, and a flock of twenty-seven on the moor at
Corsemalzie on 29th January. "Quite a dozen" were at Balcomie
(E. Fife) on nth February, one at Fair Isle on 9th March, and five
at Pentland Skerries on 22nd March. From 24th March to 12th
55 AND 56 X

178 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

April there are many notes from our southern stations of the arrival
of Meadow-pipits, probably our own birds returning to breed with
us. Stations in our Northern Isles record arrivals from 8th April
steadily up to 15th May, on which latter date many are also recorded
at the Butt of Lewis. These doubtless refer to the passage of the
more northern breeding birds on their way overseas, and the notes
from the Isle of May during this period probably also belong to this
category.

The autumn movement is first noted on 27th July, and our
southern stations record movement, doubtless our breeding birds
leaving us, up to nth September. The first record of movement
from our Northern Isles is on 17th August at Swona, and there are
spasmodic notes of arrivals in the northern archipelago and the
Outer Hebrides up to 14th September. A strong movement,
without doubt an overseas arrival, took place in the above localities
from 30th September to 21st October, after which the only records
are, one in Largo Bay on 17th December, and several on the moors
at Corsemalzie on 28th December.

The Rock-pipit, Anthus spinoletta petrosus. — Arrivals of Rock-
pipits are reported from the Isle of May on 12th March, and Hoy
High on 2nd April, and one was killed at the Little Ross lantern on
nth April at 11.30 p.m.

A few appeared on Skerryvore on 31st July, numbers are noted
at North Unst on 4th September and the Butt of Lewis on 9th
October, a flock of thirty at Swona on 15th October, and a party of
nine flying to the south-east out at sea off Craignarget, Luce Bay, on
22nd October. Some of the above records may refer to A. s.
litt oralis.

The Blue-headed Wagtail, Motacilla flava flava. — Birds
of either this or the Grey-headed form {M. f. thunbergi) occurred
at Fair Isle on i6th, iSth, and 26th October. See p. 151.

The Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava rayi. — This Wagtail
is first recorded from Beith on i8th April, Summerston on ist,
and Darvel on 2nd May. After this arrivals are noted up to
6th May, and on 21st May one is reported from the Island of
Noss. On 1 8th August a male Yellow Wagtail is noted at Corse-
malzie, one at Beith on i6th September, and one at the Isle
of May on 28th September.

The Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea cinerea. — A party of
eight Grey Wagtails was seen in the Lahill burn on 8th February.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 179

Returns to breeding haunts are recorded between 13th March
and roth April, and this species visited North Unst on 6th and
9th May, and Galson (O.H.) on 7th, 12th, 13th, and i6th May.
On 2 1 St July five (old and young) were seen at Alticig (Luce Bay),
one in Largo Bay on loth August, and local movements are
recorded from various mainland stations up to 23rd October.
North Unst was visited on 17th and 23rd August, the Isle of
May on Sth September, and Whalsay Skerries two days later.
There are several records from Killantringan and Little Ross
between 15th October and i8th November.

The White Wagtail, Motacilla alba alba. — Is first recorded
from Little Ross on 22nd IVI^rch, Hoy High on the 24th, Alticig
shore (Luce Bay) on the 27th, and Pentland Skerries on the 29th
and 30th March. From loth April to 15th May, constant passage
up the west coast is reported; there are two very interesting
lantern records, the birds being sent in, in each case, viz., a good
many at Killantringan lantern, two being killed at 1 1 p.m. on
30th April, and a male and female killed at the Little Ross lantern
at 4 A.]\i. on nth May. Passage up the east coast is noted
between 23rd April and 6th May, and constant passage from our
Northern Isles from loth April to 12th May, the last two records
being from Pentland Skerries on 17th and Island of Noss on
19th May.

On 22nd July a White Wagtail appeared on Swona, and from
I Sth August to Sth September there are constant notes of immigrants
from stations in Orkney and Shetland. Passage down the west
coast is recorded, chiefly from the Outer Hebrides, between 23rd
August and 14th September, and small numbers about Lahill and
Largo on 28th and 31st August. On 24th September there were
a few on Fair Isle, one at Lerwick on 26th September, and one
or two on Fair Isle and Pentland Skerries constantly between
2nd and loth October.

The Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba lugubris. — On Sth January
from fifty to sixty Pied Wagtails were seen in the Kay Park,
Kilmarnock, and returns to breeding places are recorded from
24th February to the end of March from many parts of the country.
Single birds are recorded from Lerwick on 9th March, Hoy High
on 30th March, Deerness on ist April, and Pentland Skerries on
13th April and (two) 7th May, while there was one at Fair Isle
on 14th May.

On 2nd July one was on the Island of Noss, and one on

i8o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Pentland Skerries on 5th July. There are many records of move-
ment in Southern Scotland during September; last seen Pentland
Skerries on 6th October, sixty to seventy on the Barrack Square,
and "the whole place dotted with Pied Wagtails" at Glencorse
on 8th October (i. igi6, 23); last seen Largo Bay on 19th November,
the Tweed at Melrose on 4th December, Barnbarroch (Kirkinner)
on 6th, and Longcroft (Oxton) on 7th December.

The British Tree-creeper, Certhia famiHaris brittanica. —
On 13th October a Tree-creeper belonging to this form was accident-
ally killed at Galson, Outer Hebrides (i. 1916, 75). See p. 151.

The Continental Great Titmouse, Parus major major. — It
will be remembered that there was an immigration of these Tits
into Shetland in the autumn of 19 14. Some spent the winter
there, and two are recorded steadily from Fair Isle up to 23rd
January 1915 (i. 1915, 103). See p. 150-151.

The Blue Titmouse, Parus cxruleus, subsp. ? — A Blue Tit is
recorded from Little Ross on 28th October.

The Goldcrest, Regidus reguhts. — There are very few spring
records of Goldcrests this year; one was at the Holy Island
lantern at 2 a.m. on 9th February, and two there at i a.m. on
nth February. Numerous at Melrose on 25th February, and
one was killed at the Killantringan lantern on 14th April. From
nth September to 18th October there are very frequent records
of small numbers of Goldcrests at the Killantringan and Little
Ross lanterns. Our excellent recorders at these stations several
times sent us specimens which had struck the lantern and killed
themselves, and in each case they belonged to the British form,
R. r. angloru7n. This movement, then, would appear to be a
southward migration of our Scottish breeding birds. Between i8th
and 23rd October there are records of immigrant Goldcrests,
doubtless the Continental R. r. reguh/s, from Fair Isle, Pentland
Skerries, and Swona; records from the Isle of May during this
period probably also belong to this race. On ist and 3rd
November one is reported from Swona.

The Great Grey Shrike, Lanius excubitor excubitor.—';^m'^^
birds are reported from Pitlochry at the beginning of February
(i. 1 91 5, 68), New Galloway on 3rd March, Cruden Bay about
25th March (i. 19 15, 127), Pentland Skerries on 9th October,
Capenoch, Dumfriesshire, on i6th November (i. 191 6, 24), and
Beith on 4th and i8th (another) December (2. viii. 23).

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN 1915 i8t

The Red-backed Shrike, Lanius colhirio collurio. — One
appeared on the Island of Noss on 21st May.

The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata striata. — Is
first recorded from Broughton on 6th May, Rouken Glen next
day. East Linton on 8th, Uarvel and Invergowrie on the 9th, and
Duns on loth May. After this there are many notes of arrival,
till by 2ist May the tale of our breeding birds seems to have been
pretty well complete. On i6th May one, and on 20th May several,
were at the Little Ross lantern. One on the Island of Noss
on 2ist May, and one on the Isle of May on 23rd May were
doubtless passage migrants, as were four on the Island of Noss on
6th Tune.

Much departure is recorded from our southern stations between
24th August and 5th September; last seen Corsemalzie on 12th
September, Beith on 20th, and Balgay on 26th September. A
passage migrant arrived on Pentland Skerries on 12th October.

The Pied Flycatcher, Muscicapa hypoleuca hypoleuca. — A male
arrived at the usual haunt near Duns on 8th May, but disappeared
a few days later ; no female has been seen there for the last two
years. On nth and 12th May one or two were on the Isle of May,
and one at Thornhill (Dumfries) on 19th May. Passage migrants,
one hen in each case, were observed on the Island of Noss on 21st
and 24th May. During the second week of July a pair of Pied
Flycatchers were seen several times about three miles from
Stonehaven (i. 19 15, 284).

A good deal of passage migration is noted in autumn: on loth
September one is recorded from Helmsdale, several at the Isle of
May from nth to 13th September, one at the Muckle Flugga
lantern at 10 p.m. on 15th September, one at the Flannans on the
17th, and a young male at the Butt of Lewis lantern at 3 a.m. on
20th September. A Pied Flycatcher seen in the Findhorn Valley
on 17th September should perhaps come under this category ; two
were on the Isle of May on 7th October, and one at the Butt of
Lewis lantern at 3 a.m. on loth October.

The Red-breasted Flycatcher, Muscicapa parva parva. — A
bird of this species appeared on Swona on 7th October (i. 1916, 24).
See p. 151.

The Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collyhita collyhita. — Is first
recorded from Corsemalzie on 1 7th April, and one was killed at
the Little Ross lantern that night and sent to us; Rouken Glen on

i82 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

2oth April, several at the Little Ross lantern at lo p.m. on 30th
April, and Darvel on 1 st May. These are late dates for the arrival of
this little Warbler with us. Last seen Corsemalzie on 8th September,
and two at the Killantringan lantern at 11 p.m. on 12th September.

The Northern Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita abietinus. —
The following records doubtless all refer to this form of Chiffchaff:
one Island of Noss on 21st May, single birds at North Unst on 12th
August and 4th September, a fair number at Lerwick between loth
and 24th October, and one at Swona on 31st October and ist
November.

The Willow-warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus trochihis. — This
species was rather late in arriving in 19 15, the first records being
from Corsemalzie on the 19th April, New Galloway and Balerno
on the 22nd, Darvel and East Linton on the 23rd, Melrose, Beith,
Kilmacolm, Carbeth, and Murtle on 24th April. After this the
spread over Scotland was rapid, and the immigration continued
steadily up to 9th May. On nth May Willow-warblers were at the
Killantringan lantern at 3 a.m., on i6th and 20th May at the Little
Ross lantern at 11 p.m. and 12.30 a.m. respectively. There were
enormous numbers of this Warbler about Arisaig on 23rd and 24th
May, after which they mostly passed on and comparatively few
remained to breed. Passage migrants are recorded from Lerwick
on 6th and the Island of Noss on 24th May, and from the latter
station on 5th June.

Throughout August and September there are many notes of
movement : our home-bred birds left us in a steady stream, this
being recorded from our southern lanterns and mainland stations
alike. The only rush noted is one at the Little Ross lantern on
loth August, otherwise the notes of departure, though constant,
refer to small numbers only. Last seen Balgay on 19th September,
Corsemalzie on 27th September, Little Ross on 4th October, and
Derrie (Mochrum) on 9th October. The first undoubted passage
migrants recorded are from Pentland Skerries on 2nd, 3rd, loth
and 14th September, and from 20th September to i8th October
there are constant notes of the arrival of small numbers of Willow-
warblers at Fair Isle, Butt of Lewis, North Unst, Lerwick, and
Pentland Skerries, and the records from the Isle of May during this
period may well be also those of passage. The last record for the
year comes from Fair Isle on 20th October.

The Wood-warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix sibilatrix. — Is
first recorded from Rouken Glen on 30th April, Melrose on 2nd

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 ^^^

May, East Linton on 4th, Darvel on the 5th and Duns on 7th May.
After this there are a good many notes of arrival up to 24th May,
when an increase was noticed at Arisaig. The only autumn note
is from the Isle of May on 8th August.

The Yellow - browed Warbler, Phylloscopits sjiperciliosus
siiperciliosus. — A bird of this species appeared at Swona on 6th
October (i. 1916, 23), one at Pentland Skerries on 8th October,
and two there next day (i. 1916, 24). On i8th October one is
reported from Lerwick (i. 1916, 24). See p. 151.

The Grasshopper- warbler, Locustella ncevia ncevia. — Is
reported from Kilmacolm on 7th May, Inchmoan on 9th, and
Darvel on iSth May.

The Sedge-warbler, Acrocephalus schcenohcenus. — Is recorded
from Glenling (Mochrum) on 3rd May, Beith on 4th, and Darvel
on 5th May. Summerston and Kilmacolm report it on the 7th May,
Melrose, Loch Lomondside, and Duns next day. After this there are
further notes of arrival up to nth May. At i a.m. on ist August
a Sedge-warbler was killed at the Little Ross lantern ; last seen
Beith on loth August, Soulseat (Inch) on 2nd September, and Loch
Chesney (Corsemalzie) next day.

The Garden-warbler, Sylvia borin. — The return of the
Garden-warbler is recorded from Duns on 26th April, from the
Isle of May on 2nd May, the Little Ross lantern and near Rouken
Glen on 5th, and Melrose, Inchtavannach, and near Dalserf (Clyde)
on 8th May. After this there are a good many notes of arrival ;
one was at the Little Ross lantern at 11 p.rl on 13th May, and
many there late on i6th May. Two passage migrants are noted
at Pentland Skerries on 24th May.

On 9th September a Garden-warbler struck the Little Ross
lantern at 11 p.m., and a passage migrant was on Pentland Skerries
on loth October.

The Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla atricapilla. — Arrivals are
reported at Duns on ist May, Bridge of Allan and East Lothian
next day, and Darvel on nth May.

On 22nd September a female, probably a passage migrant, was
observed at Swordale (E. Ross) ; on 9th October two were at Fair
Isle, one at the Butt of Lewis from nth to 15th October, and one
or two at Lerwick on 13th, 21st, 28th, and 31st October, these
being certainly all passage migrants.

1 84 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Whitethroat, Sylvia communis communis. — This species
is first recorded from Loch Elrig (Mochrum) on 23rd April, the Isle
of May on 29th April, Melrose and Busby (Clyde) on 2nd May, and
Thornhill (Dumfriesshire) next day. After this the spread was
steady, and arrivals at breeding places are noted up to 23rd May.
On 23rd and 24th May Whitethroats were very numerous indeed
at Arisaig, then they began to decrease till by 30th May only the
breeding birds were left. Passage migrants, single birds in each
case, are reported from Fair Isle on 22nd and 28th May, and the
Island of Noss on 4th June.

On 8th August several Whitethroats were at the Little Ross
lantern at i a.m., and from this time up to 18th September there
are constant notes of departure from our mainland and southern
lighthouse stations. Last seen Corsemalzie on 6th September, East
Fife on 8th and Evanton on 9th September, and one at Kil-
chattan Bay, Bute, on i8th September. Passage migrants, single
birds in each case, are recorded from Pentland Skerries on
2nd September, Fair Isle on 13th and 15th October, and Swona on
22nd October.

The Lesser Whitethroat, Sylvia curruca curruca, — One is
reported a little west of Arisaig on 23rd May (i. 1916, 78), and one
at Loch Treig on 13th June (r. 1916, 78), see p. 151. On 9th
October a Lesser Whitethroat appeared on Pentland Skerries.

The Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris. — On loth January a Fieldfare
is reported at Lerwick, five at Pentland Skerries next day, and
fifteen at Holy Island on 17th January. Throughout February
and up to 9th March there are constant notes of movements
of small numbers from stations in the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and
Shetland, and from Skerryvore, a few from the Isle of May, and one
at the Killantringan lantern at 8 p.m. on 4th March. For the rest
of March there are notes of large flocks from various mainland
stations. From loth April to 7th May we have constant notes from
our southern and mainland stations of the passage of large numbers
of Fieldfares, on nth and 14th April there were great rushes to the
Little Ross lantern, before midnight in each case, and many large
flocks are reported from various localities, all going north : probably
the majority of these were passage migrants. It is not a little
remarkable that during this period there are only a few notes
of single birds at our stations in Orkney and Shetland. The
absence of lantern records no doubt is responsible for this in some
degree, but it would seem probable that in many cases another

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGV IN 1915 185

route was taken — possibly the North Sea was crossed further south
than these islands, or possibly, delayed by the cold northerly winds
which prevailed, the birds lingered longer on the mainland of
Scotland than is their wont, and so had to hurry on when the
weather became more propitious. Be that as it may, the fact
remains that no large movements are noted from our Northern
Isles. On 9th May six are reported from Darvel, and Fieldfares at
Kinnelhead on 15th May. The Isle of May had several there from
2ist to 23rd May, a few at Fair Isle on 21st and 22nd May, and
records for the former date come from the Bass, Little Ross, and the
Island of Noss. Single birds visited Pentland Skerries on 5th June,
and the Isle of May next day; while on loth June a female was shot
at Cairnsmore (Kirkcudbrightshire), which contained three eggs, one
with the shell forming and due to be laid in about four days, the
others without shells (i. 1915, 263 and 356).

On 5th October eleven Fieldfares are reported from Mochrum
Park (Wigtownshire) ; the species is recorded from Bathgate and
Duns on 7th October, Swona next day, the Butt of Lewis lantern
and Tarbatness on loth, and Pentland Skerries on 12th October.
The main arrival took place between 20th October and nth
November : during this time there are many notes of considerable
numbers 'from island and mainland stations alike. The largest
influxes seem to have been on 22nd and 23rd October, on 29th
October, and on nth November. Many appeared on Fair Isle
on 1 8th November, evidently a weather movement due to frost ; and
from this time to the end of the year there are constant notes
of movement of small numbers of Fieldfares from stations in our
Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides, and from the Isle of May.

The Missel-thrush, Turdus viscivorus viscivorus. — One to
three Missel-thrushes are recorded on Pentland Skerries between 5th
and 9th March, two at Barra Head on 14th April, and one at the
Isle of May on 29th April. Flocking is recorded from Glenling
(Mochrum) as early as 15th June, and after this there are a good
many notes of flocks from various localities. Little Ross records
visits from this species on loth and 24th July, 5th, 8th, 12th, and
13th September; and one appeared on the Isle of May on 29th
September. From 9th to i6th October small numbers occurred at
Pentland Skerries and Swona, and Little Ross again notes arrivals
on 28th October, and 2nd and 19th November.

The Thrush, Turdus philomelus. — During January there are
many records of small numbers of Thrushes from stations in

i86 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

our Northern Isles, probably wintering birds of the Continental
T. ph. philomelies. From the night of 4/5th February till 24th
March there are many notes from our southern lanterns and
lighthouse stations of Thrushes sometimes in considerable numbers,
and from mainland stations of the return of the breeding birds.
These records probably all refer to our British Thrush, T. ph. clarkei,
though there may have been passage migrants of the Continental
form along with them. The largest arrivals reported are on d/yth
and i8th February, 6th, 9th, loth, i8th, 20th, and 24th March.
During the first ten days of March there are notes of emigrants in
very small numbers at Pentland Skerries, these being doubtless
T. ph. philomelus on its northward journey; but there is the same
absence of notes of spring emigration from our Northern Isles as in
the case of the Fieldfare : possibly the reasons suggested there may
also be applicable to this case. On 30th March we have this note
from the Butt of Lewis : " A Thrush that remained all winter has now
gone"; while on 30th April several arrived on the Isle of May,
and one was seen there on 3rd July, and one at Pentland Skerries
next day.

On 9th September a Thrush appeared on the Isle of May, and
from that time to 4th October there are a good many notes from
our southern lighthouses and lanterns of small numbers on the
move : these were doubtless emigrant British Song-thrushes. A
Thrush is reported from North Unst on 15th September, and from
4th October to 2nd November many arrivals are recorded from
stations in Orkney and Shetland, this being evidently the autumn
immigration of the Continental T. ph. philomehts : records from the
Isle of May during this period may also refer to this form. During
October there are a good many records of Thrushes at the lanterns
of Little Ross and Killantringan ; and as birds sent in belonged to
the British form, a southward emigration of this race would appear
to have been in progress at the same time as the immigration of the
Continental birds took place. It is impossible to say to which form
the following notes refer. A few Thrushes at the Rhinns of Islay
lantern on 7th and nth November, some at the Skerryvore lantern
all night on 8th November, and several at the Butt of Lewis
on 28th November— this last and Thrushes at the Isle of May and
Little Ross on 17th November being evidently a weather movement.
During December there are frequent notes of one to three at
Pentland Skerries; a number visited the Isle of May on the 12th,
and a Thrush of the British race was killed at the Killantringan
lantern on the 14th December, and Thrushes visited the Little Ross
lantern on 5th, 28th, and 30th December.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 187

The Rkdwing, Turdus musicus. — On i8th February numbers
of Redwings were at the Little Ross lantern from 12 to 4 a.m., and
one is noted at Lerwick. Throughout March and up to i8th April
there are constant notes of movements of Redwings from all parts
of Scotland ; passage migrants would appear to be included in these
movements as well as our winter visitors, as our southern lanterns
and stations report immigration, and the movements reach all the
way up to Shetland. After i8th April the notes refer almost
entirely to emigration from our Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides,
the only exceptions being a flock of twenty-seven at Alticig on 28th
April and one at the Isle of May on ist May. After this, the only
notes are of single birds at Fair Isle on nth, 17th, and 22nd May.
The earliest record in autumn' is from Corsemalzie on 22nd Sep-
tember, a flock of about three hundred being seen flying south. On
29th September Redwings are reported from the Isle of May and
next day from Pentland Skerries and Longcroft, while on ist
October there were several on Fair Isle and numbers at the Little
Ross lantern at midnight. From 2nd October to 19th November a
steady stream of Redwings is recorded ; up to 24th October this
comprised immense numbers of birds, and it is recorded from
stations all over Scotland, though chiefly from our Northern Isles.
After 24th October the numbers recorded are smaller, though the
arrivals continued very constantly. Up to loth December a few are
recorded fairly frequently from Pentland Skerries and Fair Isle, and
a Redwing was killed at the Killantringan lantern on 14th December.

The Ring-ouzel, Turdus torquatiis torquatus. — Is first recorded
from Braidshawrigg on loth April, Longcroft on 15th, and Kinnel-
head on 20th April. One or two Ring-ouzels are noted at the Isle
of May on 30th April, ist May, and 6th to 9th May, probably
passage migrants, while a female on the Island of Noss on i8th May
doubtless belonged to this category. On 4th October at 3 a.m. and
on 9th October at 10 p.m. single birds were at the Killantringan
lantern and at the Isle of May on 9th and loth October. Passage
migrants are noted at Swona on nth and 14th and from 20th to
26th October, at Sule Skerry on i6th October, at the Butt of Lewis
lantern early on 19th October, and at Pentland Skerries on 22 nd
October.

The Blackbird, Turdus vierula meruIa.— On i8th January
four Blackbirds arrived on Sule Skerry, and many were killed at the
Little Ross lantern and one at the Killantringan lantern on 6/ 7th
February. From nth February to 27th March there are numbers

i88 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

of notes of movements in Southern Scotland from lanterns and
also from daylight observations. The greatest numbers recorded
are from the Little Ross lantern, where there were rushes on 5th
and 6th, 9th, loth, and 20th March. From 22 nd March to the end
of April there are constant notes of emigrating Blackbirds from our
Northern Isles. Killantringan and Little Ross lanterns record
small movements on ii/i2th and i4/i5th April, and a male was
at the latter light at 11. 15 p.m. on loth May. Arrivals at the Isle
of May are reported on 6th May, one at Pentland Skerries on 6th
and 8th May, two at Fair Isle on nth May, and one there on loth
June, and two at the Bell on 20th June.

On 14th July several appeared at Little Ross, a female at
Pentland Skerries on 27th July, and one at Sule Skerry on 25th
August. During the first half of September there were one or two
about Pentland Skerries, and one at the Rhinns of Islay lantern on
i6th September at 10 p.m. From 26th September to nth Nov-
ember a steady stream of immigrants is reported from stations in
Orkney, Shetland, and the Outer Hebrides. There are also a good
many notes during this period of the arrival of Blackbirds from the
Isle of May, Rhinns of Islay (L.), Tarbatness (L.), Bell and Skerry-
vore (L.). Between loth October and 4th November there are a
good many records of small numbers from the lanterns of Little
Ross and Killantringan.

The Wheatear, CEnanthe <xnaiithe cenanthe. — Is first recorded
this year from Little Ross lantern at 11 p.m., Nevay Park and Fair
Isle, all on 23rd March, while from i to 3 next morning the "rush
of Wheatears was very great " at the above-mentioned light. On
2 7th March it is reported from Darvel, West Kilbride (Clyde), Glen
Afton and Port William (Solway), on 28th March from Broughton
(Peeblesshire), and on 30th March from Kinnelhead and Tarbatness.
After this and up to 24th April we have many notes of the return of
breeding birds to their nesting places all over Scotland. From 20th
April to 13th May there are constant records of movements of
Wheatears from our Northern Isles. The largest passages seem to
have been on 23rd and 24th April, 28th and 30th April, and 4th
and 6th May. During this period and up to 2nd June there are a
good many notes of Wheatears, probably passage migrants, from the
Isle of May, Butt of Lewis, Tarbatness, Bell Rock, Galson and
Skerryvore (L.); the Little Ross lantern records them on 17th and
20th May, and one or two are reported from Pentland Skerries up
to 1 6th June.

On 6th July a Wheatear arrived on the Isle of May, several at

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 189

Little Ross on 14th July, while on 19th July we have this note from
the Butt of Lewis, "many on the move locally for the last week."
Two visited Sule Skerry on the 20th, and from the 23rd to the end
of July southward movement was observed at Bathgate. Through-
out August and September there are many notes of migrating
Wheatears from all over Scotland, the periods of maximum
movement being from 3rd to 5th and from nth to 13th September,
when great numbers are recorded from various stations. Up to
1 8th October a few frequented the Butt, Pentland Skerries records
up to 24th, and Fair Isle to 27th October. On 6th, 9th, and loth
October Wheatears were at the Little Ross lantern, two at Derrie
(Mochrum), and numbers at Sule Skerry on 9th October, and a few
at Skerryvore lantern that night ; some at Killantringan lantern on
the 15th, single birds at Tarbatness and the Isle of May on the
19th, and one in Luce Bay on 22nd October. In November two
were at the Butt of Lewis and a female at Craignarget (Luce Bay)
on the 2nd, and one at Swona, and a few at Skerryvore lantern on
the 8th. Some of these records, specially among the late birds,
may refer to the following form.

The Greater Wheatear, (Enanthe cenanthe leucorrhoa. —
Appeared at Pentland Skerries on 19th April, and is recorded thence
on 20th and 25th April. From 6th to i6th May steady passage is
recorded, chiefly from Pentland Skerries, Hoy High, and the Isle of
May, but this form was also killed at the Killantringan lantern on
6th May and Little Ross lantern on nth May.

From 7th to 30th September a few were on passage at Swona, at
Lerwick and Butt of Lewis on 12th September, and Girlsta
(Shetland) on 24th September. Steady passage is reported from
stations in Orkney and Shetland from 7th to 24th October, several
were at the Isle of May on 6th October, and one at Portmahomack
(E. Ross) on 2ist October.

The Whinchat, Saxicola rubetra rubetra. — Was rather late in
arriving in 1915, the first records being from Corsemalzie on 26th
April, Largo Bay on 29th April, and New Galloway on ist May.
On 2nd May many arrivals are reported, and up to 17th May the
return of our breeding birds is strongly evident. Two were at the
Isle of May on 20th May and one on 26th, while on 23rd and
24th May Whinchats were swarming at Arisaig ; they decreased
rapidly after this, till by 30th May only a few breeding pairs
were left.

From 1 6th July to 23rd August notes come from mainland

'.*

190 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

stations in both Eastern and Western Scotland of movements of
Whinchats. Last seen in W. Renfrew on iith September, Kil-
chattan Bay, Bute, on i6th September, Corsemalzie on 23rd and
Darvel on 25th September. A passage migrant is reported from
Lerwick on nth September and a Whinchat was on the Isle of May
that same day.

The Stonechat, Saxicola torquata. — Ox\ 5th April a Stonechat
visited Pentland Skerries, early on 14th April a few were at the
Little Ross and Killantringan lanterns, and next day at i a.m. at the
latter light; two at Galson (O.H.) on 3rd May, one on Pentland
Skerries next day, and a male on the Island of Noss on 20th May.
From 4th to 6th September five frequented Galson, a pair near the
Butt of Lewis on 3rd October, and one on Pentland Skerries on
24th October.

The Redstart, Phcenicurus phoeniciirus phcenicurus. — The
first records of this species are late this year. On 25th April
Redstarts were seen at Inchtavannach, on 27th at Broughton
(Peeblesshire), and on 30th April at the Isle of May, the Little Ross
lantern at 10 p.m., and in south-west Perthshire. Arrivals at
nesting places are recorded from the Scottish mainland right up to
28th May. A female, evidently on passage further north, is reported
from the Butt of Lewis on 15th May, and Redstarts at the Isle of
May on 19th, 20th, 26th, and 27th May may also have been passage
migrants.

From the end of July till 19th September there are many
records of movements of Redstarts from stations in Southern
Scotland; the numbers noted are all small and the movement
was evidently the departure of our summer visitors. Passage
migration is reported steadily from stations in the Northern Isles
and Outer Hebrides from 20th to 27th September and 5th to 22nd
October. Records from the Isle of May and Bell Rock during this
period probably refer also to passage migrants ; in all cases the
numbers observed were small. The last Redstart of the season is
reported from Pentland Skerries on 7th November.

The Black Redstart, Phcenicurus ochrurus gibraltariensis. —
On 4th March the remains of a Black Redstart were found at Little
Ross, and single birds are recorded from the Isle of May on
30th April, Pentland Skerries on 26th April and 4th May, and
near Glasgow on 9th May. Two were at Tarbatness on 26th
September, and at Pentland Skerries small numbers are noted on
8th, 9th, i2th, 13th, i6th, 23rd and 24th October. See p. 151.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN 1 9 1 5 191

The Norwegian Bluethroat, Ltisciiiia suecica gaetkei. — A
Bluethroat, probably of this race, visited Fair Isle on 8th October.
See p. 151.

The Redbreast, Erithacus ritbecula. Redbreasts, doubtless
the typical E. r. rubecula, wintered in Shetland ; last seen at Lerwick
on 29th March, and single birds were on Pentland Skerries on nth
and 13th April : there are no notes of large passage movements in
our Northern Isles this spring. The southern records this year are :
one at the Killantringan lantern at 3 A.iM. on i6th February, one at
the Isle of May on 21st March and at the Little Ross lantern at
3 A.M. on 24th March, two at the Killantringan lantern at 9 p.m. on
nth April, one at the Isle of May on 19th and several there on
30th April. It is difficult to know to which race to assign these
notes ; probably some of the later were passage migrants.

On 1 6th August several Redbreasts were at the Little Ross
lantern at 2 a.m., and Little Ross (L.), Killantringan (L.), Rhinns of
Islay (L.), and the Isle of May record movement fairly frequently
between nth and 17th September and on ist and 4th October.
Birds sent proved to be E. r. iiielophilus, so this was evidently
a southward movement of our home-bred birds. A very large
Continental immigration is recorded from many stations in our
Northern Isles between 8th October and 6th November : the height
of the movement was from 20th to 23rd October; at this time
Robins were unusually numerous on the Isle of May and at
Tarbatness, probably also immigrants of the typical E. r. rubecula.
Single birds are noted at the Killantringan lantern on 13th and i6th
October and 2nd and 3rd November, and many at Little Ross on
2 ist October, but in the absence of specimens it is impossible to
say to which race they belonged. Large numbers visited Killan-
tringan on 1 8th November in frost, one was on the Bell on
29th November, and a few are noted from our Northern Isles
up to the end of the year.

The Hedge-sparrow, Prunella modularis. — A Hedge-sparrow
visited the Isle of May on 21st February, and single birds,
probably passage migrants, are noted from Pentland Skerries on
loth and T2th April.

A good deal of movement is reported from the Isle of May
from loth October to 23rd November, and several at Little Ross
on 27th October; we cannot say to which race these migrants
belonged.

192 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes troglodytes. — A good deal
of movement of Wrens in ones and twos is recorded from our
Orcadian stations up to i6th April; they were at the Killantringan
lantern on nth and 14th April, and one was killed at the Skerry vore
lantern on 4th May.

On 25th July and loth August, and from ist to loth September,
a Wren visited Pentland Skerries, and on 4th (one) and 9th (two)
August the species is reported from the Muckle Flugga lantern
(7! t. zetlandicus ?) From 22nd September to i8th November
small numbers on the move are noted from stations in Orkney,
the Butt of Lewis, Kyleakin, the Isle of May, Tarbatness, and
Little Ross. On 5th December one was on Pentland Skerries, and
two there on i8th December, while on loth December a few
were on the Isle of May.

The Swallow, Che lido n rustica rustica. — The first record is
early, and is from Bardowie (Clyde) on 5th April ; the next are
Beith on 13th April, the Blackadder on 15th, Duddingston on
1 6th, and Darvel, Johnstone, and Troon on 17th April. Notes
of arrival come steadily after this up to 15th May, by which time
our summer visitors seem mostly to have settled down. The
first island record is from the Butt of Lewis on 3rd May, and
from 5th May to the end of June there are constant records of
Swallows, probably mainly passage migrants from stations in our
Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides.

A few were about Fair Isle from 6th to gth July and from
8th August, when " few left " is recorded from Dunkeld, up to the
end of September departures are reported constantly; the height
of the movement seems to have been from 20th to 27th September.
On 12th September one, probably a passage migrant, was seen
at North Unst. Last seen Beith on 2nd October, Largo and Mel-
rose on 5th, Meggatknowes, Yarrow, on 7th, West Renfrew on
8th, Darvel on 15th, Bathgate on i6th, and Alticig shore (Luce
Bay) on 27th October.

The House-martin, Hirundo iirbica_ urbica. — Is first noted
at Holy Island (two) on 12th April, and Kilconquhar Loch (E, Fife)
(one) on 20th April. The general arrivals were late this year and
did not take place till the first week of May ; during this time
many notes come from all over Scotland of the return of breeding
birds. By i6th May the tale of nesting birds seems to have been
pretty well complete. On i8th May House-martins are recorded
from Fair Isle and the Island of Noss, and up to 15th June

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 193

there are notes of small numbers, probably passage migrants, from
these two stations, Pentland Skerries and Hoy High.

A few were about Fair Isle on 6th July, and Lerwick on nth
July, and two at Skerryvore on ist August. From 26th August
to the end of September there are many notes of departure.
Last seen Dundee on 19th September, Beith on 24th, and Largo
on 28th September, Dunkeld on 4th October, and Livergowrie
on 31st October.

The Sanu-martin, Riparia riparia riparia. — Was very late
in appearing in 191 5. It is recorded at Duns on 13th April,
Soulseat (Inch) next day, Duddingston on i6th April, New
Galloway on i8th, and Beith on 20th April. After this, arrivals
are recorded constantly up to 4th May, by which time our breeding
birds were well distributed. A Sand-martin visited Fair Isle on
9th June. Last seen Largo on 18th August, Soulseat on 3rd
September, and Invergowrie on 19th September.

The Alpine Swift, Apus nielba iiielba. — A bird of this species
is recorded as having been seen at Whithorn, Wigtownshire, on
30th July (i. 1915, 308). See p. 151.

The Swift, Apus apus apus. — Was rather late in appearing
in 1915. On I St May it is recorded from Invergowrie and
Summerston (Clyde), and next day from Melrose, Williamwood,
Allander Toll, Bardowie, Johnstone, and Dundee. After this
and up to 14th May many returns to summer haunts are noted.
On 2ist May several were at the Butt of Lewis, and a "great
flight" at Little Ross on 7th June; "Swifts were very numerous
and remained five or six hours." On 8th, 9th, and 15th June
there were a good many at the Butt of Lewis, and two at the
Isle of May on i8th and 19th June. By 25th July the last of
the local breeding birds had left Johnstone ; " they have stayed
less than three months," and during August there are constant
notes of departure from our mainland stations. Last seen Largo
on 1 2th August, Loch Elrig (Mochrum) on i6th, Beith on 20th,
and Dundee on 29th August. Notes of Swifts, probably passage
migrants, come from Swona and Sule Skerry on 20th July, Fair
Isle on 28th July and 3rd and 9th August, Pentland Skerries on
loth August, and the Butt of Lewis on loth and nth August,
while the last for the season is reported from Hellyar Holm
on 22nd September.

The Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaus europceus.- — Is recorded
from Thornhill on loth May, Soulseat (Inch) on 14th, and Holy
55 AND 56 Y

194 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Island on 17th May. On ist September two young birds were
observed at Corsemalzie, and one at Barnbarroch, Kirkinner, on
loth September.

The Bee-eater, Merops apiaster. — A bird of this species,
apparently a female, frequented the neighbourhood of Lerwick
from 4th to nth July (i. 1916, 24). See p. 151.

The Hoopoe, Upiipa epops epops. — A Hoopoe arrived on Pent-
land Skerries on 19th May. See p. 151.

The Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus canorus. — Is first reported from
Craignish (Argyllshire) on 15th April, Beith and Longformacus
on 24th April, Corsemalzie next day, and Darvel on 28th April.
After this and up to 14th May there are many notes of arrival
from all parts of the Scottish mainland. On 12th May a Cuckoo
is recorded at Lerwick, one at Pentland Skerries on 19th May,
two on the Island of Noss on 6th June, and one at Fair Isle on
15th June. Last adult seen at Beith on 2nd July, and at Corsemalzie
on 6th July, and from igth July to 20th August a good deal
of movement of young Cuckoos is reported. Last young bird
seen at Mochrum on 28th August, Beith on 14th September, and
Corsemalzie next day.

The Snowy Owl, Nyctea nydea. — A beautiful specimen was
observed at Little Ross on 24th February. See p. 151.

Tengmalim's Owl, ^goliiis fimerens ftmereus. — An adult male
was got at Craighall near Blairgowrie in February 1915 (i. 191 5,
116). See p. 151.

The Long-eared Owl, Asio otus otus. — A single bird is
recorded at Lerwick up to 29th March; it had been there since
November 19 14. Two at this place on 26th March and three on
28th March.

Single birds are reported from the Isle of May on 26th July,
30th September, and 25th October, from Pentland Skerries on 21st
October, Swona and the Bell on 23rd October, and the last-named
station on 30th October,

The Short-eared Owl, Asio flammeus flammeus. — Single birds
are noted from Pentland Skerries on loth February, Lerwick on ist
April, Sule Skerry on 6th May, and Fair Isle on 25th and 28th
May. On 17th July one visited Fair Isle, Sule Skerry on nth
August, and the Butt of Lewis on 27th August. An immigration

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN 1915 195

took place between 9th October and 7th November, and is recorded
from stations in our Northern Isles, the Isle of May, and mainland
stations alike.

The White-breasted Barn Owl, Tyto alba alba. — One is
recorded from Kinnelhead on 17th November (i. 1916, 38). A
Barn Owl is reported from Galson (O.H.) on 5th March, but it is
unknown whether it belonged to this or the following race.

The Dark-breasted Barn Owl, Tyto alba guttata.— One. viv^?,
got at Baltasound, North Unst, on 5th November (i. 1916, 76).
See pp. 149 and 150.

The Merlin, Falco coliwibarius c^salon. — Small numbers are
recorded constantly from stations in our Northern Isles up to 30th
April. On 15th July a Merlin visited Pentland Skerries, and from
5th September to 24th October a good deal of movement is noted
from stations in Orkney and Shetland.

The Kestrel, Falco tinnuticulus tinnunculus. — Between 27th
March and 12th April some movement is reported from our
Northern Isles, and a Kestrel was on the Isle of May on 8th and
9th May and 26th July. From 4th September to 2nd November
constant small movements are noted, chiefly from Orkney and
Shetland, but also from the Isle of May, Rattray Head, and Little
Ross. On 20th November one visited Fair Isle, and a Kestrel
frequented Pentland Skerries from nth to 21st December.

The Rough-legged Buzzard, Buteo lagopus lagopus. — In the
winter of 1914-15 two lived on a hillside near Binscarth, Orkney.
Single birds are recorded from North Unst on 8th April, Dumbarnie
(between Largo and Colinsburgh) about 22nd October (i. 1916, 68),
on a moor two miles west of New Galloway on 29th October, and
near Stromness on loth November.

The Buzzard, Buteo buteo buteo. — Single birds are reported
from Longformacus on 9th February, Longcroft (Oxton) on 15th
April, Tarbatness on 24th August, near Newton-Stewart on 6th
September, and at Mindock, Kirkcowan, on 5th November,

The Hen-harrier, Circus cyaneus. — A male is noted between
Southwick and Auchanskeoch, Kirkcudbrightshire, on 9th October
(i- 1915. 356). See p. 151.

The Honey-buzzard, Pernis apivorus. — In mid-July a Honey-
buzzard was got in the Duns district, where it is a " scarce bijd ;

.■"^XTT,

196 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

one got 1 9 13 and the present are the only notes I have in six years "
(i. 1916, 69). Seep. 151.

The Osprey, Pandion haliactus halia'etus. — On 14th June an
Osprey arrived at one of our Scottish lochs, and stayed there fishing
for six days. On 4th September one was seen at close quarters on
the Corsemalzie moors ; it " circled for some time, then, rising to a
height, flew away south-west." See p. 152.

The Bittern, Botanris stellaris stellaris. — On or about 20th
April one was killed at Loch Maddy, near Languas. See p. 152.

The Whooper Swan, Cygnus cygnus. — On 17th and i8th
January two Swans, probably this species, are reported from Fair
Isle, and two Whoopers from Galson (O.H.) on 26th and 28th
January. Between 28th March and 26th April there are records of
the northward passage of this species from Galson (O.H.), Lerwick,
and North Unst. On 26th October a Whooper is reported from
Lerwick, two from the loch at Bragar, Lewis, on 4th November,
four immature birds from Soulseat Loch on 2nd December, and six
to sixteen from Galson from 20th to 28th December.

Bewick's Swan, Cygnus be'ivickii hewickii. — Three are reported
from Bishop Loch (Clyde) on 2nd April.

The Grey-lag Goose, Anser anser. — From nth March to loth
May a good deal of northward movement of Grey-lags is recorded.
On 22nd October three appeared at Little Ross, one at Pentland
Skerries on 29th October, while on 30th November hundreds were
in Wigtown Bay. Four shot there weighed 8| to gi lbs. each.
There are a good many records of the arrival of " Geese " or
"Grey Geese" from 27th October to 19th November; the direc-
tion of flight, when noted, was usually south-west, but occasionally
south-east.

The White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons. — One is noted
at Galson (O.H.) on 27th January, twelve at Dalgowan on i8th
February, and two at the former station on 30th April. On 30th
November eleven were observed in Wigtown Bay and a small flock
frequented the meadows at the head of Loch Ken for about a
fortnight in December.

The Bean Goose, Anser fabalis fabalis. — Six were at Darsnag
Flow, Wigtownshire, on 9th January.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 197

The Pink-footed Goose, Anser brachyrhvfichus. — On 12th
February two of these Geese were on the Castle Loch, Wigtown-
shire, and five on the Beauly Firth on iSth April.

The Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis. — A male is recorded
at Fair Isle on gth February, and several at Dalgowan on iSth
February, and Luce Sands on 23rd February. Barnacle Geese had
all left Barra Head by the end of April, and two visited Hoy High
on 3rd, 5th, and 9th May. About i8th September a few reappeared
at Barra Head, one was shot inland at Hule Moss, Greenlaw, on 3rd
November (r. 1916, 69), and one was on Pentland Skerries on 29th
October.

The Brent Goose, Branta bemicla. — One is reported from
Fair Isle on 12th February, eighteen from Little Ross on 27th
November, and two large flocks from Ueerness on 4th December.

The Sheldrake, Tadorna tadorna. — Great numbers were seen
in Wigtown Bay on 24th February, and small arrivals are recorded
from Tarbatness on 2nd ]\Iarch, Pentland Skerries and Lerwick on
9th April, and Holy Island on 12th and 13th April; a male
on Soulseat Loch, Inch, on 12th May. On 24th September one
was on Morton Loch (N. Fife), "a late date," and forty to fifty on
the Dornoch Firth on 27th October: "we do not usually see
so many so late as this."

The Ma\a.av.ti, Anas platyrhyncha platy7-hyncha. — Up to 14th
May there are notes of small numbers of ^Mallard from stations in
our Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides. By nth March the
numbers in Largo Bay had greatly decreased, and the "dispersal of
local flocks" is noted from the Tay Estuary from r4th March
to 25th April.

A female is noted from Pentland Skerries on 8th June and 2nd
July; two had returned to Largo Bay by i6th July, and much
movement is reported from Orkney and Shetland from loth
September to nth November. Flocks were arriving in the Tay
Estuary on r6th October, and in the Firth of Forth on 25th and
27th October.

The Gadwall, Anas strepera. — Two drakes were shot, flighting
at Dunbog (N. Fife), on i6th January, "one in fairly full plumage,
the other not much differentiated from female plumage." Several
were on Morton Loch (N. Fife) on 24th September, and two
on Soulseat Loch, Inch, on 2nd December.

igS THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Teal, Afias crecca crecca. — A Teal visited the Isle of May
on 4th April, two were at Fair Isle on 28th April, and four next
day, while a female was observed on the Island of Noss on 23rd
May. On 7th September a bird of this species was shot at Megget
Knowes during a grouse shoot, and one was on Pentland Skerries
on 9th September. A good deal of movement of small numbers
of Teal is reported from our Northern Isles and the Isle of
May between 4th October and 9th November, and on nth
November one was killed at the Rhinns of Islay lantern.

The Wigeon, A^ias penelope. — From 9th March to the end of
April departures of Wigeon are recorded ; four, two ducks and two
drakes, from Lerwick on ist May, one oft" Dundee on 9th May, five
off Luce Sands on 15th May, and one, possibly a pricked bird, off
Port William on 21st May. On ist August a female is reported at
Lerwick, seventeen at Luce Sands on nth August, forty to fifty
on the Beauly Firth on i8th August, and four or five on Morton
Loch (N. Fife) on 28th August. From 12th September to 25th
October a good deal of movement is noted from many stations ; the
period of maximum movement seems to have been from 19th to
27th September.

The Pintail, Anas acuta. — On 24th February about fifty of
these handsome duck were seen in Wigtown Bay, a male and female
on the Clyde, near Langbank, on 13th March, and about sixty in the
Beauly Firth on 15th iVpril.

On 7th September two Pintail were observed in Largo Bay,
a male on Morton Loch (N. Fife) on loth September, and some
there on 24th September, twenty to thirty in the Beauly Firth on
27th September, and a flock of thirty-two in Wigtown Bay on 30th
November.

The Shoveller, Spatula dypeata. — On 6th March a Shoveller
Drake is recorded from Glenorchard, a pair at Torrs Sandhills
(Wigtownshire) on 7th May, and a drake on Soulseat Loch on 12th
May. On i6th October ten arrived on the Castle Lake, Duns;
" males still in partial eclipse, stayed till driven off by the November
frost."

The Pochard, Nyroca ferina feri?ia. — Thirty-five Pochard are
reported from Lerwick on 4th March, and by nth March they had
increased to fifty-nine ; many on Kilconquhar Loch on 20th April.
One is noted at Lerwick on ist August, and fifty to sixty on
Mochrum Loch, and twenty on Castle Lake, Duns, on nth
September.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN 1915 199

The Tufted Duck, Nyroca fuligula. — One is reported from
Lerwick on 6th and 7th February, and nth March; last seen Tay
Estuary on 20th March, many on Kilconquhar Loch on 20th April,
and a great many pairs on Mochrum and Castle Lochs (Wigtownshire)
on 6th May. On 3rd October six, one being a male, are recorded
from Lerwick, and on 29th November this species was seen on the
Tweed at Melrose.

The Scaup, Nyroca marila marila. — A flock of fifty were
observed at the mouth of the River Luce on 22nd January, and a
female at Lerwick on 13th March. On 21st August one returned to
Lerwick, several Scaup were seen in the Tay Estuary on 7th
November, thirty to forty in Largo Bay on 19th November,
and two pairs on Soulseat Loch, Lich, on 2nd December,

The Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula dangula. — From 25th
March to the end of April a good deal of movement is recorded.
Seven Goldeneye were observed at Lerwick on ist May, twenty-six,
mostly immature, but including an adult male, on Castle Loch
(Wigtownshire) on 6th May, a male on Soulseat Loch in the same
county on 15th May, one at Galson (O.H.) on 20th May, and
a male and female at Lerwick on 3rd June. Another interesting
series of summer notes comes from Wigtownshire — on 4th June a
fine pair of adults were seen on Soulseat Loch, an immature male
on Castle Loch on 12th June, an adult male and three females, or
immature males, on Soulseat Loch on i6th June and 2nd July, the
adult male being by this time in eclipse. On iSth August
one reappeared on the Beauly Firth, and thirty to forty were seen
there on 8th October. A female Goldeneye at Lerwick on 26th
September, two at Sule Skerry on loth October, and hundreds in
the Dornoch Firth on 27th October; and up to the end of the
month arrivals are recorded in some numbers. On 4th December
four struck the Whalsay Skerries lantern with great force, and were
killed instantaneously.

The Long-tailed Duck, Clajigula hyemalis. — Is recorded
pretty regularly up to 22nd April; six to eight were seen at
Tarbatness on 27th April, last seen Hoy High on 13th May, and
six, two males and four females, at the Island of Noss on 25th May.
A female reappeared in the Dornoch Firth on 30th September, and
next day two females were observed at Lerwick. Many arrivals are
recorded from 27th October to i6th November, and from 17th
December to the end of the year Long-tailed Ducks were much
more plentiful than usual in Largo Bay.

200 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The EtDER, Somateria iiwllissima moUissiina. — This species was
unusually scarce about the shores of East Fife and the Isle of May
during January and February, and gradually increased in numbers
during March, till by the end of that month it was present in its
accustomed abundance (i. 1915, 116). On 8th May two males and
four females were seen flying south-east past Burrow Head (Wig-
townshire), and a flock of about twenty-five were in Largo Bay on
27th June.

None was to be seen about the Isle of May on ist August; in
September a few are noted at this station, but on 8th October we
have this record, "the Eider have disappeared," and the only other
note from the Isle of May for this year is of a flock of fourteen on
19th December. On 3rd October a flock of about a hundred and
eighty is reported from the Butt of Lewis, and on 20th October
"large numbers, mostly young males, arrived for the winter at
Rattray Head."

The Black Scoter, Oidemia nigra ?iigra. —Th.\s duck is reported
fairly regularly up to 29th April, and "enormous flocks" were
observed in St Andrews Bay on 7th May. On 6th July a flock of
eighteen were seen in Largo Bay, hundreds in the Dornoch Firth on
29th July, and another flock in Largo Bay on 31st August.

The Velvet Scoter, Oidemia fusca fusca. — On 6th May an
adult male was found dead on Luce Sands, and some were in St
Andrews Bay next day. On 31st July two were observed in Largo
Bay, some in the Dornoch Firth on 30th August, and three at Little
Ross on 31st October.

The Goosander, Mergus merganser merganser. — Last seen in
the Tay Estuary on 28th March and reappeared there on 17th
October, while an adult pair were seen on Soulseat Loch on 2nd
December.

The Merganser, Mergus serrafor. — Some movement is reported
during March and April. A male on Mochrum Loch (Wigtown-
shire) on 6th May, a female at St Andrews next day, six on Luce
Sands on 15th May, and one at Deerness, Orkney, on 7th June.
In autumn a good deal of movement is noted between 5th Sep-
tember and 28th October.

The Smew, Mergus alhellus. — An adult male and two females
are reported from Loch Ewe (W. Ross) on loth January. See
p. 152.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 201

The Gannet, Sula bassana. — A Gannet is recorded from
Whalsay Skerries on 4th January, on the 8th the Butt of Lewis has
" Gannets passing earlier and more numerously than in previous
years," and on 14th January records come from Lerwick and the
Isle of May. On 22nd and 23rd January many were seen at sea off
Fair Isle, and hundreds near the Bass by the end of January. They
landed on the rock at this last station on 8th February, and on 15th
February the first immature bird was observed there, those seen
previously having all been adults. There are many notes of Gannets
after this from our coasts and islands, and on ist May an adult was
found, dead but quite fresh, on the moor at Corsemalzie, 7 miles
inland. Gannets are recorded steadily up to mid-October; on loth
October some were seen in Lerwick Harbour, which our corre-
spondent notes as "a very unisual occurrence." .On 27th October
an adult is reported from Largo Bay, a good many at the Butt of
Lewis at the end of November, and several there up to the end of
the year. Mr Clyne records fully the local movements of Gannets
at the Butt of Lewis in 1915 in a most interesting paper (i. 1916,
55); we shall not attempt to go into the matter in the space at our
disposal, but refer our readers to the original article.

The Storm Petrel, Hydrobates pelagiciis. — Birds of this species
are reported from the Muckle Flugga lantern on 4/5th August,
Tiumpanhead lantern at i a.m. on 9th August, Sule Skerry lantern
at II P.M. on 13th August, and Whalsay Skerries lantern at i a.m.
on 1 8th August.

The Sooty Shearwater, Puffinus griseus. — Single birds are
noted at the Butt of Lewis on 19th and 25th July. See p. 152.

The Fulmar, Fiibnarus glacialis glacialis. — Many Fulmars are
noted at Fair Isle on 12th and 18th January, two at Lerwick on
14th January, several at Whalsay Skerries from 14th February, and
about the Butt of Lewis from 8th April. On 13th June one was
seen at St Abbs (i. 1915, 310), -'vnd single birds were found dead at
Tayport on 19th August, and the Dornoch Firth on 30th September.
On 5th November they "returned to the cliffs" at North Unst.

The Great Crested Grebe, Colymbus cristatiis cristatiis. — A
Great Crested Grebe was on the sea in Luce Bay on 23rd January,
two or three off Balcomie (E. Fife) on nth February, three on the
Castle Loch (Wigtownshire) on 25th February, one on Kilconquhar
Loch on 20th April, and two pairs above the Tay Bridge from 25th

202 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

April to 9th May. An immature bird is reported on loth October
from the Tay Estuary, and two there on 1 7th October.

The Slavonian Grebe, Colymlnis miritus. — Is recorded from
Largo Bay up to nth March, and from Hoy High up to 19th April,
and two in breeding dress were seen in the Dornoch Firth on 13th
April. Single birds were observed at Lerwick on 2 5lh September
and Largo Bay on 17th and 19th November,

The Red-necked Grebe, Colymhiis griseigena griseigena. — A
female was obtained at Fair Isle on 9th February (i. 1916, 79).
See p. 152.

The Great Northern Diver, Gavia imnier. — There are many
records of this species up to 7th May, and single birds are noted at
Hoy High on 12th May, Holy Island on 20th May, Luce Bay on
2ist May, Mull of Galloway on 24th May, and Galson (O.H.) on
28th May. Is first noticed in autumn in Largo Bay, where two
birds were seen on 24th September, Rattray Head on 9th October,
and the Dornoch Firth on 27th October.

The Black-throated Diver, Gavia arctica. — Single birds are
recorded from Luce Sands on 26th February, and Largo Bay on
24th September and 17th December.

The Red-throated Diver, Gavia stellata. — Is recorded
commonly up to the end of April ; " quite a lot " were at Balcomie
(E. Fife) on 5th May, and two at Hoy High on 12th, i6th, and 17th
May. Six Red-throated Divers appeared off Rattray Head on 19th
September, and there were a good many in Largo Bay on 27th
October.

The Wood-pigeon, Columba pabwibus palumbus. — A Wood-
pigeon is reported from Fair Isle on 5th and 6th January, and about
mid-January the species was unusually plentiful about Gask (Perth-
shire) and Glenorchard. One or two are recorded frequently from
Fair Isle between loth April and 9th June, and single birds at the
Isle of May on 23rd April, nth and 17th May, and at Lerwick on
Sth June. On 24th May a flock of fifty was seen in a cabbage
patch at the Mull of Galloway far from any wood. On 9th, nth,
and 1 2th October a Wood-pigeon visited Pentland Skerries, the
Isle of May records one on 19th October, and great flocks
arrived in East Fife in the latter half of November.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 203

The Stock-dove, Columba cenas. — Was very numerous at
Glenorchard on 22nd January. Two had returned to Dumbarnie
Links (E. Fife) on loth April, and two are noted at Balcomie that
same day. On 30th October two immature Stock-doves were shot
near Kirkinner, and one was seen in Largo Bay on 17th November.

The Turtle-dove, Streptopelia turtur tiirtur. — Single birds
are recorded from the Isle of May on 21st May and 6th June, from
Galson (O.H.) on 30th June, Lerwick on nth July, the Island of
Sanday (an immature bird) on 14th September, and Bragar on the
west side of the Lewis in September.

The Oystercatcher, HcEfnatopus ostralegus ostralegus. —
Returns to stations in our Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides are
recorded from 1 7th February to 30th March, and arrivals at inland
nesting sites are noted during the first' half of March. Passage north
at night is recorded from Largo on 26th and 27th March, and West
Renfrew on 17th April, and on ist May Oystercatchers "arrived to
breed" at Barra Head. A flock of thirty-seven on 15th May, and
one of twenty-nine -..on i6th June, were seen on Luce Sands, and
they were passing over Largo at 11 p.m. on 27th June.

On 7th July six Oystercatchers arrived at Crosswood "but did
not stay," and movement to the south or south-west at night
is noted from W. Renfrew on 2 3nd July, and Largo on 25th and
30th July, in each case about 11.30 p.m. One was killed at
the Little Ross lantern at 10 p.m. on 29th November, in December
the species was unusually plentiful in the Outer Hebrides, and
an Oystercatcher was killed at the Rhinns of Islay lantern at 9 p.m.
on 28th December.

The Dotterel, Charadrius f?iorinellus. — Seven Dotterel are
reported from a field near Tentsmuir (N. Fife) on 3rd May, and as
late as 30th May four were still there.

The Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula. — A Ringed Plover
is recorded from Lerwick on 17th January, one at Fair Isle on 27th
January, and two there next day. From 20th February to 2nd
April there are many notes of movement from stations in our
Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides ; these may refer to the return
of our breeding C. h. major, or to passage of the Continental form ;
in the absence of specimens it is impossible to say to which race
they should be referred. On ist May ten are noted at North Unst
and one at Pentland Skerries on 6th May; the late dates are
suggestive of passage migration. Inland passage is reported from

204 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Balgray on 21st and 29th August and 12th September (r. 1915,
357); noted at Pentland Skerries up to 8th October, Whalsay
Skerries to 17th October, Lerwick to ist November, and Swona to
nth November. Numbers appeared at Little Ross on 17th
November, snow lying thickly on the mainland.

The Golden Plover, Charadrius apricarius. — On 7th January
numbers of Golden Plover were at the Little Ross lantern at 11 p.m.,
and single birds at Fair Isle on nth, r2th, and iSth January.
During February there are many notes of arrivals at inland breeding
places, and during this month and up to loth March there are many
records of large arrivals from our southern stations and lanterns,
and notes also of arrival in our Northern Isles : these probably all
referring to the return of our breeding birds. From 24th March to
22 nd May there are many records of movement from stations in the
Outer Hebrides and Northern Isles, the only notes from Southern
Scotland during this period being from the Little Ross lantern
on nth April and 20th May, and a flock of twenty-one near
Mochrum (Wigtownshire) on 4th May. It would seem probable
that most, if not all of these, were passage migrants on their way to
breed overseas. Galson (O.H.) reports flocks of Golden Plover
throughout the year.

Returns to the shores after breeding are recorded from 9th July
to 17th August, and throughout September and October a good deal
of movement is reported from stations in Orkney and Shetland.
Several were at the Little Ross lantern at 9.30 p.m. on 14th
September, one was killed at the Rhinns of Islay lantern at
9 P.M. on 1 8th September, and one at the Little Ross lantern on
loth October at 9 p.m. Thirty-seven were seen at Swona on 15th
November, and one at Pentland Skerries next day. A strong
weather movement caused by frost is recorded from the Beauly
Firth on 20th November, and from the Little Ross and Killantringan
lanterns from 17th November to 6th December, "thousands" were
seen in the rays, and many killed. These birds were probably on
their way to the milder shores of Ireland.

The Grey Plover, Squatarola squatarola. — Six Grey Plover
are recorded from the Dornoch Firth on 7th and 21st January, and
again on 13th April, and one from Largo Bay on 29th March. The
first autumn record is from Galson (O.H.) on nth and 12th
September, two at Fairlie (Ayr) on 13th, and eight there on 15th
September. Quite an arrival took place between 24th and 30th
September, small parties are noted from the Cromarty Firth,

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 205

Largo Bay, the Beauly Firth and Balgray (i. 191 5, 357), and
"a great many" at the Dornoch Firth. They were seen about
Largo Bay up to i6th October, and two there on 26th December.

The Lapwing, Vanellus vanellits. — Three Lapwings visited Fair
Isle on 6th January, numbers were at the Little Ross lantern at
II P.M. on the 7th, two at Hoy High on loth January, two at Holy
Island on 13th January, and two at the Isle of May next day. From
6th February to loth March there are constant records of Lapwings
from the Little Ross and Killantringan lanterns, and from 15th
February to loth March there are many notes of arrival at inland
nesting grounds. These observations evidently refer to the return
of our breeding birds, and the small arrivals in our Northern Isles
during February and up to 5th March were probably also summer
visitors. From 5th March, when about seventy Lapwings were seen
to go north in small parties over Pentland Skerries, and right on to
22 nd May, there are many notes of movements of Lapwings
from stations in our Northern Isles, probably passage migrants
"oinii overseas to breed. Single birds are noted from the Isle of
May on 27th April and 2nd and 25th May, and one or two birds
are reported constantly from Fair Isle up to 25th June. A fiock
of twenty was seen at the Mull of Galloway on 24th May, one of
seventeen at Soulseat on 4th June, and one of thirty at Loch Elrig,
Mochrum, on iSth June.

One or two Lapwings are noted frequently at Fair Isle and
Pentland Skerries in July, and from 12th July to 13th August
flocking after nesting and movements to the shores are recorded
from many quarters. From 9th September to 25th October much
movement is reported from Orkney, Shetland, and the Outer
Hebrides ; three were at the Little Ross lantern on 8/9th October
and two next night. Six were at the Killantringan lantern at 2 .\.m.
on 4th November, and twelve at the Rhinns of Islay lantern at 8
P.M. on nth November. A strong weather movement in frost and
snow is reported from 15th November to 9th December. It is
recorded from Little Ross (and L.), Killantringan (and L.), Beith,
the Isle of May, Fair Isle, Pentland Skerries, and Butt of Lewis;
the greatest numbers recorded are from our south-western stations,
where "thousands" are noted at the lanterns, these being doubtless
emigrants en route for Ireland. On 28th December several were
at the Rhinns of Islay lantern at 9 p.m.

The Turnstone, Arenaria ititerpres interpres. — This species is
recorded steadily and in numbers up to mid-May; on i6th May

2o6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

there were five or six on the Isle of May, two on the Island of Noss
on 1 8th May and ten there on 25th May, six at North Unst on
23rd May, and one on Pentland Skerries on 7th June. Throughout
June and July a few Turnstones in fine plumage were to be seen
in Luce Bay. On 2nd July ten arrived on Pentland Skerries, one
in faded summer plumage was seen in Largo Bay on 12th July, and
from 22nd July to 17th September there are many records of
arrivals, the period of maximum movement falling between 27th
July and 4th August. The only record from inland localities is of
two young birds at Balgray on 12th September (i. 1915, 357).

The Ruff, Machetes pugnax. — Single birds are reported from
the Beauly Firth on i8th August, Balgray on 27th August and 5th
and i2th September (i. 1915, 357); six at Kilburnie Loch on i6th
and one on 24th September (2. viii. 24), and Morton Loch (N.
Fife) on the last-named date.

The Knot, Canutus camitus. — Is reported commonly up to the
end of March; on nth and 14th April Knots were numerous at the
Little Ross lantern, fourteen were at Whalsay Skerries on 25th
April, six in Largo Bay on 29th April and 3rd May, and four in
winter plumage there on loth May, and a flock of two hundred and
fifty on Luce Sands on 15th May. On 29th July a Knot in summer
plumage was seen on the Dornoch Firth, one or two "losing
summer plumage " on Luce Sands next day, and five at Fairlie (Ayr)
on 2nd August. Large arrivals took place between 14th August
and 29th September and are recorded from many stations, while on
5th December several were at the Little Ross lantern.

The Sanderling, Calidris alba. — About a dozen in winter
dress were observed in the Dornoch Firth on 13th April; about
forty, "some in very white winter plumage, others in full breeding
dress," at St Andrews on 7th May, on which date, and again on
15th May, flocks of ten to thirty were seen in Luce Bay.

On 29th July about thirty birds of the year are noted at the
Dornoch Firth, nine Sanderling on Luce Sands next day, seven
adults at the Dornoch Firth on 14th August, one at Lerwick on
12th September, and one at Invergowrie on 9th October.

The Dunlin, Erolia alpina alpina. — A good deal of movement
is recorded from our Northern Isles from 8th May to 7th June, and
fifteen are reported from Pentland Skerries on i6th June, while a
" good many flocks " were seen on Luce Sands on 4th June. By

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN 1915 207

7th July two had returned to Fair Isle, a good many on the Isle of
May on 22nd July, and great numbers on Luce Sands on 30th July.
Throughout August and September constant small movements are
noted ; a Dunlin was shot at Teasses (Fife) about 500 feet above
sea-level and five miles inland on 2nd October, and on the nights
of Sth, 9th, and loth October a few were at the Little Ross lantern.

The Curlew Sandpiper, Erolia ferruginea.— A bird of this
species is reported from Monifieth on 7th September, Balgray on
1 2th September (i. 1915, 357), and three or four at Kilchattan
Bay, Bute, on iSth September. From 23rd September to 31st
October there are a number of records of small numbers of Curlew
Sandpiper; more than half of these come from freshwater haunts
inland, such as Balgray or Morton Loch (N. Fife).

The Little Stint, Erolia minuta mmuta, — On loth September
a Little Stint is recorded from Morton Loch (N. Fife), two from
Balgray on 12th September, and three there on 30th September
(i. 191 5, 357)> seven or eight at Morton Loch on 24th September,
and one at Hogganfield Loch on 3rd October (2. 1915, 119).

The Purple Sandpiper, Erolia maritivia niaritima. — Is
recorded steadily up to 15th April, after which the notes thereon
are as follows: — About twenty Portmahomack on 27th April, one
at Fair Isle on ist May, three at Hoy High on 3rd May, twenty
to thirty at Balcomie on 5th May, one at Little Ross on 12th
May and one at Hoy High next day, and four at Fair Isle
on I Sth May.

On 7th July two reappeared at Pentland Skerries, a large flock
at Swona on 4th August, and several on the Isle of May on
loth September. After this many arrivals are noted up to 23rd
October.

The Common Sandpiper, Tringa hypoleuca. — The first arrivals
recorded are from Braidshawrigg and New Galloway on 7th April.
Then a prolonged pause ensues, the next notes being from Melrose
and Blackhill on Kelvin (Clyde) on 17th April, the River Cart
and Longcroft next day, and the Whitadder on 19th April. After
this many notes come of arrival at breeding haunts up to ist May,
by which time our summer visitors seem to have been well
distributed. On 6th May two and on 9th May a good many
are recorded from Galson (O.H.).

Three Common Sandpipers appeared on Pentland Skerries on
2nd July; on 12th July two had returned to Largo Bay after

2o8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

breeding, and returns to our coasts are frequently noted during
July. Many departures took place in August; last seen Luce
Bay on 2nd September, Balgray Dam on 5th and Bell Rock
on loth September, Invergowrie on i8th and Beith on 24th
September.

The Green Sandpiper, Tri?iga ochropus. — Two are recorded
from the mouth of the Piltantan, Luce Sands, on 30th July ; single
birds at Fair Isle on 2nd August, and Swona on 3rd and 4th
August, two there on 9th August, one at Balgray on 5th September
(i. 1915, 357), and one at Bardowie (Stirlingshire) in mid-October.
See p. 152.

The Redshank, Tringa totivius. — From 26th February and
throughout March returns of Redshanks to their breeding places
inland are noted. On 4th June a flock of twenty-two were seen
on Luce Sands, while from loth July onwards returns to the
shore after nesting are reported. A few were passing the Muckle
Flugga on 6/7th September, and one visited the Bell on 8th
September.

The Greenshank, Trmga nebularia. — A Greenshank is noted
on the Cromarty Firth on 2nd January. On 29th July four had
returned to the Dornoch Firth, and next day some were on
Luce Sands. A young one in Tayport Bay on 7th August, one
at Aberlady Bay on 8th, and Greenshanks at Morton Loch (N.
Fife) on 7th, J4th, and 28th August, one at Duns Castle Lake
on nth September, and one at Swona on 12th October.

The Bar-tailed Godwit, Liiiwsa lappoiiica lapponica. — This
species is recorded regularly up to 5th April from many stations.
On 7th May a flock of seventeen were on Luce Sands, and three
"in fine plumage" there on 15th May. On 25th July some
were in Aberlady Bay, and on 29th July about a dozen were seen
on the Dornoch Firth, and about forty-five, "mostly going out of
summer plumage," on Luce Sands next day, while during August
many arrivals are reported.

The Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa. — A bird of this
species was seen in Aberlady Bay on 7th August (i. 191 6, 70).
See p. 152.

The Curlew, Numenius arquata arquata. — Two Curlew were
at the Killantringan lantern at 4 a.m. on 13th January, and from
22nd January to 12th March returns to inland breeding grounds are

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 209

recorded, and during this period there are many notes from the
Little Ross and Killantringan lanterns, sometimes of large numbers,
as on lo/iith March, when there was a great rush all night. The
big snowstorm in the end of March drove the Curlew from the
Fife uplands, where they had arrived to nest, back to the shores.
Throughout April there are many notes of movement from stations
in our Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides, and on nth, 14th,
and 15th April Curlew were again at the Little Ross lantern,
while on 24th May a flock of nineteen were seen at the Mull
of Galloway, and one of fourteen at Soulseat on 2nd July.

"Hundreds" returned to Galson (O.H.) on 10th July, and
after this many returns to the shores after nesting are noted.
During August and September and up to 19th October there
are many notes of the movement of Curlew from our Northern
and Western Isles, and some from the Isle of May and our mainland
stations; the only lantern records are from Little Ross on 15th
and 1 6th August and 6th September. A distinct weather movement
in frost and snow is noted from Killantringan, Little Ross, and
some of our island stations from i8th November to 6th December.

The Whimbrel, Nume7iius phceopus phceopus. — On New Year's
Day a Whimbrel was seen at Fairlie, Ayr ; one was shot at Galson
(O.H.) on 9th January, and five are recorded from Musselburgh on
25th January (i. 1915, 94). Arrivals are reported from the Butt
of Lewis on 26th April, Luce Bay two days later, Hoy High and
Galson on 29th April, Loch Elrig on 3rd May, and Pentland
Skerries next day. Much movement is noted throughout May from
our Northern and Western Isles, and from Wigtownshire, Fife,
and East Ross, while at 12.30 a.m. on 20th May Whimbrel were
numerous at the Little Ross lantern, and one was seen at Arisaig
on 30th May, and three at Mochrum on 4th June. Throughout
June and July Whimbrel remained at Fair Isle and Galson ;
they were numerous at Little Ross on 12th July, appeared at
Swona on i8th July, Portmahomack on 27th, Dornoch Firth
on 29th, and Luce Sands on 30th July. Much movement is
recorded throughout August ; last seen Tarbatness on 30th August,
Galson on i6th September, and Pentland Skerries on 27th
September.

The Snip^, Gallinago gallinai^o gallinago. — A few Snipe are

reported pretty regularly from Fair Isle up to 27th May, about fifty

on Pentland Skerries on 31st January, one or two at frequent

intervals from this station and Hoy High up to 19th May, and one

55 AND 56 Z

2IO THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

at Pentland Skerries on 5th June. During August and September
there are constant notes of very small numbers of Snipe from
stations in our Northern Isles ; the movement strengthened and
became more general during October and the first half of November.
Little Ross and Tiumpanhead lanterns record Snipe during this
period, and there were " swarms " on the shores of the Beauly Firth
on 8th November. A weather movement took place in the first
week of December, and is recorded from some of our island stations
and from south-western Scotland.

The Jack Snipe, Limnocryptes gallinula. — A Jack Snipe is
noted at the Butt of Lewis from 12th to 15th February, one at
Pentland Skerries on 28th February, two at Corsemalzie on ist
March, and one at Fair Isle next day.

The first autumn arrivals recorded were at North Unst on
2ist September, the Butt of Lewis on 23rd, Morton Loch (N. Fife)
on 24th, Pentland Skerries on 27th, and Corsemalzie on 29th
September. During October and November there are a good many
notes of small numbers from Fair Isle and Pentland Skerries.

The Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola. — Hardly any AVoodcock
are recorded on spring passage ; during January and February there
are one or two isolated records from our island stations, and single
birds are noted on Fair Isle on 23rd April and 19th May and the
Isle of May on 29th June.

A considerable overseas arrival began on 8th October and lasted
for a month ; it is recorded from many stations in Orkney, Shetland,
and the Outer Hebrides, and from the Isle of May. There were
many Woodcock in the Corsemalzie woods on 7th November, but
"almost all had gone by loth, after a big northerly gale." On
19th November one visited Little Ross, one or two at Pentland
Skerries on 27th November, 8th and 12th December, one on the
Isle of May on the 24th and Galson (O.H.) on 25th December.

The Sandwich Tern, Sterna sandvicensis sandvicensis. — Is first
reported from Rattray Head on 9th April, Garlieston Bay on
20th April, Nairn on 25th April, and Portmahomack on 27th April.
Last seen Luce Sands on 3rd September, Cromarty Firth on
24th September, between Port Seton and Longniddry on 2nd
October, and Largo Bay on 5th October.

The Common Tern, Sterna hirundo. — " Terns " probably of this
species were seen at Tarbatness on 29th April and near Dysart on

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 211

2nd May. Common Terns were first observed in Largo Bay on
3rd May, Crail on 5th, Bell Rock on 6th, and Luce Sands on
7th May. A fresh influx took place in Largo Bay on loth May, and
they are recorded at Loch Thorn, Clyde, on 13th May. After this
there are many records of the species. Numbers of Common Terns
were at the Little Ross lantern at 12.30 a.m. on 6th August, and
single birds visited Crosswood Reservoir on 26th June and 12th
August. Most had left Largo Bay by 5th September ; they were
numerous at the Little Ross lantern at 9.30 p.m. on 6th September ;
last seen Monifieth on 27th September, a lot between Port Seton
and Longniddry on 2nd October, and Largo Bay on 5th October,
" three old and three young birds."

The Arctic Tern, Sterna paradis^a. — Is first recorded from
Lerwick on 3rd May, Hoy High on 8th May, and Pentland Skerries
on loth May. After this many arrivals at breeding places are
recorded up to 22nd May. Some Arctic Terns were at the Muckle
Flugga lantern at 11 p.m. on ist August, decreasing at Pentland
Skerries by 8th August, and the last young left their nesting colony
at Swona on 9th August. "Terns" passing Lerwick on the nights
of 7th and 16th September and at the Whalsay Skerries lantern on
12th September were probably of this species; last seen Hellyar
Holm on 13th October and Rattray Head next day.

The Little Tern, Sterna albifrons albifrons. — Is recorded
from St Andrews on 7th May and Largo Bay on loth May. One
or two at the Isle of May on ist August, two at Maidens (Ayrshire)
on nth September, last seen at Rattray Head on 26th September.

The Little Gull, Larus niinutus. — One was found dead at
Girlsta, Shetland, on 21st September. See p. 152.

The Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibnndus — An influx is
noted in Largo Bay on 17th January, three or four pairs returned to
the Butt of Lewis on 30th January, and Black-headed Gulls were
plentiful near Melrose on 19th March. Arrivals are reported from
Lerwick on 7th April and ist May, Fair Isle on 12th April, and
North Unst on 27th April. Many returned to the neighbourhood
of Largo on 23rd June, after nesting, and on 30th a flock of about
four hundred was seen to the south of Edinburgh flying in a north-
easterly direction. A few were at Fair Isle from 13th to 27th July,
about a hundred visited Pentland Skerries on 15th July, and the
last left the Butt of Lewis on 19th September.
55 AND 56 Z2

212 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Lesser Black-backed Gull, Lams fiiscus. — A Lesser
Black-backed Gull is recorded from Corsemalzie on 17th February,
two from Luce Sands on 23rd February, one from the Butt of Lewis
on 12th March, and four from Corsemalzie on i6th March. On
2nd April one was seen at Bishop Loch, and numbers in Wemyss
Bay (Clyde) next day, and after this there are many records of the
return of our breeding L. f. britaufiicus. In autumn the species is
noted with some regularity up to 25th August, when it was last seen
at Galson ; last seen Lerwick on 25th September,

The Glaucous Gull, Larus glaiicus. — Is recorded steadily
from our coasts and islands during January and February, and from
loth January to 4th February one was at the Kilmarnock
Waterworks, fourteen miles from the sea, and another in the same
neighbourhood on 5th February (3. viii. 243). Three were at
Pentland Skerries on 12th March, and single birds at Hoy High on
3rd, loth, and nth April. Glaucous Gulls are first noted at North
Unst on 4th September and Lerwick on 6th November. After this
small numbers are recorded constantly up to the end of the year.

The Iceland Gull, Larus leucopterus. — Is recorded commonly
in small numbers from our Northern Isles and coasts up to loth
April. Two at Hoy High on 29th April, one there on ist May and
one at North Unst on 24th May. On 27th August an "immature
male approaching the white phase of plumage " was procured on
Lochfyne (i. 1915, 358), an Iceland Gull was at Whalsay Skerries
on 22nd September and three there on 15th November, after which
and to the end of the year there are again notes of small numbers
of these Gulls.

The Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla tridactyla. — On 30th January
Kittiwakes were numerous at the lochs at the Butt of Lewis but not
about the shores. Arrivals at breeding stations are recorded
between 9th March and 5th April, on 13th May scores were
passing north all afternoon at Whalsay Skerries, on 4th June a flock
of forty were flying, calling, over Soulseat Loch, and on 29th June
thousands of Kittiwakes were passing the Butt of Lewis at 7 a.m.,
going east. Large flocks were again passing this station going east
all day on 28th October, "far more numerous than our local birds."
On 7th October an immature Kittiwake visited Melrose.

The Great Skua, Stercorarius skua skua. — Is recorded from
North Unst on 8th April, Island of Noss on 13th May, and Whalsay
Skerries two days later. Last seen North Unst on 21st September
and Lerwick on nth October.

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 213

The Arctic Skua, Stercorarius parasiticus. — Is first noted at
North Unst on 4th May. Early in August an Arctic Skua was
obtained inland at Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire (i. 1915, 358); seen
at Rattray Head up to 23rd September, and Lerwick up to 17th
October.

The Razorbill, Aka tarda. — Many Razorbills were in Largo
Bay on 31st January, and returns to breeding cliffs are noted in
March and the first half of April. Many were in Loch nan Uamh
on 28th May and at the Bell Rock on 2nd June, and on 22nd July
hundreds were flying east all day in flocks of ten to forty at Pentland
Skerries.

The Guillemot, Uria troille troille. — On 20th and 21st
January a number visited the Isle of May in the morning, and during
March and up to 6th April many returns to nesting cliffs are
recorded. On 14th April a "great many were going ashore and
dying on the beach" at Rattray Head, and great numbers were
going north past this station on 22nd April. Many were about the
Bell Rock on 2nd June, and immense numbers passed Rattray
Head going north on 13th and 14th July. On 15th October many
were going south past the Isle of May, and there were large numbers
in Largo Bay on 27th October.

The Black Guillemot, Uria grylle grylle. — Arrivals at
breeding sites are recorded during March, and departures therefrom
during the latter half of August.

The Little Auk, Alle alle. — The movement of Little Auks
which bulked so large in the December records for 19 14 continued
into 1915. On ist January one was found dead at Crieff (i. 1915,
95), next day hundreds were seen by fishermen off the Island of
Copinsay, six were found dead about Deerness and one at Dunipace.
On 3rd and 4th January records come from Largo Bay, from North
Unst on the 6th, Bell Rock on the 7th, and Dunipace on loth
January. A Little Auk was found dead at Galson (O.H.) on i6th
January, and one alive in the River Broom on iSth January (i. 191 5,
144); while "many at sea" are noted from Fair Isle on iSth, 22nd,
and 23rd January, and one at Lerwick on 25th January ; three at
the Bell Rock on loth February, last seen Pentland Skerries on 17th
February, and five at Rattray Head on 5th March.

The only autumn records are from Pentland Skerries, where
one is noted on 5th December and hundreds flying west on 9th and
13th December.

214 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

The Puffin, Fratercula ardica arctica. — Many arrivals at
breeding stations are noted during April; by 17th July a noticeable
decrease is recorded at Sule Skerry, young birds were at the Muckle
Flugga lantern on 9/ioth August, and by mid-September the
breeding sites were deserted. On 20th October a young Puffin was
found dead at the Butt of Lewis.

The Corncrake, Crex crex. — Was rather late in appearing in
19 1 5. The earliest records are from New Galloway on 24th April,
Beith on 28th, Bardowie on 29th, and Bridge of Weir on 30th April.
After this, arrivals are reported up to 23rd May, by which time the
birds had reached their high inland haunts. Corncrakes were first
heard in the Outer Hebrides at Barra Head on 12th May, and
single birds are noted on Fair Isle on 22nd and 24th May and 7th
June, and on Pentland Skerries on 20th and 22nd June.

Last heard West Renfrew on 23rd July, Beith on 6th August,
one killed at Little Ross lantern at i a.m. on 15th August. Last
seen Alticig, Luce Bay, on 9th September, one killed at the Rhinns
of Islay lantern at 8 p.m. on i8th September, one at the Butt of
Lewis on 4th October, Pentland Skerries on Sth October, Ualmeny
on 1 2th, and the last for the season at the Butt of Lewis on i8th
October.

The Water-rail, Rallus aquaticus aquaticus. — Single birds are
recorded at Glenorchard on 3rd January, Corsemalzie on 6th
January, Galson (O.H.) on 9th January and 24th February, Fair
Isle on 30th January, and Craignish on 22nd February.

In autumn a Water-rail was got on Hirta and sent to the Royal
Scottish Museum (i. 1916, 77). See p. 152.

One was killed at the Rhinns of Islay lantern at 3 a.m. on loth
October, one at Lerwick on 14th November, and one at Pentland
Skerries on 30th November.

The Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus chloropus. — A Moorhen
was killed at the Rhinns of Islay lantern at 10 p.m. on i6th
September.

The Coot, Fulica atra atra. — Arrivals are noted at Loch
Stiapavat (O.H.) on 14th February and at Lerwick on 25th March,
while on 20th May one appeared on Fair Isle. On 19th September
only six remained on Loch Stiapavat, and one, the last, at Lerwick on
ist November.

INDEX

A

Auk, Little, 150, 159, 170, 21,

Crow, Hooded, 161, 171.

Cuckoo, 168, 194.

Curlew, 156, 159, 165, 169, 208, 209.

B

Bee-eater, 151, 194.

Bittern, 152, 196.

Blackbird, 155, 158, 161, 162, 165,

187, 188.
Blackcap, 154, 183.
Bluethroat, Norwegian, 151, 191.
Brambling, 175,
Bullfinch, 154.

Bullfinch, Northern, 150, 174.
Bunting, Corn-, 154, 159, 175.
Bunting, Little, 150, 175.
Bunting, Ortolan, 150, 175.
Bunting, Reed-, 154, 176.
Bunting, Snow-, 158, 162, 165, 176.
Bunting, Yellow, 175. ,
Buzzard, 195.

Buzzard, Honey-, 151, 195.
Buzzard, Rough-legged, 195.

Chaffinch, 154, 161, 162, 174.
Chiffchaff, 181.
Chilifchaff, Northern, 182.
Coot, 154, 159, 214.
Cormorant, 156, 160.
Corncrake, 154, 214,
Crow, Carrion, 156, 171.
Crow, Grey. See Crow, Hooded.

215

D

Dipper, 155.

Diver, Black throated, 202.

Diver, Great Northern, 202.

Diver, Red-throated, 202.

Dotterel, 203.

Dove, Stock , 156, 159, 203.

Dove, Turtle-, 203.

Duck, Long-tailed, 199.

Duck, Tufted, 154, 199.

Duck, Wild. See Mallard.

Dunlin, 162, 206, 207.

Eider, 156, 158, 159, 164, 200.

Fieldfare, 167, 184, 185, 186.
Flycatcher, Pied, 169, 181.
Flycatcher, Red-breasted, 151, 181.
Flycatcher, Spotted, 157, 181.
Fulmar, 154, 155, 156, 165, 201.

Gadvvall, 197.

Gannet, 149, 153, 158, 159, 163^
165, 201.

2l6

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Godwit, Bar-tailed, 208.
Godwit, Black-tailed, 152, 208.
Goldcrest, 156, 158, 180.
Goldeneye, 163, 199.
Goldfinch, 159, 173.
Goosander, 154, 163, 200.
Goose, Barnacle, 197.
Goose, Bean, 196.
Goose, Brent, 197.
Goose, Grey-lag, 156, 196.
Goose, Pink-footed, 197.
Goose, White-fronted, 196.
Grebe, Great Crested, 154, 201.
Grebe, Little, 154, 157.
Grebe, Red-necked, 152, 202.
Grebe, Slavonian, 202.
Greenfinch, 162, 173.
Greenshank, 158, 208.
Grouse, Black, 162.
Grouse, Red, 157, 162.
Guillemot, 154, 156, 162, 164, 165,

213.
Guillemot, Black, 162, 213.
Gull. Black-headed, 162, 163, 168,

211.
Gull, Common, 164.
Gull, Glaucous, 164, 212.
Gull, Greater, Black-backed, 156,

163.
Gull, Herring-, 155, 156, 164, 165.
Gull, Iceland, 164, 212.
Gull, Lesser Black-backed, 212.
Gi-ill, Little, 152, 211.

K

Kestrel, 195.

Kittiwake, 154, 157, 158, 212.

Knot, 206.

Lapwing, 155, 160, 161, 163, 164,

165, 169, 205.
Lark, Shore-, 150, 177.
Lark, Sky-, 159, 162, 165, 166, 170,

176, 177.
Lark, Wood-, 150, 176.
Linnet, 154, 174.

M

Mallard, 160, 163, 197.
Martin, House-, 155, 161, 192.
Martin, Sand-, 193.
Merganser, 163, 200.
Merlin, 195.
Moorhen, 154, 162, 214.

N

Nightjar, 193.

H

Harrier, Hen-, 151, 195. '
Hawfinch, 152, 154, 158, 173.
Hawk, Sparrow-, 155.
Heron, 156.
Hoopoe, 151, 194.

Jackdaw, 169, 17;

O

Osprey, 152, 196.

Ouzel, Ring-, 187.

Owl, Dark-breasted Barn, 149, 150,

195.
Owl, Long-eared, 194.
Owl, Short-eared, 194.
Owl, Snowy, 151, 194.
Owl, Tengmalm's, 151, 194.
Owl, White-breasted Larn, 195.
Oystercatcher, 165, 203,

REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 217

Peregrine, 154, 155.
Petrel, Storm-, 201.
Pheasant, 162, 164.
Pigeon, Wood-, 155, 158, 159, 163,

164, 202.
Pintail, 198.

Pipit, Meadow-, 162, 177, 178.
Pipit, Rock-, 156, 1 78.
Pipit, Tree-, 168, 177.
Plover, Golden, 159, 162, 163, 165,

169, 204.
Plover, Grey, 204.
Plover, Ringed, 203. 1

Pochard, 198.
Puffin, 156, 164, 168, 214.

R

Rail, Water-, 152, 214.
Raven, 155.

Razorbill, 157, 164, 213.
Redbreast, 169, 191.
Redpoll, Lesser, 15S, 162.
Redpoll, Mealy, 174.
Redshank, 156, 20S.
Redstart, 157, 190.
Redstart, Black, 151, 190,
Redwing, 159, 187
Robin. See Redbreast.
Rook, 155, 156, 161, 165, 171.
Ruff, 206.

Sanderling, 206.

Sandpiper, Common, 157, 207.

Sandpiper, Curlew, 207.

Sandpiper, Green, 152, 20S.

Sandpiper, Purple, 207.

Scaup, 199.

Scoter, Black, 200.

Scoter, Velvet, 200.

Shag, 155.

Shearwater, Sooty, 152, 201.

Sheldrake, 197.

Shoveller, 198.

Shrike, Great Grey, 180.

Shrike, Red-backed, 181.

Siskin, 173.

Skua, Arctic, 213.

Skua, Great, 212.

Smew, 152, 200.

Snipe, 156, 209, 210.

Snipe, Jack, 169, 210.

Sparrow, Hedge-, 155, 157, 163,

191.
Sparrow, House-, 155, 161.
Sparrow, Tree-, 154, 175.
Starling, 155, 159, 160, 161, 162,

165, 166, 170, 172, 173.
Stint, Little, 207.
Stonechat, 154, 156, 190.
Swallow, 155, 156, 160, 162, 192.
Swan, Bewick's, 196.
Swan, Whooper, 196.
Swift, 167, 168, 193.
Swift, Alpine, 151, 193.

Teal, 160, 198.

Tern, Arctic, 157, 211.

Tern, Common, 210, 211,

Tern, Little, 157, 211.

Tern, Sandwich, 210.

Thrush, Missel-, 162, 185.

Thrush, Song-, 155, 162, 165, 185.

Thrush, Song- (British), 161, 186.

Thrush, Song- (Continental), 186.

Titmouse, Blue, 180.

Titmouse, Continental Great, 150,

151, 158, 180.
Titmouse, Crested, 149, 152, 153.
Titmouse, Long-tailed, 156.
Titmouse, Willow, 157.
Tree-creeper, British, 151, 180.
Turnstone, 205, 206.
Twite, 161, 162, 173, 174.

W

Wagtail, Blue-headed, 151, 178.
Wagtail, Grey, 158, 178.

2l8

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Wagtail, Grey-headed, 151, 178.
Wagtail, Pied, 154, 159, 162, 165,

179, 180.
Wagtail, White, 168, 179.
Wagtail, Yellow, 178.
Warbler, Garden-, 154, 183.
Warbler, Grasshopper-, 183.
Warbler, Sedge-, 154, 158, 1S3.
Warbler, Willow-, 154, 182.
Warbler, Wood-, 154, 157, 182.
Warbler, Yellow-browed, 151, 183.
Wheatear, 166, 188, 189.
Wheatear, Greater, 189.
Whimbrel, 158, 209.

Whinchat, 162, 189, 190.
Whitethroat, 154, 162, 184.
Whitethroat, Lesser, 151, 184.
Wigeon, 159, 160, 198.
Woodcock, 157, 160, 161, 210.
Woodpecker, Great Spotted, 155,

157-
Wren, 158, 192.

Yellow-hammer.
Yellow.

See Bunting,

^^t^fTl.

{Authors are responsible for nomenclature used.)

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 57.] 1916 [September

3n riDcmoriam

JOHN ALEXANDER HARVIE-BROWN.

Born 2yth August 1844; died 26th July 191 6.

By the death of Dr Harvie- Brown, which occurred unex-
pectedly on the 26th of July at his residence, Dunipace
House, Stirlingshire, a notable Scottish naturalist has passed
away, and a wide circle mourn the loss of a singularly genial
and valued friend.

The record of his work in furtherance of our knowledge
concerning the vertebrate fauna of Scotland is a remarkable
one, as is testified to by the long series of papers and notes
contributed to serial literature, and the fine series of volumes
devoted to accounts of the faunas of the various drainage
areas of Northern Britain. In the production of most of the
volumes of the " Vertebrate Fauna " series he had as an
associate and coadjutor the late T. E. Buckley, but it is
generally recognised that the laird of Dunipace was the
originator and mainstay of the great undertaking. At one
time it was his custom to spend some weeks each summer
cruising in his yacht among the Scottish islands, and in this
way he was enabled to visit the remotest isles in the Hebrides
and the Orkney and Shetland groups. Not only were these
faunal volumes (there are ten of them) of great value in
themselves for the amount of information they contained,
but also on account of the impulse they gave to the investiga-
tion of the animal life of the various areas ; they were the
means of inducing those who possessed additional information
57 2A

220 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

to publish their records, and they have inspired further
research.

In addition to the Scottish work alluded to, Harvie-Brown
was a member of the British Association Committee
appointed to make investigations on the phenomena of
bird-migration as observed at lighthouses and light-vessels,
those on the Scottish coasts falling to his charge. Indeed,
he shares with Cordeaux the credit of initiating the inquiry.
His name is also intimately associated with the Annals
of Scottish Natural History, which he founded, owned, and
jointly edited, and he lent his services to the present series
of the Scottish Naturalist.

His activities as a naturalist were not confined to the
study of the animals of his native country, for he visited, in
the " seventies," much of Northern Europe for the purpose
of collecting both information and specimens, his most
important work being accomplished in the lower reaches of
the great rivers Petchora and Dwina, in company with
Seebohm in the former region and E. R. Alston in the latter.
Along with Mr Danford he visited Transylvania on a similar
quest. The ornithological results of these expeditions were
duly recorded in the pages of The Ibis. The loss by fire in
January 1897 of the irreplaceable collection of eggs and birds'
skins formed by him and Col. Fielden, was a great blow
which he bore with characteristic cheerfulness.

Such is a slight sketch of the labours of our late friend in
the interests of Scottish Natural History and the avifauna of
some of the little visited portions of the Continent. For an
enumeration of his published writings reference may be
made to the Royal Society's list of scientific papers. In
recognition of his services to the cause of Natural History,
especially in its Scottish aspect, the University of Aberdeen,
in 191 2, conferred on him its honorary degree of LL.D.

We understand that his great and extremely valuable
collection of books and papers relating to natural history
and to the topography of Scotland, have been bequeathed
to the Royal Scottish Museum, where also the remnants of
such natural history specimens as escaped the fire, and others
more recently acquired, will find their final resting-place.

NOTES ON TWO COLLECTIONS OF MICE

221

NOTES ON TWO COLLECTIONS OF MICE
FROM LEWIS, OUTER HEBRIDES

By Martin A. C. Hinton and G. Bathurst Hony, B.A.

Tins paper deals with two collections of Field Mice and
House Mice from Lewis, Outer Hebrides. One of these
was made in September 1914, at the extreme north of the
island — the Butt of Lewis — by Dr Eagle Clarke, who most
kindly lent his specimens to us for description ; the other
was made by Mr Hony in July 1914 at Barvas in north-
western Lewis.

I. Apodemus HEBRIDENSIS, de Winton.
(The Hebridean Field Mouse.)

A. Butt of Lewis. — Dr Eagle Clarke obtained ten speci-
mens, of which three are in an adult, and seven in a juvenile
pelage. The following are the dimensions in millimetres
taken in the flesh by the collector : —

No.

Date.

Head and
body.

Tail

(without

hair).

Hind-foot

(without

claws).

Ear.

Condylo-

basal length

of skull.

Males :—

14

16

9

29th September 1914
L)o. do.
Do. do.*

Female :—

94-5
89-5
SO

85-5
83

74

23-75
24

23-75

14-75

14-6

14

23-4
22-6

1

17th September 1914 .

99-5

83-5

22-5

15

23

* Juvenile.

Besides these, six young Field Mice were taken on the
29th September ; the collector recorded no measurements of
these specimens, but the length of the hind-foot, taken on
the skins, appears to vary between 21-3 and 22 mm.

The three adults in this series are really quite young
animals, their teeth being but slightly worn ; they are
probably in the first adult coat, and agree closely with some
of the specimens taken by Mr Anderson at Stornoway, in

222

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

March 1913.^ The dorsal tints appear to be somewhat
colder, or less rufous, than in older specimens. The bellies
are silvery and show no trace of a buff suffusion : in the two
males there is no trace of a pectoral spot, but a minute
pectoral spot of buff is present in the female. The feet are
white, and the tails distinctly bicoloured.

The young are dusky, House Mice-like creatures, dis-
tinguishable from the House Mice in this collection by their
larger, almost dead white feet and bicoloured tails. No
sexual differences of coloration are visible in this series
of young.

B. Barvas, Lewis. — Mr Hony collected twenty-one
Field Mice at this place ; of these sixteen are adult, one is
changing into the adult coat, and four are immature. The
following are the dimensions taken in the flesh by the
collector : —

Head

Tail

Hind-foot

Condylo-

Teeth.

No.

Date.

and

(without

(without

Ear.

basal length

State of

body.

hair).

claws).

of skull.

wear.

MALE8 : —

6

6th July 1014

98

97

24

16

25

much.

10

5th do.

99

91

23

15

half worn.

11

8th do.

103

89

23

15

24'2

much.

12

8th do.

101

97

24

15

23-8

moderately.

13

9th do.

94

89

24

16

23-4

slightly.

14

9th do.

103

100

23 5

16

24-6

much.

20

13th do.

96

82

23

14

22'1

moderately.

22

14th do.

98

104

24

16

23

15th do.

103

99

23

16

24

15th do.

102

94

22

16

26

16th do.
Females : —

102

94

23

16

24-7

half worn.

9

5th July 1914

92

92

24

15

23-9

moderately.

5

5th do.

94

95

24

16

24 {circa)

much.

r

6th do.

95

101

23-5

17

23-8

much.

16

11th do.

98

91

23

15

24

much.

18

12th do.
Av. of 16 adults

103

90

22

15-2

23-2

much.

99

94

23 3

15-6

Young male

changing into

adult coat:—

8

6th July 1914
In juvenile pe-
lage :—

Male : —

87 5

88

23

15

22-6

very slightly.

17

nth July 1914
Females :—

67

65

21

13

unworn.

15

10th July 1914

SO

64

21

14

20-4

very slightly.

19

12th do.

81

71

21

13-5

very slightly.

^ Hinton, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, vol xiv., p. 124, July
1914 ; Barrett-Hamilton and Hinton, British Mammals^ ii., p. 533.

NOTES ON TWO COLLECTIONS OF MICE 223

On arranging these specimens in order of individual age,
as judged by the degree of wear shown by the teeth, it seems
clear that the earlier adult coats are characterised by colder,
less rufous dorsal tints than are the later phases. The three
young adults from the Butt of Lewis, described above, have
backs which match that of No. 13 from Barvas closely.
Nos. 2 and 12 (Barvas) show much black on their backs.
The specimens with much worn teeth have bright red backs,
and form a very uniform series. The reddening of the
back appears to be a gradual process transpiring between
adolescence and old age. As regards the ventral coloration,
there appears to be a corresponding gradual change with
advancing age. Thus the young adults have silvery bellies
with the buff suffusion absent, or else represented merely by
a small throat spot : the suffusion becomes conspicuous only
in the aged specimens, and in these it varies from a more or
less well-developed median stripe along the chest and belly
to a more or less general wash over all the underparts.

We are not able to discover any sexual differences of
coloration in this collection. It would appear, however,
that the aged female skull is distinctly smaller than the
aged male skull : the condylo-basal length in such females
varies between 23-2 and 24 mm., and in such males between
24-2 and 25 mm. ; the range found by one of us on a former
occasion was 22-7 to 24-2 for five females, as against 23-5 to
24-7 for five males from Lewis.

The young specimens resemble those from the Butt of
Lewis, and call for no further comment.

In an earlier paper ^ it was pointed out that skulls from
eastern Lewis (Stornoway) are slightly smaller than those of
typical A. h. hebrtdensis from Uig and neighbouring portions
of western Lewis, and that apart from size some differences
of proportion exist between the two series. In order to
have any value, comparisons of this kind must be based
upon skulls of equal age. Unfortunately, none of the
specimens from the Butt of Lewis is old enough to be used
in this way. Seven of those from Barvas are of use, and

^ Hinton, op. cit., 125 ; and British Mammals, ii., 533 and 539.

224

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

these have been carefully measured by Mr Hinton, so that
the figures given below are strictly comparable with the
earlier data.

MEASUREMENTS OF SKULLS OF APODEMUS HEBRIDENSIS.

6

15

cl
o
"S

a

a

(3

PART

I.

PART II.

Barvas, Lewis.

o

s

a

a
S

Barvas. Stornoway. West Lewis.

Skull No.

:—

No

. of Skulls :-

189

79

169

11(5

U6

6c5

26 (?

(7)

(7)

(3)

.1

23-2

23-8

24

24-2

24-6

25

24-7

1

•23-2 to 25

22-7 to 24-1

23-5 to 24-7

2

25-9

26-5

26-5

26-7

27

27-6

27-1

24-2

23-64

24-13

3

13-4

13-9

13-8

13-8

13-9

14-2

13-7

4

4-2

4-4

4-4

4-4

4-3

4-4

4-5

1

100

100

100

5

12

12

12

11-9

11-9

12 1

11-9

2

= 110 to 112

109 to 111

no to 110-5

6

8-3

8-6

8-5

8-7

8-6

9

8-8

110-6

110-5

110-33

7

10-6

10-8

n

11

11-3

11-5

11-4

3

= 55-5 to 58-3

55-1 to 58

54-9 to 55-3

S

6 2

6-4

0-4

6-5

6-4

6-8

G-5

57-1

56-6

55-16

9

9-9

9-5

9-6

10-1

10

10-1

10-4

4

= 17-5 to lS-5

17-6 to 18-5

17-4 to 17-8

10

2-7

2-7

2-8

3

2-9

2-9

2-8

1805

17-96

17-53

11

12-6

13-1

13

13

13-4

13-5

13-5

5

= 48-2 to 51-7

49-3 to 51-5

48-5 to 49-5

12

6-8

7-3

7-1

7-2

7-2

7-3

73

49-4

5004

48-83

13

5-7

6

0-1

5-9

6

6

6

6

= 35 to 36-1

34-3 to 36-5

34-4 to 35-5

14

1-8

1 8

1-8

1-8

1-S

1-9

1-S

35-7

35-23

34-93

15

4-4

4-6

4-7

4-9

4-9

4-4

48

7

= 45-3 to 46-2

45-3 to 46-4

45-4 to 45-7

16

2-8

2-7

25

2-5

2-5

2-5

2-5

45-8

45-97

45-53

17

3 8

4

4

3-7

4

4

4

8
9

= 26-1 to 27-2

26-7
= 39-9 to 42-7

26-3 to 27-2
26-77

39 to 43

25-5 to 2S-1
26-53

40-4 to 41-3

1 = 100

100

100

100

100

100

100

41-1

41-5

40-86

2 = 112

111

110-5

110-5

110

110 5

110

10

= 11-3 to 12-4

10-9 to 12-1

10-3 to 10-0

3 = 57-S

58-3

57-5

57-1

56-6

56-8

55-5

11-7

11-65

10-46

4 = 18-1

18-5

18-3

18-2

17-5

17-6

18-2

11

= 53-8 to 55

53-5 to 54-8

53-0 to 54-6

5 = 51-7

50-3

50

49-2

48-4

48-4

48-2

54-4

54-11

54-23

6 = 35-8

36-1

35-4

36

35

36

35-6

12

= -29-2 to 30-6

28-6 to 30-5

29-5 to 30-1

7 = 45-7

45-3

45-8

45-5

46

46

46-2

29-6

29-51

29-8

8 = 2C-7

26-8

26-7

26-9

26-1

27-2

26-3

13

= 24 to 25-4

23 to '24-3

•23-8 to •24-8

9 = 42-7

39-9

40

41-8

40-7

40-4

42-1

24-6

23-71

24-13

10 = 11-6

11-3

11-7

12-4

11-8

11 6

11-3

14

--- 7-3 to 7-S

7 5 to 8-05

7-25 to 7-7

11 = 54-3

55

54-2

53-8

54-6

54

54-7

7-5

7-73

7 46

12 = 29-3

30-6

29-6

29-8

29-3

29'2

29-6

15

= 17-6 to 20-3

18-9 to 20-5

18-3 to 19-4

13 = 24-6

25-2;

25-4

24-4

24-4

24 "

24-3

19-3

19-64

1876

14= 7-8

7-55

7-5

7-45

7-3

7-6

7-3

16

= 9-9 to 11-3

10-4 to 10-6

10-2-tu 10-9

15 = 19

19-3

19-6

20-3

199

17-6

19-5

10-3

10-51

10-46

16= 9-9

11-3

10-4

10-3

10-2

10

10-1

17

= 15-3 to 16-8

15-8 to 16-7

15-7 to 16-2

17 = 16-4

16-8

16-7.

15-3

16 3

16

16-2

16-2

16 31

16-03

In the upper half of Part I. of the above table, 17 dimen-
sions of each of the skulls from Barvas are recorded : these
dimensions are numbered as follows: — (i) condylo-basal
length ; (2) occipito-nasal length ; (3) zygomatic breadth ;
(4) interorbital constriction ; (5) cranial width ; (6) cranial
depth (median) ; (7) post-molar length, i.e. from condyle to
m^ ; (8) condyle to anterior surface of bulla ; (9) length of
nasals; (10) width of nasals in front; (11) palatal length,
from spine of premaxilla to posterior edge of palate ;

NOTES ON TWO COLLECTIONS OF MICE 225

(12) length of diastema; (13) length of incisive foramina;
(14) width of incisive foramina; (15) width of rostrum;
(16) least width (at base) of the anterior root of the zygoma
(" masseteric plate ") ; (17) length of cheek-teeth (on crowns).
In the lower half of Part I. these dimensions are reduced to
percentages of the condylo-basal length ; the reductions were
made with a slide-rule.

In Part II. of the table the skulls from Barvas are
compared with those from Stornoway and with those from
the neighbourhood of Uig, western Lewis — the latter being
typical A. ii. hebridensis. At the top the range of the
condylo-basal length found in skulls with well- or much-
worn teeth is given, and the average length for each series
is printed in heavy numerals. The remainder of this part of
the table compares similarly the percentages of the condylo-
basal length formed by each of the 17 dimensions — the
range of the values in each series of skulls being printed in
ordinary, the average values being in heavy numerals.

It will be seen from Part II. of the table that, as regards
absolute size, the Barvas skulls, like those from western
Lewis, are larger than those from Stornoway. As regards
proportions, however, the Barvas skulls agree very closely
indeed, in most respects, with the Stornoway series, and
offer similar rather well-marked distinctions from the skulls
of typical A. h. hebridensis. The possibility of the existence
of two races of hebridensis upon Lewis has been discussed
not only in the works above cited but in the earlier papers of
de Winton and Barrett-Hamilton. The Barvas collection is
of interest in proving that the range of the Stornoway or
eastern race extends across the island to the north-western
coast, where, although the skull attains the slightly larger
size of typical hebridensis, the cranial proportions remain
essentially as in specimens from north-eastern Lewis. Before
we can come to any decision as to the true status of the
Field Mice of Stornoway and Barvas, we need a good series
of specimens from the hilly country to the south of the small
east and west stream, which cuts off Barvas from the Uig
district or type locality oi A. h. hebridensis.

226

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

2. MUS MUSCULUS, Linnaeus.
(The House Mouse.)

A. Butt of Lewis. — Nine House Mice were collected at
this place by Dr Eagle Clarke ; these mice were leading a
wild outdoor life at some considerable distance from any
houses. The following are the dimensions : —

Head

Tail

Hind -foot

Condylo-

Teeth.

Xo.

Date.

and

(without

(without

Ear.

basal length

Stale of

body.

liair).

claws).

of skull.

wear.

Males : —

3

17th Sept. 1914

98

85

18-75

12-75

slightly.

4

17th do.

18

juv.

hardly.

6

24th do.

, ,

18

, ,

13

27th do.

18

19-6

hardly.

7

30th do.
Females :—

* *

18

■

2

17th Sept. 1914

84-5

75

17

13-75

22-5

much worn.

5

19th do.

103

86

21-5

14-5

23

moderately.

S

21 9t do.

101-75

8'.!-75

18-5

14-5

22-2

much worn.

12

27th do.

85

82

19-5

15

20-3

half worn.

The external measurements given above are as made by
the collector : as regards the females Nos. 5 and 12 we think
the hind-foot without claws cannot have measured more
than 20 and 18-5 mm. respectively. Twelve more or less
complete skulls have been sent with this collection, but some
slight confusion on the part of the preparer appears to have
been made in numbering them, so that we are not quite cer-
tain as to the association of the individual skins and skulls.
Nine skulls are complete, viz., "No. 3, Butt of Lewis 1914,"
condylo-basal length 19-4, teeth very slightly worn; "No.
4," c-b. 1. 19-2, teeth hardly worn ; " No. 5," c-b. I. 23, teeth
moderately worn; "No. 2," c-b. 1. 22-5, teeth much worn;
"No. 7," c-b. 1. 2I-I, teeth half worn; "No. 8," c-b. 1. 22-2,
teeth much worn; "No. 9," c-b. 1. 21-9, teeth much worn;
"No. 12" (? No. 13), c-b. 1. 19-5, teeth hardly worn; "No.
13" (? No. 12), c-b. 1. 20-3, teeth half worn.

In colour these mice are quite like ordinary nmscuhis in
out-door pelage, their bellies being dusky instead of light
coloured as in M. muralis and spicilegiis. The flesh measure-
ments are large but do not exceed the known maximum for

NOTES ON TWO COLLECTIONS OF MICE

227

inusculns. The adult skulls, with teeth half worn or more,
range in condylo-basal length between 20-3 and 23 mm. ;
they are thus distinctly larger than in ordinary House Mice,
and agree closely in size with those of M. vmralis from
St Kilda ; we have carefully examined their proportions and
structure, but can find no tangible difference, other than the
unusually large size, from the skull of M. musculus. The
mesopterygoid space is quite as in the latter species.

B. Barvas. — Four House Mice were collected here by
Mr Hony : of these Nos. i, 3, and 4 were taken" in a kitchen
garden near manse," while ^o. 21 was obtained on a grassy
bank at some distance from houses. The dimensions taken
in the flesh are : —

No.

Date.

Head

and
body.

Tail

(without
hair).

Hind-foot

(without

claws).

Ear.

Condylo-
basal length
of skull.

Teeth.

State of

wear.

Male :—

4

5th July 1914

Females:—

88

9U

IS

13-5

••

1

3

21

4th July 1014
4th do.
13th do.

74
76
79

78-2

76

76

17

17-2

17

13-8
12-4
13

20

19-7

19-9

half worn.

moderately.

moderately.

These specimens differ in no way from ordinary M.
musculus.

Cetacea stranded on the Scottish Coasts. — A Report on
Cetacea stranded on the British Coasts during 19 15, by S. F.
Harmer, published under the auspices of the British Museum
(Natural History), was issued in February last. Owing to the
abnormal conditions of wartime, only twenty-eight specimens were
reported, but among them appear three Scottish records, namely, a
Bottle-nosed Whale {Hyperoodon rostratus) at Thurso on 14th
March, a Porpoise (presumably the common species) at Arbroath
on 7th July, and a Sowerby's Whale {Mesoplodon bidens) at Inver-
ness on I 3th August.

57

2 B

228 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Reoccurrence of Pityophagus (Ips) ferruginous in the
Forth Area. — On 2nd May I obtained two specimens of this
beetle on Scots Pine roots near Balerno. The first was found in
the gallery of Hylastes ater, and the second crawling on roots which
I took home for breeding purposes. P. ferriigineus is not mentioned
for Forth in Sharp's list, and I am indebted to Mr Wm. Evans for the
following old records. James Hardy records it from Pease Bridge
neighbourhood in Hist. Berw. Nat. Club, vol. i., p. 229, 1840;
R. K. Greville records it from near Edinburgh in the Zoologist,

i843> P- 340-

Apparently the fact that Pityophagus is a root-dweller, or at
least more so than its near neighbours Ips (proper) and Rhizophagus,
accounts for its having been overlooked. — J. W. Munro, Edinburgh.

Tree-sparro^w near Glasgow. — I caught a female Tree-
sparrow here on loth July. The state of its plumage seemed to
me to indicate that it had nested this season. I have never
seen a Tree-sparrow here before, and Mr John Paterson did not
include it in his paper in the Glasgow Naturalist (February 19 10)
on "The Birds of the Glasgow District." Since then there is
a record for the Glasgow district of two birds seen at Clarkston
by Mr Hugh Wilson, as mentioned in the paper on "The Birds
of Renfrewshire" in the Scottish Naturalist (August 19 15) by
Messrs John Robertson and T. Thornton Mackeith. — James
Bartholomew, Torrance, Glasgow.

House-sparrows utilising Nest of Blackbird. — A week
ago (20th June 19 16) I saw the brood leave a Blackbird's nest.
The nest was situated about 12 feet from the ground in a
rhododendron shrub. Yesterday (26th June) I was surprised
to find a pair of House-sparrows had erected a dome of dry grass
over this nest and converted it into one for themselves. — D. J.
Balfour Kirke, Burntisland.

Two Queen Wasps apparently constructing the same

Nest. — While capturing Queen Wasps a fortnight ago (13th
June 1 9 16), I saw one go into a small bush of boxwood and
remain for three or four minutes. On its coming out I missed
catching it, and on looking into the bush saw that it was attending
to its nest. I waited for its return, allowed it to go into its nest,
and captured it coming out. I then removed the nest, and while
doing so a Queen Wasp arrived and flew all round where the
nest had been, and settled where it had been attached to the bush,
and kept flying round the bush. This one I also captured. The
two Queens seem to have been constructing the same nest. — D, J.
Balfour Kirke, Burntisland.

MAIN ARGYLL AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 229

MAIN ARGYLL AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN

FAUNA
By W. Denison Roebuck, M.Sc, F.L.S.

This is the second of a series of papers on the vice-counties
of Scotland, based on the records of the Conchological
Society of Great Britain and Ireland, of which the writer is
Hon, Recorder, no records being included beyond those
which have been seen by the Society's official referees.

Argyllshire is divided, under the Watsonian vice-county
scheme, into no less than f>ve vice-counties or parts of vice-
counties. Of these, two are island-groups. Vice-county 103,
Ebudes Mid, includes Mull, lona, Tiree, and Coll, Vice-
county 104, Ebudes South, includes Islay, Jura, Colonsay,
Oronsay, Scarba, Lunga, and the small Isles of the Sea. Vice-
county loi, Cantire or Kintyre, including Gigha and other
small islets, is separated from Main Argyll by the line of the
Crinan Canal. All that part of the mainland portion of
Argyllshire which lies north of Loch Linnhe — the southern
prolongation of the great rift of the Caledonian Canal —
is joined to Western Inverness-shire to constitute vice-
county 97, Westerness. What remains after the separation
of these areas constitutes vice-county 98, Main Argyll. A
few small islets closely adjacent are included. The boundary
in Loch Linnhe is drawn so as to include Isle Lismore in
this vice-county. The channel which divides it from Ebudes
South passes up Scarba Sound, so as to include the Isles
of Seil, Luing, and Shuna, and the tiny islets off Craignish
Point.

In physical configuration it is a mountain country
intersected by the deep sea-lochs or fiords so characteristic
of western Scotland ; and in the Naturalist's Map of
Scotland published by my late dear friend John A. Harvie-
Brown, to whom Scottish natural history owes, so much, it is
a region predominantly of moorland, hill-pastures, and other
uncultivated tracts, with scarcely any cultivated tracts or
woodlands.

The conchologists who have contributed material for

2 30

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

MAIN ARGYLL AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 231

the area are few in number. Various examples from
Oban were seen by Mr J. W. Taylor in the British Museum
in September 1886, and others collected by Captain Bedford
in the Rev. A. Merle Norman's collection in 1884. The
writer visited Dunoon in August 1886. In the same
}-ear, collection was done by Mr Alex. Somerville and his
brother Rev. J. E. Somerville, by the brothers M. E. and
G. W. Mellors, and by Mr Andrew Scott. In 1885 Mr
B. Sturges Dodd collected, in 1887 Mr W. Turner, and in
1889 Mr Alex. Shaw. In 1893 Messrs Robert Standen and
J. Ray Hardy collected numerous species about Oban — some
of which are here included.* Collections were made in 1894 by
Mr W. Evans, in 1900 by Mr W. H. Heathcote, and in 1901
by Mr A. M. Rodger. In addition to these we have
undated records by Mr F. G. Binnie, Mrs Janet Carphin and
the Rev. G. A. Frank Knight. The Kelvingrove Museum
of Glasgow possesses examples found by the late David
Robertson ; the Perth Museum, some found by the late A. M.
Rodger; and the Royal Scottish Museum at Edinburgh, one
by the late Rev. John M'Murtrie. Since 1901 no specimens
from this vice-county have been submitted for authentication.

Limax maxinuis.

Dunoon, under stones ; vars. cinerea 3ir\6.fasciata both common,
one fine adult of latter, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.).

Limax arborum.

Oban, type, one juvenile, 5th October 19 10 (Charles Old-
ham) ; Dunoon, two fine typical adults and one var. nemorosa,
under stone in road, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.).

Agriolimax agrestis.

Dunoon, Glen Morag, Ardenadam, Hunter's Quay, type and
var. reticulata abundant, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.). Var.
reticulata, a few at Beregonium, ancient capital, vitrified
fort of Dalriad Scots, Benderloch, between Lochs Etive and
Creran, in hard frost, i6th December 1886 (J. E. Somerville);
Crinan, several var. reticulata on very cold day, 22nd December
1886 {id.).

Agriolijnax Icevis.

Coast south of Dunoon, one, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.) ;
var. pallida in one of the back streets of Dunoon, 25th August
1886 {id.).

232 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Art on ater.

Lochgoilhead, two typical adults, 20th August 1886 (M. E.

and G. W. Mellors) ; type, adults and juvenile, abundant at

Hunter's Quay, Ardenadam, and Dunoon, 25th August 1886

(W. D. R.).
Ariofi subfuscus.

Ardenadam, one; coast south of Dunoon, three; common

under stones on roadsides about Dunoon — all van rufofusca

—25th August 1886 (W. D. R.).

Arion hortensis.

Hunter's Quay, two, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.); Crinan
(J. E. Somerville, 1886).

Arion circumscrtptus.

Hunter's Quay, one, and coast south of Dunoon, a few, 25th

August 1886 (W. D. R.).
Arion intermedius.

Dunoon, one, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.) ; Crinan, two,

very pale, 22nd December 1886, weather very cold (Alex.

Somerville); Hunter's Quay, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.).

Vitrina pellucida.

Oban, a few (Alex. Somerville, January 1886); Glen Morag,
Dunoon, two juveniles, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.); at foot
of old red sandstone conglomerate rocks, in a wood chiefly
oak, larch, and spruce, along Kerrera Sound, Oban, one,
14th December 1886 (J. E. Somerville); Crinan, two, 22nd
December 1886 [id.'); Lismore, on limestone, one (Alex.
Somerville, 29th July 1889).

Hyalinia cellaria.

Loch Awe, a few (Alex. Somerville, January 1886); Dunstaff-
nage Castle, Oban, a few (id.); Glen Morag, Dunoon, one;
Hunter's Quay, a few; both 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.);
Lismore, 14th December 1886 (J. E. Somerville); Oban,
several, August 1893 (R. Standen and J. Ray Hardy); var.
albinos, Airdbairn Crags, Oban (W. H. Heathcote, 1901).

Hyalinia alliaria.

Along Kerrera Sound, Oban, type and var. viridula, at foot
of old red sandstone conglomerate rocks, in a wood chiefly
oak, larch, and spruce, 14th December 1886 (J. E. Somer-
ville); Isle Lismore, September 1889 {id.).

Hyalinia helvetica.

Isle Lismore, several, August 1893 (R. Standen and J. Ray
Hardy).

MAIN ARGYLL AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 233

Hyalinia tiitidula.

Dunstaffnage Castle, Oban, numerous (Alex. Somerville,
January 1886); Dunoon; Hunter's Quay, one; Ardenadam,
one; near Glen Morag, Dunoon, two — all 25th August 1886
(W. D. R.); Isle Lismore, one, August 1893 (R. Standen and
J. Ray Hardy) ; islands on Loch Awe (William Evans) ; var.
fiifensj Oban, ]\I['Murtrie] (Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh,
May 1913).

Hyalinia pura.

Along Kerrera Sound, Oban, at foot of old red sandstone
conglomerate rocks, in wood chiefly oak, larch, and spruce,
with var. /nargaritacea, 14th December 1886 (J. E. Somer-
ville); Glen Shira, Inveraray (F. G. Binnie, before i8gi); var.
margaritacea, Oban (British Museum, September 1886).

Hyalitiia radiatula.

Dalmally (Alex. Shaw,. 12th June 1889); Oban (Janet
Carphin, before 1891).

Hyalinia crystallina.

Oban (British Museum, September 1886); at foot of old
red sandstone conglomerate rocks, in a wood chiefly oak,
larch, and spruce, along Kerrera Sound, Oban, 14th December
1886 (J. E. Somerville) ; var. contracta, Isle Lismore, September
1889 {id.).

Hyalinia fulva.

Oban (British Museum, September 1886).

Zonitoides excavatus.

Lochan Dubh, near Oban, a few, August 1893 (R. Standen
and J. Ray Hardy).

Pyramidiila rotundata.

Oban, numerous (Alex. Somerville, January 1886); Loch
Awe, a few {id.); Dunoon, a few; Glen Morag, a few; Arden-
adam, a few; Hunter's Quay, one — all 25th August 1886
(W. D. R.); at foot of old red sandstone conglomerate
rocks, in wood chiefly oak, larch, and spruce, along Kerrera
Sound, Oban, 14th December 1886 (J. E. Somerville).

Pyraviidula rupestris.

Ardbairn Crags, Oban (W. H. Heathcote, 1901).

So far this marks the northern range of the species on the

western coast except as regards the Durness (Sutherland West)

Observation, which is not as yet authenticated.
Acanthiniila aculeata.

Oban (British Museum, September 1886); at foot of old red

234 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

sandstone conglomerate rocks, in a wood chiefly oak, larch,
and spruce, along Kerrera Sound, Oban, 14th December
1886 (J. E. Somerville).

Acanthinula lamellata.

Inveraray (B. Sturges Dodd, 5th February 1S85).

Helix aspersa.

Dunoon, numerous; Hunter's Quay, one; both 25th August
1886 (W. D. R.).

Helix nemoralis.

Hunter's Quay, by the shore, one, var. libellula 123(45), one
adult, var. libellula 12345, and var. rubella 00000, all 25th
August 1886 (W. D. R.); Island of Kerrera, Oban, one var.
libellula 003(45) roseolabiata (A. Somerville, January 1886);
Lismore, one juvenile, var. libellula 12345, 14th December
1886 {id.); Innellan {id., December 1886); Lismore, on lime-
stone, var. rubella 00000, and two var. libellula 12345 (one
of these (12)345 at mouth) {id.).

Helix hortensis.

Oban, April 1894, var. lutea 12345 (William Evans).

Helicigona arbustorum.

Innellan, a few (Alex. Somerville, January 1886); Dunoon,
one, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.); Lismore Island, juvenile,
12th December 1886 (J. E. Somerville); Oban, April 1894
(William Evans) ; var. cincta, one on limestone, Isle Lismore
(Alex. Somerville, 29th July 1889); Ben Lui at about 1500
to 2000 feet up, 6th July 1901, six type, rather thin and
nearly all immature, one immature var. flavescens, and one
small var. tnarmorata, all collected by A. IVI. Rodger (Perth
Museum).

Helicella itala.

Isle of Lismore, on limestone (A. Somerville, 29th September
1889).

Helicella caperata.

Isle Lismore, type and var. ornata numerous, August 1893
(R. Standen and J. Ray Hardy).

Hygromia striolata {rufesceus).

Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe (Alex. Somerville, January 1886);
Hunter's Quay, a few each of type and var. rube/is, and one
of var. albida, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.); Inveraray, on a
garden wall, three, immature (W. Turner, 6th October 1887);
Oban, one, April 1S94 (William Evans).

This marks the northern range of this species on the
western slope of Scotland.

MAIN ARGYLL AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 235

Hygj-omia hispida.

Isle of Lismore, 14th December 1886 (J. E. Somerville) ;
Ardenadam, Hunter's Quay, Dunoon, var. hispidosa, common,
associated in the last place with numerous var. concinna and
one var. albida, all 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.); var. subrufa,
near Glen Morag, one, 25th August 1886 (id.).

This marks the northern limit of the species on the western
side of Scotland. It is found also in the adjoining vice-
counties, Dumbarton, Clyde Isles, Cantire, and Ebudes South.

Hygromia grafiulata.

Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe, two (Alex. Somerville, January
1886).

This marks the northern limit so far as yet known on the
western side of the Scottish mainland, but it has also been
verified for Ebudes South, Ebudes Mid, Ebudes North, as
well as Cantire and the Clyde Isles.

Pupa cylindracea.

Oban, a few (Alex. Somerville, January 1886); Innishail
Island, Loch Awe, plentiful {id.) ; at foot of old red sandstone
conglomerate rocks, in wood chiefly oak, larch, and spruce,
along Kerrera Sound, Oban, adult and juvenile, 14th December
1886 (J. E. Somerville); Dunoon, a few, 25th August 1886 (W. D.
R.) ; Dunoon, several, 1886, Alex. Shaw (in coll. R. Standen).

Pupa muscorum.

Isle Lismore, several, August 1893 (R. Standen and J. Ray
Hardy).

Vertigo antivertigo.

Bog near Pulpit Rock and Loch Oich, 1900 (W. H. Heathcote).

Vertigo substriata.

Dunollie, Oban, a few (R. Standen, 1912).

Vertigo pygnuea.

Dunollie, Oban, several (Robert Standen, September 1912).

Sphyradium edentulum.

At foot of old red sandstone conglomerate rocks, in wood
chiefly oak, larch, and spruce, along Kerrera Sound, Oban,
14th December 1886 (J. E. Somerville) ; Ardbairn Crags, Oban,
with var. columella (W. H. Heathcote, 1901).

B aha perversa.

Kilmun, quite common in crevices on maple trunks, but nowhere
else, 1 2th June 1886 (Andrew Scott); Inveraray (F. G. Binnie,
before 1890).

Clausilia bidentata.

Oban (in coll. R. D. Darbishire, September 1885); Dun-
57 2C

236 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

staffnage, Oban, numerous (Alex. Somerville, January 1886);

Loch Awe, numerous, including some var. himidi/la {id.) ; at

foot of old red sandstone conglomerate rocks, in wood

chiefly oak, larch, and spruce, along Kerrera Sound, Oban,

14th December 1886 (J. E. Somerville); Inveraray, April 1887

{id.); Dunoon and Glen Morag, in great profusion, 25th

August 1886 (W. D. R.).
Cochlicopa lubrica.

Oban, a few (Alex. Somerville, January 1886); near Glen

Morag, Dunoon, a few, juvenile, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.);

Isle of Lismore, 14th December 1886 (Alex. Somerville) ; var.

viridula, Dunoon, one, 25th August 1886 (W. D. R.)
Carychiiim minimum.

Oban (British Museum, September 1886).
Succinea putris.

Isle Lismore, numerous, August 1893 (R. Standen and J.

Ray Hardy).
LimncEU peregra.

Pool near Loch Awe, Captain Bedford (in coll. A. Merle

Norman, 21st November 1884); var. ovafa, small form,

Dalmally (Alex. Shaw, 12th June 1889); var. labiosa, pond

near Loch Creran (coll. A. M. Norman, 21st November

1884); vax. picta, Oban, Captain Bedford {id.).
Physa fontinalis.

Lochan Dubh, near Oban, a few, August 1893 (R. Standen

and J. Ray Hardy).

This locality is the farthest north at which the species has

so far been verified for the western side of Scotland.
Planorlns allnis.

Lochan Dubh, near Oban, numerous, August 1893 (R. Standen

and J. Ray Hardy).

This locality is the farthest north for which the species

has been authenticated from the western side of Scotland.
Planorbis contortus.

Loch Gilp, abundant in a pond near the shore, David Robertson

(Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow, May 19 13).
A7icyliis fliiviatilis.

Near Glen Morag, Dunoon, several, 25th August 1886

(W. D. R.).
Valvata piscifialis.

Lochan Dubh, two, August 1893 (R. Standen and J. Ray

Hardy).

This locality, and Ebudes Mid vice-county, are the farthest

MAIN ARGYLL AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 237

northern localities for which the species has been authenticated
for the western slope of Scotland.

Paludestrina stagnalis.

Loch Gilp, in a pond near the shore, one, David Robertson
(Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow, 12th May 1913).

Unio margaritifer.

River Orchy, near where it flows into Loch Awe, two (Alex.
Somerville, January 1886) ; Loch Awe, one (G. A. Frank
Knight).

Pisidium pusillum.

Loch Gilp, a few in a pond near the shore, probably collected
by David Robertson (Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow, May
19^3)-

Pisidium obtusale.

Loch Gilp, a few in pond near the shore (Kelvingrove Museum,
Glasgow, May 1913, probably collected by David Robertson).

Not much has been published in respect of the area now
dealt with or any part of it, but there is one paper of capital
importance, by R. Standen and J. Ray Hardy, on " The
Land and Freshwater Mollusca of Oban and the Island of
Lismore" {Journal of Conchology, Oct. 1893, vol. 7, pp. 266-
274), which includes a couple of pages of most informing
introductory matter concerning the district and its physical
characteristics. This list includes records of 7 slugs, 36 land
and 10 freshwater shells — altogether 53 — curiously enough
the same total number as is contained in the present paper.
The species recorded by Messrs Standen and Hardy which
have not so far been authenticated for the Conchological
Society's record-scheme, and not therefore inclusible in this
paper, are ten in number, as follows : —

Hyalinia draparnaldi.
Zonitoides nitidus.
Punctum pygnicBum.
Vallonia pulchella.
Vallonia costata

Pupa anglica.
Planorbis crista.
Planorbis spirorbis.
Livimea truncatula.
Pisidium fontinale.

Besides these, I have seen mention of Hygromia fusca and
Planorbis glaber having occurred in the vice-county, which

238 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

have not so far been duly authenticated for the Society,
while such other species as Limax cinereo-niger and Succinea
elegans may fairly be expected to occur ; and it would even
be within the bounds of possibility to hope for the discovery
of Helicclla acuta, which occurs in the neighbouring vice-
counties of Cantire, Clyde Isles, Ebudes South, Mid, and
North.

I shall always be pleased to enlist assistance, and to have
— in my capacity as Hon. Recorder of the Conchological
Society — specimens sent with detailed data as to locality,
date, habitat, frequency, etc., for record, either from this or
any other Scottish area. Consignments may be addressed to
me at 259 Hyde Park Road, Leeds.

Addetidiim.

Since the above was printed, I find that there are records of eight
species additional to the list, viz. : —

Zonitoides nitidiis, several,
Punctu}?i pyginceum, one,
Hygromiafusca, two.
Pupa anglica,
Succinea elegans, one,
Limncea truncatula, a few,
Planorbis glaber, several small,
Pisidiu m fan tin ale, one.

found at Oban
in April 1894
(Wm. Evans).

Making a total list of 61 species.

Along with these, Mr Evans also submitted several small Limax
arborufn, one each of Agriolimax agrestis and A. Iczvis, a few
Arion hortensis, many A. circumscriptus, a few A. intermedius, a few
Vitrina pellucida, several Hyalinia cellaria (with one var. albinos),
several H. nitidula, one H. pura, several H. crystallina, one
H. fulva, a few Zonitoides excavatus, one Pyramidula rotundata,
one juv. Helix aspersa, one immature Helicigona arbustorum, one
small Hygro77iia hispida var. hispidosa, a few H. granulata, a
few Pupa cylindracea, one Vertigo pygnuea, several Sphyradium
edentulum, many Clausilia bidentata, a few Zua lubrica (including
one var. lubricoides), a few Carychiuni miniinutn, several Succinea

NOTES 239

puiris, one Limncza peregra, a few Ancylus fluviatilis, and a few
Pisidi2//n pusi/him, all from the same locality, together with several
immature Hygromia striolata from Dunstaffnage Castle.

In the same year, Mr G. A. Frank Knight submitted Hyalinia
cellaring Pyramidula rotundata^ and Pupa cylindracea, from islands
in Loch Ridden ; several Lttntnea peregra van ovata, and one Helix
aspersa, from Auchenlochan ; several Z. peregra var. ovata, from
Loch INIeldalloch, near Tighnabruaich ; Vitrina pellucida and
Pyramidula rotundata^ from Strachur, Loch Fyne ; one Ancylus
fluviatilis and several L. peregra, from the Pass of Brander, Loch
Awe ; one each of Hyalifita alliaria and H. nitidula, from islands
in Loch Awe ; and an example of Helicigona arbusioru??i taken at
700 feet alt., on Ben Chrois, i;iear Arrochar.

All these were recorded by myself in the Annals of Scottish
Natural History for July 1895, pp. 152, 153, 154.

[We hope to publish in our October issue a further article
by Mr Roebuck, dealing with the county of Wigtown,
Readers who are in possession of any Mollusca from this
area may materially assist by forwarding, without delay,
specimens to the address given above. — Eds.]

Wryneck in Aberdeenshire. — I am informed that a male
Wryneck was sent to the University of Aberdeen from the Fraser-
burgh district in the second week of May 1916. Beyond the
statement that it had been brought alive to the sender a few days
previously, no details could be obtained, but the bird had presumably
been captured locally about that time. The species is seldom
recorded from this area. — A. Landsborough Thomson, Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders.

Goldcrest's unusual Nesting-place. — I hav^ just inspected
the nest and eggs of a Goldcrest, which exhibit a departure from the
normal in several respects. The nest was built in a privet hedge,
and consequently is not of the almost spherical form commonly
found in trees : this one is almost barrel-shaped. A small cavity at
the top contains the eggs, which are only four in number, so that
the bird appears to have deserted befoie the clutch was complete.

l^tl

240 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

There is no lining of feathers, but the interior is warmly felted with
wool. Curiously enough, the last egg laid, although similar in shape
and markings, is considerably larger than the others.— T. M'Gregor
Tait, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Little Gull near Glasgow.— On i6th, i8th, 19th, 20th, and
2ist May 1916, an immature Little Gull {Larus minuhis) was seen
by my friend, Mr D. Macdonald, on a small marsh on the right
bank of the Kelvin, near Summerston ; and, in his company, I had
the pleasure of observing it on the last two of these dates. Its
flight was desultory, as Seebohm has remarked. Occasionally it
dipped down to the water, and, while its wings were raised nearly
vertically, picked something from the surface ; but usually it caught
its prey in the air, apparently sharing the same fare as the Swallows
and Sand-martins, which were always present in varying numbers.
In its pursuit the Little Gull was almost as tireless as the Hirundines.
I did not see it rest at all, although Mr Macdonald noticed it settle
once or twice on a grassy spit. So far as I know, there are only
three previous records of the Little Gull for "Clyde." The present
one applies to Lanarkshire as well as to Dumbartonshire ; the river
Kelvin forming the county boundary, which our bird, in its circuit,
crossed and recrossed. — John Robertson, Cathcart, Glasgow.

Goldfinches in Mid-Lothian.— On the 22nd April (1916) I, in
company with Messrs Hugh Cleland and William Scott, Edinburgh,
had the pleasure of observing a pair of Goldfinches {Carduelis
elegans) near Rosebery, Mid-Lothian. 1 first of all noticed one
bird sitting on a beech tree at the roadside. After I had viewed it
through my field-glasses for a time, it flew away and was joined by
its mate, which had evidently been sitting close at hand unobserved.
— Bruce Campbell, Edinburgh.

Early Appearance of Swift. — The first Swift {Cypselus apus)
arrived at Duddingston this year on 24th April ; I watched it for a
little time careering round the Kirk tower : the following day there
were two, and immediately thereafter a few more have come. In
my notes dating back to i88t, I have only one other record for the
Swift in April. I saw Hirundo rustica for the first time on the 27th
April. The Willow-warbler was in song in my garden on the 17th
April. I had seen one previously this year near Beaulieu, Hamp-
shire, on the 4th April. — William Serle, Duddingston.

NOTES 841

The Silver-Striped Ha-wk-moth (Choerocampa celerio, L.)
in Edinburgh. — Through the kindness of my neighbour, Mr J. H.
Young, I am the proud possessor of a specimen of this fine Sphingid
which he captured in his back garden at 45 Morningside Park,
Edinburgh, on 30th September last year (191 5). It was at rest on a
chrysanthemum late in the afternoon, and was easily taken. It is a
female, and, though a little " worn," is a wonderfully good specimen
considering that no special care was bestowed on it. By means of
a stout pin it had been stuck on the inside wall of the tool-house,
where it remained till I saw and identified it a couple of months ago.

Chcerocampa celerio occurs not unfrequently, as an immigrant, in
England, more especially in the southern counties, but it is a great
rarity in Scotland, where, however, it has been taken as far north
as Aberdeen, Banff, and Ross, and as far west as Mull. In the
Lothians I know of no previous records of its capture except the
two given by J. C Howden in the Zoologist for 1849 (p. 2401),
namely, one got at Hopetoun House, West Lothian, in September
1848, and one taken prior to that year at West Barns, near Dunbar,
East Lothian, by Dr Charles Nelson, in whose collection (now in the
Royal Scottish Museum) I first saw it about fifty-five years ago.
The only other Forth records seem to be from Alloa, 21st September
1864, and Culross, 19th September 1864, which Tutt {Brit. Lepid.,
iv., p. 131) thought probably refer to the same specimen. The two
Lothians records, it may be remarked, appear to have escaped
Tutt's notice. — William Evans, 38 Morningside Park, Edinburgh.

The Water-rail at St Kilda. — In the Scottish Naturalist
for last April Mr Eagle Clarke reports the occurrence of a Water-
rail {Rallus aquaticus) at St Kilda, obtained last autumn, which
he states has not been previously recorded for that island. The
first known occurrence of the Water-rail at St Kilda was a bird
sent me by my correspondent there, which was captured there on
3rd November 1903, the year after my visit to the island. This
bird is still in my possession. Mr Eagle Clarke has obviously
forgotten the fact that I supplied him with this record, and that
he has himself published it in his work. Studies i?i Bird Migra-
tion, vol. ii., p. 229, 19 12. It is interesting to note that this second
example, which has recently come into Mr Clarke's hands, also
occurred in the autumn. — J. Wiglesworth, Winscombe, Somerset.

Acanthocinus aedilis, L., at Lauder. — A strange beetle was
noticed in Lauder — 5th July — on the splash-board of a motor car
which had stopped for repairs on its way north. The creature was

242 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

sent to myself, and proved to be one of the Longicorns — Acan-
thocinus cedilis, Z., the Timberman Beetle. The antenna; were
fully three times the length of the body and in perfect condition, so
that it was evidently a male. — Wm. M'Conachie, Lauder.

[Two examples, doubtless imported with pit -props, taken at
Granton, near Edinburgh, on i6th and 19th August, have been sent
to us. — Eds.]

BOOK NOTICE.

Medical and Veterinary Entomology. By William B. Herms.
New York : The Macmillan Company, 1915. 8vo, 393 pp. Price
17s. net.

Of late years the study of economic entomology has taken its place
as an essential part of the training of the medical officer, the veterinary
surgeon, and the public health official. It is not surprising, therefore,
that many volumes have recently appeared, with the object of affording
the student the means of acquiring an adequate knowledge of
the various groups of insects which have some influence, noxious or
otherwise, on the welfare of mankind. These works also endeavour to
impart to their readers information of a practical nature, designed for
the control of the various pests which attack man himself, his domestic
animals, and his cultivated plants. On many occasions we have had the
opportunity of noticing works of this nature in our pages, and that now
open before us will compare favourably with any that we have seen.
After a general discussion on the control of insect-borne diseases, the
origin and effects of parasitism, and the general features of insect
anatomy and classification, the various groups are treated systematically
and in full detail. Thus one chapter is devoted to cockroaches, beetles,
and thrips ; the next to the various groups of lice ; another to bedbugs
and their allies ; three to mosquitoes and their control ; one to "buffalo
gndiis" {Szmuliuvi) and "horseflies " (Tabanidae) ; two to the house-fly
and its control ; one to the various blood-sucking Muscidte (tsetse
flies, stable flies, etc.) ; one to the various forms of myiasis and
the insects concerned therein ; one each to fleas, ticks, and mites ;
and finally one treating of venomous insects and arachnids, A useful
feature of the text, which is excellent throughout, is the employment of
a heading in heavy type for each paragraph or section, enabling the
student to find readily the exact kind of information required. The
book is well printed, the type clear, and the illustrations (numbering
well over two hundred) adequate and well-chosen. The weight of the
volume (3 lb.) is its only objectionable feature, but this is a common
fault of works published in America.

{Authors arc responsible for /lometiclaiurc used.) kjul L I B ^

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 58.] 1916 [October

EDITORIAL.

It is possible to derive a certain amount of amusement from
the efforts of our strict priority-mongers. In a communica-
tion by Oldfield Thomas on the generic names Rattus and
Phyllomys} the author confesses his disappointment at the
discovery that the name Rattus was used earlier than he
anticipated for the ordinary Rats, and, therefore, has priority
over Ephnys, which he hoped could be accepted. As a
consequence, his " attempted use of Rattus iox Azara's Spiny-
rat fails, and this animal will have to bear in future the
burden of Euryzygomatomys as its generic name." Poor
creature !

A paper entitled " Some Dental and Cranial Variations
in the Scotch Wild Cat {Felis sylvestris)" by R. I. Pocock-
will interest the student of our native mammals, although of a
highly technical nature. The varying characters referred to,
are the presence of extra premolar teeth in both upper and
lower jaws, the interlocking of the carnassial teeth, and the
junction between the frontal and squamosal bones of the
skull.

The British Fishes of the Subfamily Clupeinse form the
subject of a recent paper by C. Tate Regan.^ The first
section of this paper is systematic, describing in detail six
species of Clupea (Herring, Sprat, etc.), five oi Alosa (Shad),

1 Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist.., August 1916, p. 240.

2 Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., Sept. 1916, pp. 272-277.

3 Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., July 1916, pp. 1-19, plates i-iii.

58 2D

244 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

and three of Sardina (Pilchard or Sardine). Synoptical
tables are given, and certain new species and subspecies
described. General accounts of the geographical distribution,
biology and economics of these important food-fishes conclude
the article, which should be useful and authoritative. One of
the plates is in the shape of a map showing the distribution
of the various forms of Sardina.

In his " Notes from the Gatty Marine Laboratory, St
Andrews — No. xxxix." ^ Professor M'Intosh deals with (i)
the coloration of Ccesicirrus neglectus, Arwidsson ; (2)
Cirratulus {bioculatus) mcertus, M'l. ; (3) the British
Serpulidae ; and (4) a Placostegus, from the " Porcupine "
Expedition of 1870. In the 3rd of these sections, which
occupies some thirty-four pages, an interesting summary is
given of the Serpulids obtained by exploring ships and by
zoologists in various waters in order to indicate the propor-
tional abundance of the British species. This summary is
followed by a detailed description of all the British species,
fifteen of which are admitted by the author, and one of them,
Spirorbis caulleryi^ described as new. Professor M'Intosh's
careful investigations cannot fail to be of the utmost service
to students of our native marine worms.

The volume of Proceedings of the South London
Entomological and Natural History Society for 191 5-16
contains several papers well worthy of perusal. Alfred Sich
contributes (pp. 15-20) a "Life Cycle of Tortrix viridana L.,"
in which all the stages of this common little moth are fully
described, with details as to the time occupied by each. An
interesting statement at the conclusion of the paper indicates
the relative abundance of the species, for of sixty-two cocoons
gathered at random off oaks nearly 89 per cent, yielded
T. viridana. Pages 25 to 28 contain a well-written account,
by a Belgian author. Constant Sano, of the metamorphoses
of the Common Dor Beetle {Geotrupes stercorarius),
accompanied by an excellent photographic plate depicting
the egg, larva and pupa of this well-known insect. Then
follow two useful articles by W. J. Lucas, one of the most
active members of the Society. The first of these is on
1 Ann. and Mag-. Nat. Hist., August 1916, pp. 161-199, plate vii.

EDITORIAL 245

" British Cockroaches," in which we find a capital summary
of the distinguishing characters, habits and distribution of
the native species, and such as have repeatedly occurred as
introductions in Britain, together with an enumeration of such
as have only been found casually. To simplify the identifica-
tion of the former, eight in number, an artificial key is
given ; while of the latter some fourteen are mentioned.
This paper cannot fail to be of much service to students of
our Orthoptera, while the same remark applies to the later
article (pp. 50-54) on "British Crickets" by the same author.
This is treated in precisely the same style, four species being
noted as truly British and ^ix as purely casuals.

The microscope is ever throwing more and more light
upon those tiny organisms which lie at the bottom of the
scale of creation, and recent investigations tend to show how
dependent we are for our livelihood upon a proper control of
creatures of whose very existence man has been for long ages
totally ignorant. The lowest class of animals, the protozoa,
are a vast assemblage of creatures almost unlimited in variety
of form, and armed with a subtle potentiality of disease and
destruction terrible to contemplate. One of the latest results
of research among these tiny atoms, with their gigantic
possibilities, has been to prove that there are certain forms
present in our soils which are inimical to the welfare of those
bacteria whose activity enables a normal soil to attain its
full fertility. In this connection, Dr T. Goodey's recently
published " Observations on the Cytology of Flagellates and
Amoebae obtained from old Stored Soil " ^ is of considerable
interest and importance. Five different species were
investigated, three Flagellates and two Rhizopods, both the
latter and one of the former group being described as new.
A full account of the structure, methods of reproduction and
systematic position of each of these minute organisms is given,
while the beautifully executed plates convey a very clear
impression of their appearance in different stages when
stained and viewed under a high magnification. One of the
most interesting features of the investigation lies in the fact
that the soil in which these protozoa were found had been
' Proc. Zool. Soc, 1 9 16, pp. 309-332, plates i-iv.

246 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

bottled in the years 1865 to 1870, thus proving that their
vitaHty was not impaired after a close confinement of half a
century !

The Birds of Britain. By A. H. Evans, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.
Cambridge University Press. Price 4s. net.

This little book is primarily intended for the ute of schools and we
think that as an introduction to the birds of Britain, it will prove most
useful to a large circle of readers. Each of the commoner species is
briefly but clearly described, and the range of the bird indicated, while
at the end we have a list of the occasional and rare visitors. The
introduction " On the Class Aves, or Birds in General " is the work of a
master hand. In it, the author deals concisely with many interesting
branches of the subject, such as moult, flight, migration and distribution ;
only long and profound study could enable anyone to treat this vast
subject so briefly and yet so clearly. The summaries, introducing the
families, are models of their kind. The book is illustrated by photo-
graphs chiefly taken from nature ; most of these are excellent and some
are quite charming, others, however, as is almost inevitable, are
disappointing. That labelled "Spotted Flycatcher" on page 65 is
upside down and appears to us to represent the Pied Flycatcher. A
very useful illustration is that on page 4 showing the nomenclature of
the external parts of a Falcon.

The author's method of dealing with the sub-species is unfortunate
and in some cases very misleading. He frequently fails to make clear
the difference between the distribution of the species and that of the
sub-species, for instance, when dealing with the " Common or Song
Thrush (7". viusicus clarkii)" he states that "its foreign range is not
very dissimilar to that of the last species" (Missel Thrush), qualifying,
however, this statement by adding, "but the Continental form is
distinguishable from the British in coloration." Had Mr Evans been
treating of the species as a whole, this distribution would have been
correct, as, however, he is dealing with our British bird under a trinomial
it is decidedly confusing. Several other birds are treated in the same
confused manner, while others, such as P. ater Mtanm'cus are quite
clearly put and it seems a pity that one clear method had not been
followed in every case. It would be interesting to know on what
grounds Mr Evans founds his statement that the increase of Great
Spotted Woodpeckers breeding in Scotland is attributable to the autumn
immigrants from the Continent. As far as ue know all the Scottish
breeding birds which have been critically examined, belong to the same
race as those which breed in England, viz. Dryobates major anglicus.
Apart from the above criticisms, and a few slips such as, " Loch Leven
in Fifeshire," which should of course be Kinross-shire, the book is one
of much merit, and the perusal of these scholarly pages will, we feel
sure, give pleasure not only to the tyro, but also to the veteran
ornithologist.

NEW " BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY " 247

THE NEW "BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BRITISH
ORNITHOLOGY"!

The first two parts of this welcome publication have now
appeared, and it is with feelings of admiration, not to say
amazement, that the reader will peruse these, the first
240, pages of what will certainly prove to be the standard
work on the subject. In a prospectus the authors claimed
that their aim had been " to give a biographical account of
each author or co-author 'of a separately published work,
followed by a complete bibliography of published works or
contributions to works, and of papers contributed to journals
(where such exceed one page in extent), bearing on British
Ornithology, and published before 1912. Collations are
given in all possible instances, together with verbatim spaced
titles of separate works published before 1850, and shorter
titles of those published since that date. Critical notes on
many of the books are also included. Works containing
birds, extra-British as well as British, are included and
marked with an asterisk (*)." It will be seen from the
above that Mr W. H. Mullens and Mr H. Kirke Swann set
themselves an enormous task, and this they have performed
with the erudition and care which was to have been
expected of two such eminent authorities. Although the
preliminary first two parts only cover from A to G, it may
be observed that no less than 286 different authors are here
dealt with, to whom close on 1385 publications or papers are
accredited. As regards the printing, paper, and general
get-up of the work, this is worthy of the traditions of the
house of Messrs Macmillan & Co.

A note, printed in red and inserted at the commencement
of Part I., intimates that the authors would be very grateful

^ A Bibliography /of / British Ornithology / from the Earliest Times/
to the End of 1912/ .... By/W. H. Mullens, M.A., LL.M., F.L.S.,
M.B.O.U./and/ H. Kirke Swann/ .... Macmillan & Co., Limited/
St Martin's Street, London / 1916 / / (Parts I. and II., price 6s. net
per part.)

248 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

for any notes of errors or omissions. We suggest that any
such might be printed later in a supplement on one side of
the page only, so that the owner of the complete work may
be able, if he so wishes, to cut up these supplementary pages
and insert the slips in their proper places. The errors and
omissions which we have noticed are so few and unimportant
that it would not be just to disparage the whole work
by detailing them in this review. In accordance with the
authors' printed request we have, however, brought a few
mistakes to their private notice, so that they can subsequently
make use of our information as they may see fit.

We understand that " by way of Supplement a Geographi-
cal Bibliography, in which the books and articles, as well
as the ornithological matter in topographical books, will be
arranged under their separate counties, thus affording an
index to the work accomplished in the various districts."
This "county index, in which will be included not only short
titles of the books, but all articles and notes in periodicals
by every writer, provided they are of a faunistic nature,"
should prove as invaluable to the student as the labour of
its compilation must have proved gigantic to the authors.

In the first two parts, now to hand, we have sufficient
evidence to show how thoroughly the Authors have ransacked
every possible source of information ; we may therefore con-
fidently state that when the work is completed it will be one
which will be indispensable to every public library and to
every individual who is a student of local Ornithology or
Bibliography. It may certainly be said that any author with
but the slightest claim for inclusion as a writer on ornitho-
logy has been mentioned in this work, and that, from a
strictly utilitarian point of view, the book might have been
curtailed to about one-half without omitting any publication
of real ornithological value ; so far from thinking this a
fault, we consider it additional testimony to the indefatigable
research of Messrs Mullens and Kirke Swann.

H. S. G.

FORTH RECORD OF THE LEVANTINE SHEARWATER 249

THE FIRTH OF FORTH RECORD OF THE
LEVANTINE SHEARWATER.

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

In several recent publications one meets with the bare
statement that the Levantine Shearwater {Puffiuus puffiniis
yelkoiian) has been recorded for Scotland, namely, from the
" Firth of Forth." ^ As the authority for the record, and the
details of the occurrence do not appear to be generally
known, it seems desirable to give publicity to the facts of
the case in the pages of the Scottish Naturalist. Shortly
they are as follows : — The specimen was shot by the late
E. T. Booth, on 19th August 1874, at the mouth of the
Firth of Forth (without doubt, as I shall presently show,
somewhere between the Bass Rock and the Isle of May),
and is preserved in the Booth Museum, Brighton. Booth
regarded it as an immature example of our Manx Shearwater
{P. p. puffiuus = P. angloruui)^ and it was left to Howard
Saunders to recognise it as belonging to the Levantine sub-
species. This identification appeared in the supplement to
the third edition of the Catalogue of the Booth Museum,
and thence was gleaned into British Birds (magazine) for
February 1910 (vol. iii., p. 295).

First-hand information regarding the occurrence is to be
found in Booth's important work, Rough Notes on the Birds
observed durifig Twcuty Years' Shootiug in the British Islands,
part xii., 1886. Under the heading " Manx Shearwater," we
there learn that on 14th August 1874, during a gale from the
north-east, the author saw parties of Shearwaters from the
May till within about a couple of miles of the Bass (on one
or two occasions only had he ever seen any between the
Rock and the shore). They were seen also on the 15th
beyond the Bass. On the 19th, when the weather was fine,
he was out again, clearly in the same waters, and met with
small parties of from two or three to a dozen. On this
occasion he " procured two or three with perfectly white

^ See, for instance, A Handbook of British Birds, 191 2, and the new
edition of the B.O.U. List. - " •

r^

/
I I

250 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

breasts, and one on which the' plumage of the throat, breast,
and belly was of a uniform dusky grey." With the latter
specimen in his mind he makes the following remarks : —
" No opportunity of examining the young having fallen to
my share, I am unable to state the colouring of their first
feathers ; it is probable, however, that these dark-tinted
birds were immature." In October 1887, I visited Booth's
Museum at Brighton, and noted, among other interesting
birds procured in the Forth Area, the case containing these
Shearwaters, two white-breasted specimens and the dusky
one. In the index to the Catalogue (1876, p. 7) they are
entered as " male, female, and immature."

The presence of large numbers of Manx Shearwaters in
the Firth of Forth during the summer half of the year has
long been known, and has been a matter of peculiar interest
to me (see notes in Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1903, p. 26, and
BritisJi Birds, ii., p. 421). Where are the breeding haunts of
these parties — at times they amount to flocks — that visit the
Forth in summer? That they do not breed in this area,^
or, indeed, anywhere on the east of the mainland of Great
Britain, is practically certain. Are they birds belonging to
a Shetland or other northern (or even western) colony, or
are they from some southern nesting-grounds down in the
Atlantic — the Madeira group of islands, for instance, which
is understood to be a great stronghold of this Shearwater?
That those present in the Forth in mid-summer, wherever
they come from, are non-breeding birds — chiefly birds, let us
say, but one year old — seems highly probable, when we
consider that the breeding-season is at its height in May
and June at Madeira,"^ as well as in the British habitats.

1 In an article on the Birds of the Bass, etc., by the Hon. Walter
(now Lord) Rothschild, which appeared in the Nineteenth Century
Magazine for October 1898, it is stated that the Manx Shearwater
breeds on the Bass Rock. The author subsequently informed me
{in lit. 3.12.98) that his grounds for the statement were that he had seen
old and young in the neighbourhood of the Rock, and that fourteen or
fifteen years previously the late Mr Robert Chambers told him they
bred there. Did they really breed on the Bass, we may be sure proof of
the fact would have been forthcoming ere this.

2 See Bannerman, Ibis, 1914, p. 473.

FORTH RECORD OF THE LEVANTINE SHEARWATER 251

In August and September it may be that they are joined by
adults and young. The presence along with the typical race
of the Levantine bird, and also of the Sooty Shearwater
{P. grisejis), lends some countenance to the southern aspect
of the case ; but the question cannot be answered with any
degree of confidence on the basis of our present all too
imperfect knowledge.

The points in which P. p. yelkoumi differs from the
typical race, or Manx Shearwater, are alluded to in a paper
by Misses Rintoul and Baxter in this magazine for June
last, and no distinction is drawn between adult and immature
plumages. Saunders, in the second edition of his Alanual,
says that, in the Manx Shearwater, " The young bird
resembles the adult and has white under-parts." The
Levantine Shearwater he describes as " browner in tint than
our Manx Shearwater, and not only are the under tail-
coverts and flanks dusky-brown, but the immature bird is
dusky on the belly ; it is moreover a larger species
throughout." With reference to the last clause, it may be
mentioned that, according to Salvin {Brit. Mns. Cat.), the
total length and wing are equal in both forms, slightly
longer tarsi and toes being, however, assigned to yelkouan.
This author does not differentiate between adult and
immature birds. In search of further light on these points
I wrote to Mr Ogilvie Grant of the British Museum, where
there is a fair series of specimens for comparison, and he has
kindly favoured me with the following valuable notes.

'■'• Pujfivus a/iglorum. — The young Manx resembles the adult
and has white underparts and under tail-coverts, or the latter more
or less mottled with dusky on the outer webs.

" P. yelkouan. — Has the longer under tail-coverts mostly or
entirely dusky (smoky brown), and often the sides, flanks, and belly
similarly coloured. These characters are variable, and I agree with
Godman (and Sharpe) — Monogr. Petrels— \\\'^'i the more dusky birds
are 7iot necessarily immature. Our material is, however, not
sufficient to be certain on this point.

" The most reliable distinguishing character is to be found in the
axillaries.

58 2E

252 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

" P. angJorum. — Axillaries white, sharply tipped with dark
smoky brown, or even uniform white.

" P. yelkouan. — Axillaries dusky, smoky brown."

Any of our readers who may possess specimens of
P. puffinus from the Forth or elsewhere off the east coast of
Scotland, would do well to have them carefully examined in
case there should happen to be a yelkouan among them.
The Levantine Shearwater roams from the Mediterranean
into the Atlantic and North Sea, and has been reported, even
in numbers, off the coast of Yorkshire.

Bird Notes from Lauderdale. — Within the past few years
the Woodcock has largely increased as a nesting species in Lauder-
dale. In connection with this increase the following fact may be
of interest. I have it on the authority of Mr Cossar, head keeper
here. In a letter he writes: — "A most extraordinary thing was
observed on this estate this season. One of the woodmen drew
his mate's attention to a Woodcock on its nest. 'There are two
of them,' he answered. And so there were two birds, sitting
practically touching one another. Unfortunately, on the felling
of a tree beside them, they forsook the nests, one with four, the
other with three eggs."

Mr Cossar also, in a letter of 27th June, mentions the presence
of two pairs of Quail on a farm close to his house. "During
the last ten days," he says, "I have been hearing Quail caUing
in two different places near here, and have reason to believe there
will be a pair in each case, and that they may be nesting. One
was calling quite a long time before and after five o'clock. I
hear them, however, most about daybreak, and through the night
they fly round and round, uttering their call in the same way
we have noticed the Waterhen do." In a letter of 19th July,
Mr Cossar adds an interesting fact as to his experiences of the
ventriloquial powers of the Quail. He remarks of one that a
bird followed himself and a friend with a retriever for some distance
through a grass field, calling all the time. Their efforts to find
the Quail with the dog were without any result; the bird never
showed, but began calling again as soon as they left off searching
over a limited extent of the grass field. There seems no question
of their nesting.— Wm. M'Conachie, Lauder.

WIGTOWNSHIRE AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 253

WIGTOWNSHIRE AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN

FAUNA.

By W. Denison Roebuck, M.Sc, F.L.S.

The County of Wigtown or Shire of Galloway, with its
characteristic hammer-head outline facing the north-east
coast of Ireland across 21-^? miles of sea, and exposed to the
influence of the warmth of the Gulf Stream, has for its
distinctive feature its deeply indented and extensive coast
line, more than 130 miles in extent, so that no part of the
county is more than 13 miles from the nearest sea, and
only a small portion is anything like so far. Physically, the
county is divisible into three areas : — (i) The Moors, which
cover a large tract of the north ; (2) the Machars, comprising
the low-lying cultivated lands of the south ; and (3) the
Rhinns, which contain all the peninsular tract lying west
of Loch Ryan and Luce Bay, or west of the isthmus between
Stranraer and Glenluce. The county does not attain to an
elevation of more than 1000 feet, on the Ayrshire border,
the hills of Benbrake and Craigairie. There are numerous
freshwater lochs, none of great size, and the chief rivers are
the Cree, Bladenoch, Luce, and Tarf The area of the
county is 311,984 acres, of which in 1912 115,727 were
mountain and heath land used for grazing, 42,709 permanent
grass, 113,171 arable land, and 8526 woods and plantations.
The geological structure is very simple, consisting entirely
of Silurian rock, almost the earliest of the stratified rocks,
with small outcrops of trap or granite here and there ; the
only variation of any consequence being a narrow belt of
new red sandstone running along the western shore of
Loch Ryan. As regards faunistic habitats, there are the
mudflats and merse lands of Wigtown Bay, the far-reaching
sands of Luce with the considerable stretches of sandhills
known as the Torrs, the hilly moorlands and wet flats
known as " flows," the numerous lochs and pools, the arable
lands and rough pastures, the woods, and the cliffs and
pebbly beaches — all tending to form a region which, if properly

254 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

worked out, should furnish a goodly list of land and freshwater
mollusca.

The material upon which the following list has been
based is the result of the labours of about nine observers.
Taken chronologically, the earliest in point of date are a few
anonymous examples from Lochnaw and Larbrax in the
Royal Scottish Museum at Edinburgh; and Port Logan
examples, collected by Dr David Robertson, preserved in
the Kelvingrove Museum at Glasgow. Specimens collected
in 1890, about Portpatrick, by Mr Richard Rimmer, are in
the Royal Scottish Museum ; and my very good friend
Mr William Evans, F.R.S.E., collected during the same year
about Stranraer, and also at Ardwell, Knockglass, and Port
Logan. Before or about this date Mr P. Adair collected
one species at Chippermore, near Port William.

In the year 1909 collecting was systematically carried on
by three observers. My friend and ever-faithful companion,
Mr John F. Musham, F.E.S., of Selby, who is always ready
to undertake special investigation in neglected areas, went
at my special request and collected in the neighbourhoods
of Portpatrick and Stranraer. During the same month
(August) another friend. Miss Marie V. Lebour, M.Sc, of
the Zoological Department of the University of Leeds, was
working the vicinity of the Isle of Whithorn ; and, unknown
to us until very lately, the district of Corsemalzie, its burn
and its local lochs, was being diligently investigated about
the same time by the very able resident naturalist, Mr Jack
G. Gordon of Corsemalzie, whose researches also took him
to the adjacent shores of Luce Bay. His work has been
continued down to the present year, and to him I am
indebted for the information embodied in the opening
paragraph of this paper. In 191 2, my friend Mr Edward
Collier, of Manchester, collected mollusca at Garlieston and
the Isle of Whithorn. Finally, during the months of July
and August of the present year (19 16), Mr Alexander Ross,
of Glasgow, collected a considerable amount of material
about the Isle of Whithorn.

The literature of the subject is but scanty. In the
Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Glasgow^ 1 869,

WIGTOWNSHIRE AND' ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 255

i. 36, the Rev. A. Urquhart published a h'st of species
collected about Portpatrick.

In the Jouryial of Conchology for January 191 5, xiv. 266,
is a note by Mr John N. Kennedy on " Fluviatile Mollusca
from Port Patrick," in which seven species are cited ; and in
the same journal for July 191 5, xiv. 346, is a note by Mr
John F. Musham, F.E.S., on his " Additions to the Land
and Freshwater Mollusca of Wigtownshire," noting eighteen
species and varieties, a number of which had, however,
already been recorded from the county by myself in my
" Census of Scottish Land and Freshwater Mollusca,"
published in the Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society
of Edinburgh, 1S90, x. 437-503.

Limax maximus.

Springbank, near Stranraer, one var. fasciata, about a third
grown, 15th September 1890 (W. Evans); Portpatrick, The
Battery, one var. fasciata, nearly adult, i6th August 1909
(John F. Musham); small woodland plantation above the
harbour, Isle of Whithorn, one young, vdix. fasciata, ist August
19 16 (Alex. Ross).

Litnax arborum.

Corsemalzie, abundant, adult and young, typical, under moss,
etc., on tree-trunks in a wood, ist September 19 16 (Jack G.
Gordon).

Agriolimax agrestis.

Springbank, near Stranraer, one var. reticulata, half-grown, 14th
September 1890; two immature var. retictilata, and two young
characteristic var. nigra, 15th September 1890 (W. Evans);
Stranraer, type, common, 14th August 1909 (J. F. Musham);
road-plantation between Isle of Whithorn and Port William,
one very young var. reticulata, ist August 19 16 (Alex. Ross) ;
small woodland plantation above the harbour. Isle of Whithorn,
a few, type, ist August 1916 (/V/.); Isle of AVhithorn. one very
young, under stone near shore, ist August 19 16 {id.).

Mi lax gagates.

Portpatrick, The Battery, a few, var. rava, i6lh August 1909
(J. F. Musham).

Arion ater.

Springbank, near Stranraer, one adult and one young, 14th
September 1890 (W. Evans); Stranraer, 14th August 1909,

256 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

one adult, var atra, and one young, var. castanea (J, F.
Musham).

Arion subfusais.

Stranraer, two, 14th August 1909 (J. F. Musham).

Arion hortensis.

Springbank, near Stranraer, four young, 15th September 1890
(W. Evans) ; road-plantation between Isle of Whithorn and
Port William, one very young, 1st August 191 6 (Alex. Ross).

Ario7i circuinscriptus,

Springbank, near Stranraer, three very young, 14th and 15th
September 1890 (W. Evans).

Arion intermedius.

Stranraer, one, type, 14th August 1909, and one adult, var.
grisea, 15th August 1909 (J. F. Musham); Portpatrick, The
Battery, one \^t. grisea, T6th August 1909 (J. F. Musham).

Vitrina pelhicida.

Springbank, near Stranraer, September 1890 (W. Evans);
Corsemalzie, numerous under stones in gardens, 23rd May
1909 (Jack G. Gordon); Portpatrick, The Battery, one, i6th
August 1909; Isle of Whithorn, one very young, under stone
near shore, ist August 1916 (Alex. Ross\

Hyalinia cellaria.

Port Logan, September 1890 (W. Evans); Springbank, near
Stranraer, September 1890 {id.); Corsemalzie, a few, 25th May
1909 (Jack G. Gordon); Isle of Whithorn, one, August 1909
(Marie V. Lebour) ; Stranraer, a few, 15th August 1909 (J. F.
Musham) ; road-plantation between Isle of Whithorn and Port
William, several, ist August 19 16 (Alex. Ross).

Hyalifiia alliaria.

Springbank, near Stranraer, September 1890 (W. Evans);
Corsemalzie, two young, in garden, 25th May 1909 (lack G.
Gordon) ; Isle of Whithorn, one young, August 1909 (Marie V.
Lebour); Portpatrick, The Battery, one, i6th August 1909
(J. F. Musham); Dunskey Wood, near Portpatrick, a few, i8th
August 1909 (J. F. Musham); road-plantation between Isle of
Whithorn and Port William, several, ist August 1916 (Alex.
Ross) ; small woodland plantation above the harbour. Isle of
Whithorn, several, ist August 1916 {id.).

{To be continued.)

COLEOPTERA FROM FAIR ISLE 257

COLEOPTERA FROM FAIR ISLE.

By Professor T, HUDSON Beare, B.Sc, F.E.S.

In Vol. XLII. of The Entomologists' Monthly Magazine
(1906), p. T]} I gave a list of Coleoptera which had been
collected on Fair Isle by Mr Eagle Clarke in September and
October 1905. Thirty-five species were included in the list.
The majority of these were species which are common and
widely-distributed throughout Great Britain. I have recently
had an opportunity of examining another collection, made
by Mr Eagle Clarke on Fair Isle in September 1907, and I
give below a complete list of all the species in the collection,
with the number of specimens found in each case. Species
which were not in the first collection made in 1906 are
indicated by an asterisk. It will be observed that there are
ten new species, bringing the total number of species from
this island recorded up to the present date to forty-five.

Of the new species two are typically northern species,
viz., Nebria gyllenhali, Sch., and Barynotus schonherri^ Zett. ;
the remainder are fairly widely-distributed species.

It is interesting to note that two species of Harpahis
occurred in the recent collection, but only a single specimen
of each ; the genus Harpahis is poorly represented in
Scotland.

In view of the exposed position of this small island, it
is certainly somewhat unexpected to find two species of
Geotrupes, but the powerful wings of the species of this genus
no doubt enable them to cross a fairly wide stretch of water
when favourable winds blow ; the probability is, therefore,
that these two species are merely casual visitors to the island,
though the conditions are favourable enough for the species
to establish themselves should the immigrants reach the
island during the breeding season.

1 See also Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1906, pp. Si -83.

258

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

List of Species.

*

Carabiis catenulatus, Scop., (4)

Pterostichus niger, Schal., (16)

„ nigrita, R, (i)

,, strenuus, Pz., (i)

Calathus nielanociphalus, L.,

(15)
„ cisteloides, Pz., (4)

Loricera pilicor/iis, F., (9)

Nebria brevicollis, F., (3)

* ,, gyl/enhali, Sch., (2)
Amaru spitiipes, Brit. Cat., (9)

,, apricaria, Pk., (9)

* Harpalus laiiis, L., (i)

* ,, cetieus, F., (i)
Beinbidiiun lit tor ale, 01., (i)

,, atroccerukuMjSteph.,

(0

*

Notiophilus biguttatus, F., (i)

Ocypus olens, Miill., (5)

Quedius Diolochimis, Gr., (i)

Tachinus rujipes, De G., (5)

* Agabus chalconotus, Pz., (4)

,, bipustulattis, L., (11)

Chrxsomela staphylea, L., (7)

* Cryptohyptius riparius, F.,

(23)
*Geotritpes spiniger, Marsh, (2)

Otiorhynchus blatidus, GylL,

(16)

*Baryiiotus schonherri, Zett.,

(U)
Silpha opaca, L., (2)

*Doloptus tnarginatus, L., (i)

NOTES ON COLEOPTERA FROM ST KILDA.

By Professor T. Hudson Beare, B.Sc, F.E.S.

In the Annals of Scottish Natural History for 1908, p. 30, I
published a note on the species of Coleoptera taken on the
island of St Kilda by Mr J. Waterston and Mr C. Gordon
Hewitt in 1905 and 1906; the list of captures enumerated
sixty-six species. The only previous records from the island
I could discover contained the names of ten other species,
making the total number of species recorded seventy-six.

In the same issue of the Annals, p. 34, Dr N. H. Joy
gave a list of forty-nine species mostly found in sea-birds'
nests sent to him from St Kilda, and thirty-five of these
species were additions to the list I gave, making one hundred
and eleven as the total number of species recorded from the
island up to that date.

In the Entomologists' Monthly Magazine for 1909, p. 3,
Dr Joy gave a further list of species found- in a sack of turf

NOTES ON COLEOPTERA FROM ST KILDA 259

sent to him from St Kilda in September 1908 ; in this list
the following species were additions to the lists in the Atinais
for 1908 : — Loricera pilicornis, F. ; Homalota at7'icolor, Sharp ;
Conosoina lividum, Er. ; Atomaria atricapilla, Steph. ; bring-
ing the total recorded species up to one hundred and fifteen.

I have recently had the opportunity of identifying the
extensive collection of Coleoptera made by Mr W. Eagle
Clarke on St Kilda in the autumns of 1910 and 191 1 — there
were many hundreds of specimens ; the great majority of
these specimens belonged to five or six dominant species,
namely, Pterostidms niger, Schal ; CalatJius cistelozdes, Pz. ;
Nebria brevicollis, F. ; Ocypu? olens, Miill. ; Q^tcdius uinbrmus,
Er.; and Tachinus nifipes,T)e G. — allspecies widely distributed
and usually common throughout the whole of Great. Britain.

Mr Eagle Clarke informed me that the majority of the
specimens in the collection had been captured by children,
who were induced by gifts of sweets to search diligently all
over the island for possible specimens ; from the species
which form the major part of the collection, I am inclined
to think that the children chiefly confined their attention to
searching under stones, and in the droppings of the sheep
and cattle.

As the fauna of this remote island is of great interest in
connection with the problem of the geographical distribution
of our insect fauna, I give a complete list of the species in
Mr Eagle Clarke's collection, and of the number of specimens
of each species. Those marked with an asterisk are addi-
tions to the previous lists ; it will be seen that there are ten
of these species, bringing the total record to date up to one
hundred and twenty-five. All these ten species are fairly
widely distributed and common throughout the kingdom ;
they are, indeed, what Mr W. E. Sharp {Ent. Record, 191 3,
p. 19, "The Coleopterist in Tiree ") calls dominant forms.
The only species from St Kilda so far recorded, which
belong to the Northern group, are : — Nebria gyllenhali, Sch. ;
Elaphrus lapponicus, Gyll. ; Morychus cenens, F. ; Otiorhynchus
blatidus, Gyll. ; and Barynotus schonkerri, Zett., although
some of the other species occur more abundantly in the
north than in the south.

58 2F

26o

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

It is somewhat noteworthy that only one of the eight
species of the 1842 record, all of them conspicuous and
striking insects, and not, therefore, likely to be passed over,
has been found by later workers, namely, Carabus catetmlatiis.
Scop., which Mr Eagle Clarke tells me is a scarce insect on
the island ; there were two specimens in Mr Waterston's
collection of 1905, and five in the collection now dealt with.

While the presence on St Kilda of many of the recorded
species can be explained by wind action, still there are
certain species which it is impossible to imagine can have
reached this remote island except across some former land
connection ; but more systematic collection of specimens
throughout the whole year, and carried on for a period of
several years, is needed before it is possible to form anything
like a definite conclusion upon, this most interesting problem.

List of Species.

Carabus catetiulatus, Scop., (5)

Pterostichus niger, Schall., (47)

nigrita, R, (16)

* ,, stre/miis, Pz., (33)

* „ diltge/is, Stm., (i)
Loricera pilicornis, F., (13)

'''Amara spi/iipes, Brit. Cat.,

(3)

Nebria brcvtcolHs, F., (264)

Calathus cisteloides, Pz., (38)

Tnx/ius obtusjts, 'E.r., (i)

'''Cercyon hceniorrhoidalis, F.,

(0

Tachyporus chrvsoiiielini/s, L.,

(2)
Tachiniis riifipes, De G., (354)

* „ painpes, Gr., (3)
,,' laticollis, Gr., _ (5)

Ocypus olens, MiilL, (24)

„ ater, Gr., (3)

Quedius fi/h'gi/iostis, Gr., (9)

* „ cinctiis, Pk., (1)

*Quedius mesomelimts, Marsh,

(3)
,, umbrintis, Er., (62)

,, boops, Gr., (i)

Philoiithus ceneus, Ross, (13)

,, fimetarius, Gr., (5)

* ,, marginatus, F., (2)

Lathrobium fiilvipenue, Gr.,

(18)

''' Stenus providus, Er., v. rogeri,

Kr., (I)

Oxyteliis rugosus, F. (one is var.

terrestris, Lac.) (3)

^Geotnipes spiniger, Marsh, (3)

Aphodius riifipes, L., (i)

Cryptohyp7ius riparii/s, F., (3)

Ofiorhy/ichus blandus^ Gyll.,

(21)
BaryuoUis schonherri, Zett., (i)
Apioii cnie?itatum, Walt., (i)

Silt ha rugosa, L.,

(I)

DIPTERA NEW TO THE SCOTTISH LIST 261

DIPTERA NEW TO THE SCOTTISH LIST.

By A. E. J. Carter.

All the insects here mentioned appear to be unrecorded
from Scotland. Some of them are fairly common and widely
distributed, and their absence from our List is, of course, due
to the small number of entomologists who collect or study
the Diptera. I have to thank Mr James E. Collin for kind
help. All my specimens of Empidae have been examined
by him ; some are undescribed species, but I have not
included any of them here, r Species captured by the Rev.
James VVaterston are in all cases marked by his initials :
all the other records are from my own captures.

1. Rhamphomyia tibiella, Zett. — Both sexes taken at Blairgowrie in

June 1911-13. The ? of a pair taken in coihi, 12th June
19 13, had the (^ of a small yellow Ta?iypus sp. as prey.
Mentioned by Lundbeck {Diptera Danica, iii., 1910) as
occurring in England, but not yet recorded in any of our
journals.

2. Empis pennaria, Fin. — This appears to be a fairly common

insect. Both sexes from Bavelaw, 2nd June 1904 (J. W.);
Aberlady, 7th June 1904 (J. W.); Cramond, 15th June
1904 (J. W.); Musselburgh, Polton, Blairgowrie, ist June to
2nd July 1905-12.

3. Efnpis cesiiva, Lw. — Apparently not so common -as the last.

Loch Tay, $ , 2nd July 1904 (J. W.) ; Botanic Garden,
Edinburgh, 2 ? ?, 15th July 1904 (J. W.) ; St Boswells,
?, 22nd July 1904 (J. W.); Polton, 2 ^ S, 6th August
1906; Comrie, ^ ?, loth July 1907; Blairgowrie, ^ 12th,
July 1908.

4. Hilara dypeata, Mg — Aberlady, c^ , 24th May 1904 (J. W.) ;

Blairgowrie, $, ist June 1913.

5. Hilara corniciila, Lw. — A small black species somewhat like the

last, but having the dorso-central and acrostichal bristles
different. Two specimens only. Polton, ? , 24th June
1905; Blairgowrie, c? , 13th June 1910.

6. Hilara thoracica, Mcq. — Musselburgh, ^, 17th June 1904;

Arniston, ?, 17th July 1906 (J. W.). The former specimen
I identified as tenella. Fin., and it was so recorded in Ann.
Scot. Nat. Hist., 1906, p. 155.

262 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

7. HiJara hivitfata, Strobl.— Blairgowrie, $^, 12th July 1908,

$, i6th June 1912. This is another addition to Verrall's
"List," but is mentioned by Lundbeck {loc. cit.) as
occurring in England.

8. Hihra albocingnlata, Wood.— St Boswells, ?, 22nd July 1904

(J. W.). This interesting species was described by the
late Dr Wood in E^it. Mo. Mag., 1913, p. 13, from
specimens taken in Herefordshire ; apparently it has not
been recorded from any other locality.

9. Hemerodromia albicornis, Mg. — Blairgowrie, $^, i6th June

1913. In Verrall's List (1901) it is noted as requiring
confirmation as a British species.

10. Hemerodromia uni/ineata, Ztt. — St Boswells, 2$ ?, 22nd July

1904 (J. W.).

11. Drapetis aterrima. Curt. — Aberlady, $ , 3rd August 1905.

Another species requiring confirmation as British, according
to Verrall's List. My insect is the true aterrima of Curtis,
and is described in Diptera Danica, iii., p. 255, as setigera,
Lw. It appears that Lundbeck is in error in his determina-
tion of these two species.

12. Eutarsus aulicus, Mg. — Polton, $, 6th August 1906. The

only specimen I have seen • it has the abdomen darkened
towards the apex.

13. Mydcza nigricolor, Fin. — Bute, 2 $ $, 12th September 1904

(J. W.); Arniston, $, 7th July 1906 (J. W.); Blairgowrie,
(J, i8th August 1910; Polton, 2 $ $, 25th June 1915.
Meade, Schiner, etc., say this species is rare.

14. Hydrophoria caudata, Zit. — Blairgowrie, (^ , Sth June 1908, c^,

13th June 1 9 10. Two conspicuous lateral tufts of hair
in front of the anal lobes distinguish the (J of this species.

15. Peg07iiyia gilva, Ztt. — Comrie, 5 c? cj , 9th to 14th July 1907,

answer to this species as given in Stein's monograph
{Wie/ier Ent. Zeit., 1906); it may be, however, only a
variety of vittiger, Ztt. I know the latter from Aberfoyle,
but did not find it at Comrie.

16. Pegomyia tenera, Ztt. — Comrie, 2 $ $ ^ 9th and 12th July 1907.

Rather like univittata, v. Ros. ; care is required to see the
darkened tips of the palpi, otherwise it runs down in
Stein's Table to geiiiculata. This and gilva are both
additions to Verrall's List, although tenera was included
by Meade in his "Descriptive List," 1897. Both are given
as distinct species in Kat. Pal. Diptera, 1907.

DIPTERA NEW TO THE SCOTTISH LIST 263

17. Homalomyia umbrosa. Stein. — Blairgowrie, (^ , 3rd June 191 1.

A distinct species, not known to Malloch when he drew
up his paper on the genus published in Scot. Naf., 1912.

18. Sciomyza diibia, Fin. — Polton, ^, 6th August 1906; Mussel-

burgh, 2 $ $ , 26th June 1907. These agree with the
description in Hendel's "Revision"' (1902). The species
was added to the British List by Meade {E?ii. Mo. Mag.,
1899, p. 102), but it had previously been recorded by
Verrall {Enfom., 1891, p. 236).

19. Tetanura pallidiventris, Fin. — Polton, 2 ? ?, 9th September

1906; Blairgowrie, (^ , 23rd June 1908,9, 6th June 19 11.

20. Psila pallida. Fin. — Aberlady, $, 7th June 1904. An entirely

pale yellow species, which is certainly the one described
by Schiner under this name.

21. Sapromyza decipiens, Lw. — Callander, (^ , 9th September 1904.

Becker (1895) gives this as a synonym of sordida, Hal,

but they are distinct. I have seen specimens of the latter
from England.

22. Sapromyza difformis, Lw. — Blairgowrie, ?, 12th June 1913.

I have also a 9 from Bonhill (Malloch). This is rather like
the common rorida, Fin., but has only one sterno-pleural
bristle, and the acrostichal bristles are distinctly bi-serial.

23. Piophila nigrkornis, Mg. — Blairgowrie, cj , 25th May 1908.

Cryphalus abietis Ratzb. in Peeblesshire. — On 24th
August I found considerable numbers of C. abietis on young silver
firs on Early vale Estate near Eddleston. Some account of its
occurrence may be of interest. The wood in which I found it is of
considerable extent and consists of spruce and Scots pine with here
and there isolated groups of silver fir which have apparently been
introduced as underwood. The majority of these firs were in
a sickly condition and on these Cryphalus was found. Scarcely
a stem was free of it. It attacks the tree at each whorl of branches
where tiny heaps of "bore meal" indicate its presence. Cryphalus
abietis is probably widely distributed in Scotland, its apparent rarity
being due to the comparative scarcity of its host plant which has
recently been entirely given up as a forest tree. The majority of
our silver firs are now old trees whose branches are well above
ground and out of reach for the average collector. — James VV.

MuNUO, Edinburgh.

,/

Oa-

264 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Crossbill in North Uist. — I heard from my brother Mr G.
Beveridge, who had been spending a few weeks' furlough in North
Uist, that on the nth June 1916 he had the fortune to find near
Scolpaig a fine male Crossbill {Loxia curvirostra). The bird, which
was in excellent condition, is now being preserved by Small & Son
of Edinburgh. The Crossbill seems of uncertain occurrence in the
outer islands, and with the exception of the above I have never seen
a specimen in the flesh from North Uist. — Fred S. Beveridge,
3rd Batt., The Royal Scots, Glencorse. [This bird belongs to the
Continental race. — Eds.]

Lesser Whitethroat in Kirkcudbrightshire. — From 4th
to 8th June 191 6, inclusive, I had under close observation, at
Kirkclaugh, the residence of Mr King-Webster, on the coast about
midway between Creetown and Gatehouse-of-Fleet, a Lesser
Whitethroat {Sylvia airriica) which was in full song in the trees
round about the house. I have no doubt that it was breeding there,
although I failed to locate the nest, and I state this with the
greater confidence, as about the same time I had discovered
at least three pairs of the birds nesting in North and South Tynedale,
in Northumberland and Cumberland. In all those stations (fuller
details of which are given in the current number of the Vasculuni)
the Lesser Whitethroat was previously unknown, and in two of them
the young were duly i eared and left the nests on i8th June. Many
of our summer visitors have been so scarce this season (some
of them entirely absent) that it is the more interesting to find
S. curntca in such evidence. I may add that I was at Kirkclaugh
in the same week last year, and have no hesitation in saying that
there was certainly no Lesser Whitethroat there then. — George
BoLAM, Alston.

Pied Wagtails' curious nest at Largo. — A pair of Pied
Wagtails {Motacilla alba lugubris) built a nest, this year, as they
have done for several years previously, in one of the tubs containing
New Zealand flax on the terrace at Lahill. The young hatched
about 8th June, and for a week thereafter, we had cold, strong,
northerly winds, and evidently as a protection against these, the
birds built a sheltering rampart on the north side of the nest. This
rampart consisted of hair and fluff, and stood about two inches
higher than the original edge of the nest. — Evelvn V. Baxter and
Leonora J. Rintoul, Largo.

Great Crested Grebes at Kilconquhar Loch. — In view of
the recent spread, in Scotland, of the Great Crested Grebe {Colymbus

NOTES 265

cristatus cristati/s), we have, for some time, been on the outlook for
its arrival on Kilconquhar Loch. Although we have several times
seen this species on the loch, outside the breeding season, this is the
first year that it has remained and nested there. At least two and
possibly three pairs established themselves on the loch, and we saw
the birds and their young on several occasions. This is the first
record of Great Crested Grebes nesting in East Fife, though they
have bred for some time in the west. What struck us as rather an
interesting instance of belated display was seen by us on i8th
August. When nearing the edge of Kilconquhar Loch we heard a
most extraordinary grunting call-note, and creeping forward behind
a screen of reeds saw three Great Crested Grebes close to the edge
of the loch. The birds were lying on the water, with their beaks
and necks outstretched, and laid flat on the surface, their occipital
tufts laid back, and their ruffs drawn close in and down so that they
seemed to meet under their chins ; while first one and then another
uttered this extraordinary note. They occasionally drew themselves
up to their full height, holding themselves stiffly, with their bills
pointing straight down to the water ; frequently, they interrupted
this display by diving. As far as we could see, they were still
in full summer plumage, and one of them was accompanied by two
large stripey young. The spring display of the Great Crested Grebe
has been fully described and illustrated by Mr JuUan S. Huxley
{Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 491), and it would appear to be a modified form
of this which we saw in August Although we have frequently seen
autumn displays of eider and other birds, we have never before had
an opportunity of witnessing this in the Great Crested Grebe, and
the late date and presence of the young struck us as interesting. —
Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora J. Rintoul, Largo.

Continental Redbreast and Lesser Black-backed Gull in
Fife. — On 24th April, at the mouth of the Cambo l)urn, we saw a
Continental Redbreast {Erithacus riihecitla rubeaila). It was very
wild, and hid in holes and under overhanging banks, as was the habit
of the Continental Robins we have seen on the Isle of May. Its
pale breast and excessive wildness were in marked contrast to the
ruddy hue and confiding disposition of our British bird. This is
the first record of the occurrence of the typical form in the Tay Area.
In Largo Bay on 9th July we saw four or five British Lesser Black-
backed Gulls {Larus fuscus brita?inicus) standing together, and with
them, a Lesser Black-backed Gull with coal-black mantle,
undoubtedly a specimen of Lathis fuscus fuscus. — Evelyn V.
Baxter and Leonora J. Rintoul, Largo.

266 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Larentia salicata, Hb., in Midlothian and Clackmannan.

— As an extension of the recorded range of this moth in the south of
Scotland, its occurrence on Dalmahoy hill, a few miles west of
Edinburgh, this year, may be worth putting on record. On
22nd July I startled two, one of which was captured, on the steep
rocky face of the north side of the hill. The species is given
for " Forth " in Buchanan White's Lepidoptera of Scotland, his
record being, as he informed me in November 1893, from the Ochil
Hills behind Dollar, where I have myself taken it, namely, on 24th
June 1905, above Castle Campbell, which is in Clackmannanshire.
It is regarded as an alpine and sub-alpine insect. — William Evans,
Edinburgh.

Reoccurrence of Pityogenes chalcographus L. in Scot-
land.— On 27th July I obtained a male of this rare bark beetle at
Blackford Hill near Edinburgh. It settled on the sleeve of my
coat. The only record of /'. chalcographus in Scotland is for Clyde.
It is given in the Glasgow Natural History Society's list, but with no
indication of its source. Sharp, however, includes it in his list
giving the locality Clyde and it is evidently his own record. — James
W. MuNRO, Edinburgh,

Fungoid and Insect Pests of the Farm. By F. R. Petherbridge,
M.A., Cambridge : Farm Institute Series, 1916, 8vo, 174 pp. and
54 illustrations. Price 4s. net.

Within the Hmited space of this volume the author has given a most
useful summary of the principal farm pests comprised in the title.
Part I deals with fungi, including potato disease, finger and toe,
mildews, ergot, rusts and smuts, while Part II contains an equally
serviceable account of the various butterflies, moths, beetles, flies,
aphides, sawflies, and eelworms which attack our crops. Each pest in
its turn is briefly, yet adequately described, and then follow a series of
remedial measures carefully detailed in plain language so that there can
be no possibility of error. The illustrations are excellent and instructive,
and we predict a large sale for this capital little handbook, published as
it is at a price which brings it within easy reach of everyone. We note
only a couple of slight errors; on p. 114, bottom line, the last figure
should be 4 not 3, and on p. 160 probosces should be proboscides.

{Authors arc responsible for nomenclature used.) k)^ -^ ■^.fk^h-

Lu'LI SR AR Y

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 59.] 1916 [November

EDITORIAL.

The History of British Maninials, by Barrett-Hamilton and
Hinton, has now reached its 19th Part, this having appeared
since our last issue. In this part we note the conclusion
of the account of the Black or Ship Rat, in the shape of a
history of the third sub-species, viz. the Tree or Roof Rat
{Epimys rattus frugivorus). The Tree Rat is carried by
ships to all parts of the world, and in Britain appears not
infrequently in ports. Three instances of such introduction
are quoted, while an example taken on a ship at Leith is
referred to in the table of dimensions. The remainder of
Part XIX. is occupied by a valuable account of the Brown or
Common Rat {Epimys norvegicus), which runs to twenty-six
pages, a summary of the characters of the genus iMus, and
the first portion of an elaborate article on the House Mouse
{Mus musculiis). From the pages of this valuable and
exhaustive publication we learn that the Common Rat, an
Asiatic species, first arrived in Scotland between the years
1764 and 1774, and reached Selkirkshire between 1770 and
1777, the upper Tweed between 1776 and 1792, and Moray-
shire about 1 814. The account of the habits of this species
is extremely interesting and full of detail ; the animal is
59 2G

268 - THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

stated to make an attractive and amusing pet, and to be quite
palatable! For on the authority of Owen Jones "rat-pie
tastes like rabbit if made from well-fed animals."

Some years ago the Rev. E. A. Woodruffe-Peacock
contributed an interesting paper on " Thrush Stones and
Helix neuioralts, L.,"^ in which he showed that the shells of
these snails found at thrushes' anvils were in a very large
proportion unhanded, and that shells with a single band
came next in frequency. The banding of the shell may,
therefore, be supposed to possess a certain value as a
protective character ; and to further test such a theory an
investigation was recently undertaken by A. E. Trueman, of
University College, Nottingham, who records his results in a
short paper entitled, " Shell-banding as a Means of Protec-
tion." ^ Two collections were made in the same locality, one a
" standard " collection of unbleached dead shells found during
the winter, and the other an " anvil " collection of shells
broken by thrushes. Of the latter, some 2000 specimens were
obtained, and percentages were then worked out of the
varieties of banding in the two collections. It was found
that " although fully two-fifths of the standard collection had
the normal five bands, little more than half this proportion of
the broken shells were so marked." Of unhanded shells the
standard collection contained 25 per cent, and the broken
shells 38 per cent. The figures show that the chances of an
unhanded shell being observed are roughly three times as
great as of a normal, i.e. five-banded, shell. Previous work
in support of the theory of protection by banding thus
appears to be confirmed by these results, although it is
admitted that banding alone is not a guarantee of safety.
The subject is certainly worthy of still further attention —
on a larger scale.

'!=>*

1 Naturalist, 1909, pp. 171-74 and 257-59.

- Attn. a?id Mag. Nat. Hist., October J 9 16, pjj. 341-4:

SOME NOTES ON BIRDS SEEN AT RAASAY 269

SOME NOTES ON BIRDS SEEN AT RAASAY.

By Jean Helen Gaskell.

I STAYED for nearly two months on the Island of Raasay
last summer, from i6th June to 9th August, and while I was
there made a few observations on the birds I saw in the
neighbourhood of Raasay House. Since then I have read a
very interesting paper in the Ibis for 1904, by Charles Collier,
F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., on "The Birds of Raasay," and I think
perhaps my few notes may be of interest to compare with
his, in showing the difference in numbers of some of the
common birds.

For instance, he says that House Sparrows are " very
numerous," whereas I found them remarkably scarce. Only
at Leadhills and in Western Australia have I noticed so few
sparrows. All the time I was at Raasay, although I looked
for them every day, I never saw a Starling. Mr Collier
reports this bird as " not very plentiful during the summer,"
and in the Faiuia of North West Highlands and Skye it was
" found at Raasay, near Clachan."

Another little bird which was very scarce was the Hedge
Sparrow. I only saw one on the island, while 1 did not hear
or see a Cuckoo or a Corncrake all the time I was there.
Chaffinches were in great numbers, and there were many
Robins which Mr Collier found " scattered in the woods and
round the crofts and shore, but not very numerous," while
Cole Tits and Blue Tits were also very common.

On 26th June a flock of Long-tailed Tits (about twenty)
settled on a tree near the house ; they stayed some time,
about half an hour, and then flew into a shrubbery some
distance away. They returned a few days after for a short
time. After that I did not see them again, but I thought I
heard them in a thick wood once more but could not see
them.

On 29th June a Turtle Dove flew into a tree near the
house ; it stayed there a short time and then flew away. It
returned shortly after and rested a few minutes on the ground
and then flew away again. An Eider Duck and four young

270 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

ones frequented the bay ; many nest on Rhona, the h'ttle
island north of Raasay. I did not see Terns till 23rd July,
but after that there were always several pairs in the bay,

Gannets appeared fishing in the bay on 2nd August, and
from then till I left I saw a few every day.

After the nth July there were a great many Spotted
Flycatchers with young ones.

Swallows were not common ; I only saw two flying over
the inland loch one evening and one near the house on
another occasion.

Reed Bunting — I saw one female. Mr Collier reports it
uncommon.

The other birds I saw were : —

Stonechat — saw a few males in beautiful plumage ;
Hooded Crow— common and remarkably bright and distinct
in colouring ; Bullfinch — common ; Grey Wagtail — several
pairs ; Pied Wagtail — common ; Blackbirds and Thrushes —
quite common but not very numerous ; Woodpigeons—
common ; Common Sandpipers — numerous ; Rockpipit —
numerous; Yellow-hammers — common; Wheatears — a few
pairs ; Wren — common ; Meadow-pipit— common ; Willow
Warblers— a few ; Whitethroats — very few ; Oystercatchers
— common ; Herons, Curlew, Black-backed Gull, Herring
Gull, and Common Gull — numerous.

The Capercaillie in Renfre-wshire. — In the paper on the
Birds of Renfrewshire {Scottish Naturalist, 191 5, p. 269), it
is specially noted that all the known records refer to females.
Another female was reported to me in April near here Dr Macfie
of Langhouse, Inverkip, writes me:— "On the 19th of August 1916,
the gamekeeper and I were within six yards of a young cock
Capercaillie, sitting in a fir-tree. It flew off, and I could easily have
shot it. Since then the keeper has seen three or four hens
and another cock. The one I saw on the 19th was a young cock,
probably a last year's bird." As these are the first definite records
of the male occurring in the county, they are worthy of being
recorded. — T. Thornton Mackeith, Kilmacolm.

WIGTOWNSHIRE AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 271

WIGTOWNSHIRE AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN

FAUNA.

By W. Denison Roehuck, M.Sc, F.L.S.
( Continued from page 256.)

Hyalhiia nitidnla.

Springbank, near Stranraer, September 1890 (W. Evans);

Corsemalzie, several in garden, 25th May 1909 and 4th

November 1910 (Jack G. Gordon); Alticry, Mochrum

parish, several in garden,, 26th October 1910 {id.); Isle of

Whithorn, a few, also a few var. subniiens, August 1909 (Marie

V. Lebour) ; Stranraer, a few, 15th August 1909 (J. F.

Musham) ; Dunskey Wood, Portpatrick, two, i8th August

1909 (id.) : one on stone by roadside about two miles from

Whithorn, 12th August 1916 (Alex. Ross).
Hyalinia radiahila.

Portpatrick, R. Rimmer, one, 1890 (Roy. Scot. Mus., 1913);

Isle of Whithorn, one, August 1909 (Marie V. Lebour) ;

Uunskey Wood, Portpatrick, one, i8th August 1909 (J. F.

Musham) ; road-plantation between Isle of Whithorn and Port

William, one, ist August 1916 (Alex, Ross).
Hyali7tia crystalliiia.

Springbank, near Stranraer, September 1890 (W. Evans);

Dunskey Wood, Portpatrick, one, i8th August 1909 (J. F.

Musham).

Hyalinia fulva.

' Portpatrick, R. Rimmer, 1890, one (Roy. Scot. Mus., 1913);
Springbank, near Stranraer, September 1890 (W, Evans);
Dunskey Wood, Portpatrick, one, i8th August 1909 (J. F.
Musham).

Zonitoides nitidus.

Dunskey AVood, Portpatrick, one, i8th August 1909 (J. F.

Musham).
Zonitoides excavatus.

Knockglass, near Stranraer, September 1890 (W. Evans);

Stranraer, several var. vitri/ia, 15th August 1909 (I. F.

Musham).
Pyramidula rotundata.

Portpatrick, one, R. Rimmer, 1890 (Roy. Scot. Mus., Edin-

272 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

burgh, 1913) : Stranraer, a few, R. Rimmer {id.); Springbank,
near Stranraer, two, 15th September 1890 (W. Evans); Port
Logan, September 1890 {id.); Corsemalzie, numerous under
stones in garden, 23rd May 1909 (Jack G. Gordon); Isle of
Whithorn, several, August 1909 (Marie V. Lebour) ; Stranraer,
numerous, including one of var. ri/fula, 15th August 1909
(J. F. Musham); The Battery, Portpatrick, a few, i6th August
1909 {id.) ; stones by roadsides about two miles from Whithorn,
two, i2th August 1916 (Alex. Ross); about Cairn, Isle of
Whithorn, two, 12th August 1916 {id.) ; road-plantation between
Isle of Whithorn and Port William, one, ist August 1916 {id.);
small woodland plantation above the harbour, Isle of Whithorn,
one, ist August 1916 {id.).

Acanthinula aciileata.

Dunskey Wood, Portpatrick, one, i8th August 1909 (J- F.
Musham).

Helix aspersa.

Stranraer and Port Logan, September 1890 (W. Evans);
Portpatrick, The Battery, numerous and fine, i6th August
1909 (J. F. Musham); Isle of Whithorn, a few adults, 17th
July 191 6 (Alex. Ross); Isle of Whithorn, very abundant in
gardens, 12th August 19 16 {id.).

Helix ne I nor alls.

Springbank, near Stranraer, 14th September 1890, fragment of
one var. libellula 00300, and fragment of an adult var. nihella
00300 with band broad (W. Evans); Stranraer, numerous, 14th
August 1909 — one adult var. rubella 00300 and one young var.
libellula 12345 sent (J. F. Musham); Isle of Whithorn, two
adults and two young var. libellula 12345, and one adult var.
libellula 00300, 17th July 1916 (Alex. Ross); stones by
roadsides about two miles from Whithorn, one young var,
rubella 00300, and one adult var. libellula 00345 with the
bands medium brown and bands i and 2 appearing at the
mouth, i2th August 1916 {id.); Stairhead Cliffs, Isle of
Whithorn, one adult var. libellula 00300, and one weather-worn
adult var. carnea 12345, 12th August 1916 {id.); about Cairn,
Isle of Whithorn, one adult var. libellula 00300, with band
black and distinct with paler space, yellow, below it, 12th
August 1 9 16 {id.); small woodland plantation above the
harbour. Isle of Whithorn, two exceedingly young var. libellula
12340, ist August 1 916 {id.).

WIGTOWNSHIRE AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 273

Helicigona arbustoriim.

Isle of Whithorn, two immature and very thin-shelled examples
oi \diX. pallida, 17th July 1916 (Alex. Ross).

Helicella caperata.

Portpatrick, one, R. Rimmer, 1890 (Roy. Scot. Mus., Edin-
burgh, 15th May 1913) ; Port Logan, September 1890 (W.
Evans) : Isle of Whithorn (Marie V. Lebour) : The Battery,
Portpatrick, and Dunskey Wood, i6th August 1909 (J. F.
Musham); Torrs sandhills. Old Luce, numerous, small, loth
June 191 1 (Jack G. Gordon); Craignarget shore, Old Luce,
numerous, small, swarms on banks, 4th May 1910 (/</.); about
Cairn, Isle of Whithorn, one adult, 12th August 1916
(Alex. Ross). ,

Helicella acuta.

Galloway, ^^'. Bean (Greville Collection, Roy. Scot. Mus.,
Edinburgh); Port Logan, abundant, including numerous var.
strigata, D. Robertson (mixed in a tube with specimens from
Millport, Cumbrae, in Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow, 15th
May 1913); Kirkmaiden golf-course, Port William, common,
crawling on plants, a few each of vars. bizona, slfigata, and
artici/Iafa, sent, 7th October 1909 (Jack G. Gordon).

Hygromia rufescens.

Stranraer, a few, 14th August 1909 (J. F. Musham).

Hygromia hispida.

Corsemalzie, numerous in garden, loth May 1909, a few in
garden, 30th August 1910 (Jack G. Gordon); Alticry in
Mochrum parish, numerous in garden, including one var.
sericea, 26th October 1910 (id.); Portpatrick, The Battery, a
few, i6th August 1909 (J. F. Musham); Dunskey Wood,
Portpatrick, a few, i8th August 1909 (J. F. Musham); Isle of
Whithorn, a few, August 1909 (Marie V. Lebour); Whithorn,
ruins of Abbey, 28th May 1912 (Edward Collier).

Vallonia pulchella.

Isle of Whithorn, two, August 1909 (Marie V. Lebour).

Pupa cylindracea.

Port Logan, September 1890 (W'. Evans); Dunskey Woods,
Portpatrick, i8th August 1909, a few (J. F. Musham); Isle
of Whithorn, August 1909, several, also a few of a brown-
mouthed variety (Marie V. Lebour); Garheugh Rocks, Luce
Bay, Mochrum parish, numerous under stones, 28th April
1910 (Jack G. Gordon); road-plantation between Isle of

274 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Whithorn and Port William, several, ist August 191 6 (Alex.
Ross); about Cairn, Isle of Whithorn, two, 12th August 1916
{id.); under stones near the shore. Isle of Whithorn, several,
i2th August 1916 {id.); Luce Bay, numerous by shore, loth
May 1916 (Jack G. Gordon).

Pupa anglica.

Road-plantation between Isle of Whithorn and Port William,
three, isti\ugust 1916 (Alex. Ross).

Vertigo pygmcea.

Isle of Whithorn, several, August 1909 (Marie V. Lebour).

Sphyradium edeiitulum.

Isle of Whithorn, one, August 1909 (Marie V. Lebour).

Balea perversa.

Isle of Whithorn, two, August 1909 (Marie V. Lebour); road-
plantation between Isle of Whithorit and Port William, one
young, I St August [916 (Alex. Ross).

{To be continued.^

White Variety of Black Slug in Stirlingshire. — I recently
received from the late Dr Harvie-Brown a fine example of Arion
ater var. alba, subvar. margi/iata, sent to him by Mr James Dick
of Burnside, Kippen, found at that place. The white form of this
species seems to be rare. The only Scottish examples I have seen
are one of subvar. iiiarginata, taken at Uddingston, Lanarkshire,
June 1889, by Mr Alex. Shaw, and one of which the subvar. was
not noted, from North Esk, near Morphie, Kincardineshire, found
by Mr W. Duncan in May 1891. My own record of subvar. elegans
in the yard of Thornielee Railway Station, Selkirkshire, August 1886,
is an error, the species being the small Arion intermedius ; the error
is excusable, inasmuch as the latter species was not added to the
British list till some years later, but my note of the find was
sufficiently explicit and detailed to leave no doubt as to the correct
specific identification.

Stirlingshire is one of the counties for which I propose to write
a list for publication in this journal : I shall therefore be pleased to
see any specimens of MoUusca that may be sent to me with the view
of making it more complete. — W. Denison Roebuck, 259 Hyde
Park Road, Leeds.

HYLASTES CUNICULAKIUS, EK. 275

HYLASTES CUNICULARIUS, ER, AND ITS
RELATION TO THE FOREST.

By James W. Munro, B.Sc. (Agr.), B.Sc. (For.).

Introductory.

Three members of the genus Hylastes, Er., may be said to
be of economic importance in our Scottish woodlands,
namely, H. ater, Pk., //. /<'z//m///j', Gyll., and H. cuniciilarius,
Er. The first two species have for long been known as two
of our commonest bark beetles. H. ciinicularius, on the other
hand, has hitherto been overlooked, probably owing to its
close resemblance to H. ater.

Of the habits and life-histories of all three species our
knowledge is scanty, and is largely derived from the German
literature. Owing to the fact, however, that our Scottish
forest conditions are markedly different from those prevailing
on the Continent, it is essential that we should study our
forest insects afresh from that aspect. The following paper
is a short account of observations on Hylastcs aminilarius
made in the field under forest conditions that are, unfortun-
ately, all too prevalent in Scotland.

Material.

The material for the comparison of cunicularius with its
congeners is based, partly on specimens taken at Skene,
Aberdeenshire, in 1914, and partly on specimens collected
on Darnhall Estate, Peeblesshire, during 191 5-16. These
specimens have been submitted to the British Museum, and
the identity of the species has been confirmed there.

The materials for the illustration of the life-history and
of the injuries caused to young plantations by H. auiiculaiHus
were obtained on Darnhall.

The Adult.

As I hope, in a later paper, to deal with the genus
Hylastes more fully than is possible here, I can best describe
59 2 H

276

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

H. cuniculariiis by contrasting it with its more common
congeners, which are familiar to most naturalists interested
in the Coleoptera.

The essential features distinguishing the three species
are the configuration and sculpture of the thorax. The
following table gives the characters of each species. Figure i
illustrates the configuration of the thorax in each. It is a

Fig. I. The Thorax. Camera Lucida Sketch, all x lo.
a = /f. a«cr, Pk. b = i/. cumtcuZonws, Br. c = //. pa»i«<its, Gy'l-

familiar figure in the continental text-books, and my only
excuse for introducing it here is its usefulness. The
specimens from which I have drawn it are all Scottish.

Character.

H. ater.

H. cnnicularms

H. pallialns.

Thorax .

Sparsely punctured
on disc, sides sub-
parallel.

Oblong elliptical,
longer than broad.

Evenly punctured
throughout,
sides rounded.

Roundly ellipti-
cal, as broad as
long but varying
slightly.

Evenly punctured
throughout,
sides tapering
anteriorly.

Blunt-pear-shaped.

Broader than long.

Colour when

Mature.

Black, shining.

Dark brown to
black, dull.

Brown to dark
brown.

Length .

4-5 mm.

32-5 mm.

24-4 mm.

Usual Breed-

Scots Pine.

Spruce.

Spruce, Scots Pine

ing-host.

and occasionally
Larch.

P'rom the above table it will be seen that H. ater and
H. cuniailarius are very similar. The sparse puncturing on
the disc of the thorax in H. ater, however, causes the thorax
to appear shiny, and this feature, together with the more

HYLASTES CUMCriARIUSy ER. 277

elongate appearance of the beetle, is a most useful character
for distinguishing H. ater from //. cnnicularius in the field.

TiiK Egg.

The &^^ of H. cuniculariiis does not call for any special
notice. It is oval in shape, shining white in colour, and
shows neither sculpturing nor micropyle. It does not differ
from the usual scolytid type of q.%^.

The Larva.

The larva of H. cnnicularius is of the typical scolytid
type, a curved, whitish, legless grub with yellow head and
biting jaws.

The Pupa.

Except in the distinctly oval shape of the pro-thorax,
the pupa of H. cnnicularius does not differ markedly from
that of the other members of the genus.

The Brood Gallery.

The " Brood " or " Mother " gallery of H. c?micularius is
typical of the species. It conforms* to the Hylastes type in
being crutch-shaped. Its distinctive features are its breadth,
its shortness, and the short equal arms of the crutch. Its
shortness contrasts it with that of H. ater, which is long and
narrow, and the equal arms of the crutch contrast it with
that of H. palliatus, in which (and this is also a feature of
H. ater's gallery) one arm of the crutch is invariably
considerably longer than the other.

The " crutch" is the so-called brood chamber. It is the
first portion of the gallery to be cut. In it the male is
usually found while the female is cutting the mother gallery
proper.

Figure 2 is a sketch of a typical cuniculariiis brood
gallery cut in a spruce root, half an inch in diameter. It
shows the typical small crutch, which in the gallery shown is
slightly deflected (a very common feature), and the egg

278

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

niches, which are invariably cut in the bast and bark. The
black circle at the foot of the gallery is the entrance, a
shows the gallery as cut in the bark, b shows its counter-
part on the root itself. In b it will be seen that the &^^
niches are absent and that the shape of the gallery is much
less definite.

f,in

Fig. 2. Mother Gallery of H. cunicularius, Er., on Spruce Root.

a. Gallery cut in hark showing egg niches. b. Gallery shown on root.

The Larval Galleries.

The larval galleries arise at right angles to the mother
gallery, from the egg niches. At first they are distinct but
only for a very short distance, as they become confused and
ultimately form a large cavity gnawed in the bark. Later
on, however, they may emerge again to end in well-defined
pupating pits or chambers.

Habits.

//. cmiicularius is essentially a soil-dweller, breeding in
spruce roots just below the soil level. It prefers roots from
half an inch to two inches in diameter, but also breeds on
larger and smaller roots.

Its "feeding" ground, which is distinct from its breeding

HYLASTES CUNICCLARIUS, ER.

279

ground, is the young coniferous plantation. Here, if the
beetles are newly emerged and sexually immature, they feed
to develop their reproductive faculties (" reifungs-frass ")or, if
mature, to recuperate after their first breeding period
(" ernahrungs-frass "). It is this "feeding," or " frass," which
makes H. cunicnlarius the enemy of the forester. It attacks
young, recently-planted conifers just below the root-collar,
gnawing away the bark, girdling
the root-stem, and by preventing
the sap-flow causes the young
trees to wilt and die.

Figure 3 shows the lower por-
tion of a young (four-year-old)
Scots pine destroyed by the adult
ainicularius. On the plant from
which Fig. 3 was made five //.
cutiicularius and two H. ater were
feeding. The gnawed portions of
the young plant are unshaded in
the figure.

Often H. cimicularius is accom-
panied by the large Pine Weevil,
Hylobius abietis, L., which gnaws
the bark of the young plant above
ground. In fact, so common is
this association of H. cunicu-
lariiis and the Weevil that, until
recently, I was inclined to con-
sider the Scolytid was a follower

of the Weevil, which is much the more common beetle
and is, in fact, our worst forest pest. That H, cunicularins
is, however, primarily destructive I have now abundant
evidence.

Fig. 3. Lower Portion of young
Scots Pine, showing " frass " of
H . cunicnlarius.

Relations to the Forest.

The relations of H. auiicuhxrins to the forest can, I think,
best be illustrated by the description of an attack by it.

On 7th October 191 5, on Darnhall Estate, Peeblesshire, I

28o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

observed Hylastes damage in a young plantation of Scots
pine, larch, and spruce, and obtained H. ater and H.
cuniculaTins at work. Adjoining this plantation a small area
of woodland, consisting of spruce and Scots pine, in which
the spruce predominated, had been and was still being felled.
During the spring of 1916, this smaller area was planted up
with four-year-old plants of Scots pine, larch and spruce.
It is on this newly planted area that my observations have
been made.

I believe it to have been infected from the larger, older
plantation on which I first observed Hylastes at work in
October 1915, for at that time out of seven stumps examined
only one yielded Hylastes (and only three specimens at
that), all H. ater.

In 19 16, the youngest plantation was badly infested, and
in August one-third of the young plants had been destroyed
chiefly by H. cnnic2ilarius. Further, the spruce stumps on
the area yielded numbers of H. cunicularius larvae, pupae and
adults, while a few showed galleries containing eggs with the
females still at work. The Scots pine stumps, only about
twenty in number, yielded H. ater. These facts lead me to
believe, as I have said, that the area was infected from the
larger older plantation, but how infected I have not been
able to discover.

The plantation then under observation consists of an
area full of spruce stumps and roots. Now it is a feature of
the spruce that it is shallow-rooted. Its roots do not go deep
in the soil, but extend for long distances just below the soil
surface and are often exposed at certain points. On these
roots H. cunicularius must occur in hundreds. I have taken
adults on a portion of a root fifteen feet distant from its
source at the stump. In this network of infected roots the
young conifers have been planted, and the wonder is, not that
half of them will probably be destroyed before the year is
out, but that any should survive.

One most interesting feature of this attack must be
noticed. After the area in question had been completely
felled, the forester took the precaution of burning all the
brushwood on the top of the stumps, thus charring them and

HYLASTES CVNICULARIUS, ER. 281

the exposed portions of their roots considerably. As has
been shown, this charring has proved of no avail. The gallery
illustrated in Figure 2 occurred only half an inch distant
from a badly charred section of the root.

This failure of a much discussed preventive measure is
extremely interesting. At first sight it would seem to
indicate that the measure is useless. I am not inclined to
make so sweeping an assertion, but I believe rather that
charring is useless unless carried out just prior to, or better
still, during the breeding period of the beetle, that is, in early
April or May according to the weather conditions prevailing.

»

Conclusion and Summary.

Hylastcs cnniculariiis, Er., undoubtedly breeds in Scotland,
and may prove to be more common than we at present
believe.

It is essentially a spruce-dweller, breeding below soil
level.

It feeds in the roots in which it was reared, but if
opportunity offers migrates to young coniferous plantations,
where it feeds on spruce, Scots pine and larch. Its life-
history and habits are strikingly similar to those of H. ater,
Pk., but owing to the branching of the roots of its breeding
host, the spruce, it is probably a more formidable enemy of
young trees planted in old spruce clearings than H. ater
proves in similar pine clearings.

In the larval stage H. cunicularius is harmless. The adult,
on the other hand, injures or totally destroys newly planted
conifers of various kinds. Spruce, Scots pine, and larch have
been found attacked by it. In the areas under observation,
the loss caused by H. cunicularius may be stated as not less
than a pound per acre, allowing the cost of planting to be
three pounds per acre, a low estimate.

2S2

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Whinchat imitating Swallow's Notes. — On i8th May
1 916, near Cathcart, I heard a Whinchat imitating the sweet
twittering of the Swallow. This it did repeatedly, and, while
so engaged, a Rook passed over, momentarily startling it and
causing it to utter quick notes of alarm or annoyance ; not its own,
however, but iho. feet-a-feet, feet-a-feeiit (as Saunders expresses them)
of the Swallow when alarmed, especially if the bird is concerned
about the presence of some prowling cat. Both the twittering and
the alarm notes were uttered so well that, had I not seen the bird
in the act, I should have said that they were really the genuine
notes of the Swallow, which, I think, I know pretty well. What
seemed remarkable was that the bird, when startled, did not make
use of its own notes, the well-known utick, utick. Of course,
the Whinchat is known to be a mimic. Besides its own short but
pleasant song, difficult to describe, I have frequently heard it emit
notes rather like some of those of the Common Whitethroat; and,
occasionally, in a May gloaming, my attention has been arrested by
a series of peculiar jarring notes, that, on the spur of the moment, I
did not recognise, but which, on reflection and investigation, I
traced to a Whinchat stirring late.-^JoHN Robertson, Glasgow.

Easterness Mollusca : Additions. — In my paper in the May
number I overlooked three species collected by Mr G. A. Frank
Knight in 1894 or 1895 and published in the Annals of Scottish
Natural History for July 1895, p. 151. Two of these, Unio
niargari lifer, of which a single valve from the River Spey was sent,
and PisidiuDi nitidum, of which there were a few from Loch
Morlich at an elevation of 1046 feet, are additional to the list,
bringing its total enumeration up to twenty-nine species. ^ Of the
third, Limncca peregra, there were numerous examples of its van
ovata from Nethy Bridge. I shall be glad to hear of further
additions to so small a number.'- — W. Denison Roebuck, 259 Hyde
Park Road, Leeds.

1 The first had previously been recorded from the Spey, at Kincraig, near
Kingussie (W. Evans, August 1889), in my Scottish "Census," 1890.

- It should be said that a number of species not included in my recent list,
collected "at and near Aviemore " in May 1893, were assigned by me to Easter-
ness, in Aj!I!. Siot.A'a/.HisL, 1893, pp. 169-170. Mr Evans, from whom they were
received, believes most of them were found within the limits of Easterness, as
shown in my sketch map ; but corroboration of the records is desirable.

HALICLYSTUS AURICULA (rATHKe), AND OTHER MEDUS.E 283

HALICLYSTUS AURICULA (RATHKE), AND
OTHER MEDUS/E IN THE FIRTH OF
FORTH.

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

In a paper on the Fauna of the Forth Are», published
about eight years ago in the Proceedings of the Royal
Physical Society (vol, xvii., pt. i), I mentioned (p. 15) that in
1890 I had found, near North Berwick, a lucernarian,
believed to be Haliclystus auricula (Fab.). The specimen
having been lost, the identification was given, however, with
some reserve, and there appears to be no other record for
the area. It was, therefore, a source of no little satisfaction
to me when on ist August this year (1916) my son,
W. Edgar Evans, found another example in the same
neighbourhood. It was adhering to a sea-weed, Chondrus
crispus, growing on the rocks at low-water mark (spring tide)
a few hundred yards west of the harbour. North Berwick.
It was brought home alive, but survived only two or three
days. When expanded, its diameter, inclusive of the arms,
on the tips of which the tentacles are clustered, was about
18 mm., and 10 to 12 mm. at the intervening spaces. The
groups of tentacles are eight in number, and the number of
tentacles in each is about 50, except in the case of a rather
stunted arm which bears scarcely 40. The stunted arm is
placed close to one of the normal ones, but otherwise the
arms are fairly equidistant though there is a tendency to an
approximation in pairs. On the margin of each sinus
between the arms there is a distinct " statorhab," or anchor.
In life, the colour was a pinkish brown with the tips of the
tentacles yellowish.

The presence of the anchors alone proves the specimen
to be a Haliclystus and not a Luccrnaria (as now restricted),
but it is not so easy to decide what the specific name should
be — whether auricula or octoradiatus. Writing in 1863 in
the Journal of the Boston Society of Natural History^ James
Clark considered, as likewise did Haeckel in 1879 {System
Medusce), that there are two forms, one having the arms
approximated in pairs, and 100 to 120 tentacles in each group
59 21

284 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

when adult ; the other having the arms equidistant and 30
to 60 tentacles per group. To these they applied the names
auricula and octoradiatus respectively. In a subsequent
paper (1878) on H. auricula {Sviithson. Contrib. K)iozvl.,
vol. xxiii., 1881) Clark repeats that the number of tentacles
per group is about 100, but his figures show no more
than 30 to 35. Beaumont, after examining many specimens
from the coasts of England and Ireland, is of opinion that they
all belong to one species, the number of tentacles and other
characters varying according to age, etc. ; and for it he uses
the specific name auricula of Rathke — see his paper in Proc.
Roy. Irish Acad., 3rd ser., vol. v., p. 806, 1899, where the
matter is discussed at some length. For figures of H.
auricula reference may be made to Johnston's History of
British Zoophytes, 2nd ed., 1847, vol. i. p. 246. The author,
who was the well-known Berwick naturalist, does not say
where his specimens were obtained. Prof. MTntosh,
however, in his list of the Marine Invertebrates and Fishes
of St Andrews (1875), states that the species is locally
common on the coast there.

In his second paper alluded to above, Clark compares
this stalked medusa to " a lady's parasolette heavily tasselled
at eight about equall\' distant points around the edge."
" Imagine," he says, " the parasolette turned inside out, so
that the usually concave under side becomes convex, and it
would then have the shape which our Lucernarian most
frequently assumes." American examples would appear to
attain rather larger dimensions than European ones.

Rhizostonia octopus (1^.) = cuvieri, Gosse. — On 13 th
December 191 3, Mr VV. M. Ingles found a large Jelly-fish
stranded among the rocks west of North Berwick, and,
perceiving that it differed markedly from the common
species seen there, he carried it home and placed it in water
in his bath that he might examine it more carefully.
Comparing it with figures of Jelly-fishes in a book on
Natural History to which he had access, he confidently
referred it to Rhisostoma cuvieri, and at once wrote telling
me of the occurrence. Before I could visit him, however,
the fast decaying organism had been thrown out, so that I

HALICLYSTUS AURICULA (rATHKe), AND OTHER MEDUS/E 285

had not the satisfaction of seeing it. From his description
there can be no doubt it was a Rhicostovm, in all probability
R. octopus (L.). It was about 16 inches in diameter, there
were eight arms or appendages, and it was of a solid con-
sistency. The beautiful reddish-purple colour of the margin
of the "umbrella" was specially commented on. Pearcey
{Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc, Glasg., vol. vi., n.s., 1902, p. 244) has
recorded the occurrence of a Rliisostoina — species not deter-
mined— at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, a few miles
south-east of the Isle of May. On the west coast R. octopus
is recorded from the Firth of Clyde (Browne, Proc. Roy. Soc.
Edin., XXV., 771).

PJiialidium cyinbaloideum (v. Bene), — On 14th June 1909
1 secured a specimen — one of several seen — of this little
medusa in Burntisland Harbour, and sent it to Mr E. T.
Browne, who kindly determined it for me. It is an addition
to the list of medusae and ctenophores from the Firth of
Forth dealt with in the paper contributed by Dr J. H.
Ash worth and myself, in December 1908, to the Proceedings
of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh (xvii., pt. 6,
pp. 300 to 311). The hydroid from which this medusa is
liberated belongs to the genus Canipanulina, either C. repens
or C. turrita according to Browne (Report on Medusae found
in the Firth of Clyde, Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin., xxv., pt. 9,
p. 771, 1905). The former is recorded from the Forth, but
apparently not the latter.

Regarding the species recorded in the 1908 paper referred
to above, further occurrences of the majority of them might
be cited, but it may be enough to give the following: —
Sarsia tubulosa, Granton Harbour, common, 5th June 1909,
and Burntisland Harbour, a few, 14th June 1909 ;
Melicertidiuin octocostatuni, plentiful in a creek at the Isle
of May, 2 1st September 1910; Eutonina socialis, Granton
Harbour, very common, 5th June 1909, Burntisland,
abundant and of various sizes, many (mature) being as
much as 30 to 35 mm. in diameter, 14th June 1909, North
Berwick, plentiful, and Isle of May, a few, 17th June 1909;
Tiina bairdii, many stranded between North Berwick and
Cant}' Bay in March 1909 and at Largo Bay the following

286 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

«

winter, ^quorea, however, has not again been met with.
The fine ctenophore, Bolina infundibuluvi, occurred again
in Burntisland Harbour, but only a few, on 14th June 1909
(one captured was about 2\ ins. long), and one was seen at
North Berwick three days later. Any one who would under-
take the' thorough investigation of the Hydroid Medusse of
the Firth of Forth could not fail to add largely to the list,
especially among the smaller forms.

The Striped Hawk Moths (Choerocampa celerio, L.,
and Deilephila li vomica, Esp.) in the Border Counties.— It

may not be without interest to supplement here Mr William Evans'
retrospect of the occurrences of Chcerocaynpa celerio in the Lothians
{Scot. Nat. for September last, p. 241), by the following notes
of records for the Scotch Border counties. Personally I have never
been so fortunate as to meet with the insect in life, though we have
one or two Northumbrian records of its capture. There is (or
used to be) a specimen in Berwick Museum, in the collection of
the late William Shaw, which was taken by his brother, hovering
over Verbenas at Eyemouth, Berwickshire, in the autumn of 1872.
This specimen (which I saw a few years later) was Shaw's justification
for including the species as "Rare" in his "List of Eyemouth
Lepidoptera," published in Hist. Bk. Nat. Club for 1873 (vol. vii.,
p. 123); and I happen to have a note that up to the time of his
death, in 1908, he had never seen another. Its capture was
also referred to by Dr Hardy in the same publication, vol. vi.,
p. 398.

In his very useful " List of the Lepidoptera of Roxburghshire,"
published in 1882 {Hist. Bk. Nat. Club, vol. x., pp. 149 ^^ ^^^l-)^
Mr Adam Elliot included C. celerio as "Has occurred; I have
a specimen from the western district " ; and Mr W. Grant Guthrie,
in 1895 {ibid., xv., p. 233), mentioned one as having been "brought
into the house by a cat " in Hawick, but without giving any date :
very possibly referring to the same specimen. Of the almost
equally rare Deilephila livornica, Berwick Museum also possessed
a specimen, which was caught by the late Dr P. W. Maclagan in a
garden in Castle Terrace, Berwick, probably in 1870, or at any rate
thereabouts. Of this species Mr Guthrie {op. cit.) likewise recorded

NOTES 287

an example taken at Hawick some time previous to 1895, but
without date. It might be interesting if other readers of the
Scottish Naturalist could add to these records. — George
BoLAM, Alston, Cumberland.

Spotted Redshank (Totanus fuscus) in Fife. — On 30th
August this year, I saw at Morton, near Tayport, a bird which
was entirely new to me. The bird itself might have passed without
remark as a Redshank, but its note was one which I had never
heard before. It (or rather they, for I saw two of them at different
places) rose from the sides of little pools among the rushes, where
I expected to find Snipe. They were exceedingly shy, rising at
150 yards, and going away at once, right out of sight ; but their
note could still be heard after the birds themselves were no
longer to be seen. My brother, Captain R. Berry, Northumber-
land Fusiliers, who was sitting beside one of the lochs, and who
has lived in India for many years, told me that the note was one
with which he was quite familiar, and that it took him back in
memory to the Tanks in Mysore; but the bird that uttered this
note there, and which he described, was undoubtedly a Black-
winged Stilt, and these were much smaller birds. The following
week, on 5th September, I was again at Morton, accompanied this
time by Miss Baxter and Miss Rintoul, and they both saw one
of these birds, and also heard its call. They expressed the opinion
that it was a Spotted«Redshank ; but I had not as yet been near
enough to it on any occasion to have an opinion of my own. On
8th September, I went to Morton to look for it, and this time
I was successful in stalking and shooting it. The bird proved, as
expected, to be a Spotted Redshank, a young male, in fairly good
plumage though somewhat in moult. I have of course handed it
over to the Royal Scottish Museum. The Spotted Redshank has
not so far been authoritatively recognised as occurring in "Tay,"
In Harvie-Brown's "Fauna of the Tay Basin," there is a record
from Montrose, which, however, he declares to be doubtful. But
while not a common bird, it is one which occurs with moderate
frequency along the eastern coasts of Scotland and England, more
particularly on autumn migration. It is not known to breed
anywhere outside the Arctic Circle. To a casual observer, the
bird's note will, in my opinion, be the best key to its identity.
According to Seebohm, "its ordinary note is a shrill, clear whistle,
closely resembling that of the Redshank. Naumann expresses it
as tyuit pronounced as one syllable." My comment on that
statement is that the note is accurately described as a shrill, clear

j88 the SCOTTISH NATURALIST

whistle, and that Naumann's syllabication is exceedingly good and
recognisable ; but that the note is utterly unlike that of the
Common Redshank, and could never be confused with it for a
moment. In connection with my brother's believed familiarity
with it, I am interested to find the following note in Dresser :
"Its" (the Black-winged Stilt's) "call-note resembles not a little
that of the Spotted Redshank {Tota?iiis fuscus\'^ and Naumann
says that only a very practised ear can detect the difference. It
consists of a clear, loud, flute-like whistle, but is not very often
uttered, for, as a rule, it is rather a silent bird than otherwise.
These Spotted Redshanks, on the contrary, were calling continu-
ously when on the wing, until they were out of hearing. — William
Berry, Newport, Fife.

Nightjar in the Island of Lewis.— I send you a specimen
of the Nightjar {Capriniulgus europceus) which I received to-day
(i8th July) from Bragar, Barvas. I send it more particularly
because Howard Saunders, in his Manual of British Birds (2nd
edition), says that it does not frequent the Outer Hebrides. —
D. Mackenzie, Stornoway.

[Since the account of this species in last edition of Saunders'
Manual was written, the Nightjar has been recorded to have
visited the Outer Hebrides on two occasions, namely Island Ghlaiss
in August 1897, and in North Uist in June 1907. Mr Mackenzie's
record appears the first instance to be made known of the bird's
appearance in the " Long Island." — Eds.]

Dryocaetes autographus, Ratz., in East Lothian. — The

paucity of records of this Bark Beetle for Scotland, or indeed for
Britain, as disclosed in Mr J. W. Munro's note in the Scottish
naturalist for April last, would seem to be sufficient justification
for the following further record from another county. In the
vicinity of Gifford, East Lothian, a number of coniferous plantations
have been cut down during the last few years. On 17th October
1 916, in one of these clearings, I detected the borings oi Dryoccetes
autographus in the bark of a spruce stump, and soon had the
satisfaction of bringing to light a number of the beetles themselves.
Another spruce stump and a fallen tree of the same species were
also tenanted. Systematic search for it by one acquainted with its
habits would, I feel sure, show D. autographus to be widely dis-
tributed in Scotland.— William Evans, Edinburgh,

Scottish Records of Braconidse. — -The following Scottish
records are given by Claude Morley in the June issue of the

NOTES 289

Ento/zio/ogist (pp. 125-130): Rhogas circiiinscriplHs^ Nees, Birnani
(Perth) and Banchory (Kincardine); R. nigricornis, Wesm.,
Invershin (Sutherland); and Ademon decrescens, Nees, Hebrides.

The Gad-wall in Midlothian. — A pair of Gadwalls (Anas
strepera) took up their abode this year at one of the reservoirs
in the south-western section of Midlothian, where they were
observed by me on several occasions in April to June. From
their behaviour I am certain they were breeding in the locality,
though I failed to find the nest. They were also, as I have since
learned from Mr J. Raeburn, seen and independently identified by
him. There does not appear to be any previous record of this
duck for Midlothian. — William Evans, Edinburgh.

Records of Scottish Mollusca. — In \kv& Journal of Conchology
(July 1 91 6, pp. 87-89) J. T. INIarshall gives the following Scottish
records : Rissoa costulata. Aid., off Loch Ryan, also Lamlash ;
R. striata, A. Ad., var. aculeus, Gould, from a raised beach in
Skye; R. proximo, Aid., Clyde, Davar Island, Sanda Island, Mull
of Cantire, off Loch Ryan, and south of Arran ; R. vitrea, Mont,
Clyde mouth and off Loch Ryan; R.fulgida, Ad., Skipness, mouth
of Loch Tyne, and off Loch Ryan ; R. semistriata, Mont., Mull of
Cantire, yds. pura Jeff., Benbecula : R. cingillus, Mont., Benbecula;
and Hydrobia ventrosa, Mont., Sanda Island (a doubtful record).

A Humble-bee's attempt at Nest-building in a Shawl. —

Possibly the readers of the Scottish Naturalist will be interested in
a poor bee who fell a victim to house-building in a Shetland shawl.
Bees had been repeatedly noticed trotting on the floor of my
mother's bedroom, and one was removed from this shawl, the other
day, to the window, apparently in a very bad temper. The shawl had
been with some other garments accumulating for the laundry, and
when I unfolded it to-day (6th August), I discovered a dead bee inside,
the wool all teased out as by a mouse, and a little lump of wax.
The whole surface of the shawl, inside, is very sticky. — Mary M.
Wilson, Strathtay, Perthshire.

[1 have carefully examined the bee sent with Miss Wilson's note,
and find it is a queen of Bombus Jonellus, Kirby. Very little seems
to have been recorded regarding the situation of the nest in the case
of this species. Sladen, in his recent book on the British humble-
bees, states that he only once found a colony of B. jonellus ; " this
was in a squirrel's nest in the top of a Scotch fir." In the choice of
a nesting place, it— like its near ally, B. pratorum—is probably more
in agreement with the surface-builders or carder-bees than with tKe

Lu L ! '

290 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

underground dwellers. A nest which I discovered on a moor
at Elvanfoot in September 1900, was practically on the surface
of the peat beneath thick heather and moss. — William Evans.]

Hylastes cunicularius, Er., in Aberdeenshire. — On 5th

October 1914 I obtained larvae and adults of this Bark Beetle
on a recently cut spruce stump in a mixed wood of Scots pine
and spruce on the shore of the Loch of Skene. At the time
I was uncertain of the identity of the species, but through the
courtesy of Dr Stewart MacDougall, it has since been confirmed by
Mr Gahan at the British Museum. If. cunicularius has not been
previously recorded from Aberdeenshire. — James W. Munro,
Edinburgh.

'&'

Larentia salicata, Hb., in South-east of Scotland. —

In reference to Mr William Evans' note on the occurrence of this
moth in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh {Scot. Nat., 191 6, p. 266),
it may be of interest to mention that, in addition to having taken it
in North Northumberland, I found one in 1898 on the sea-cliffs at
Marshall Meadows. This is within " Berwick Bounds," but is
scarcely a mile from the Scottish march at Lamberton. I have
a recollection that another had been taken on or near Lamberton
Moor some years previously, but I am unable at the moment
to find the record of it. The late Adam Elliot had already recorded
the species for Roxburghshire as "flying over the hillsides in the
higher localities at dusk" [Hist. Bk. Nat. Club, vol. x., p. 153, etc.,
1882); and I think a single specimen was taken near Duns,
in Berwickshire, a few years earlier ; but it never seems to have
been discovered at all commonly on the Borders. — George Bolam,
Alston.

Deleaster dichrous, Grav., in Roxburghshire.— James E.

Black, in the E/it. Mo. Mag., August 19 16 (p. 186) records the
capture of this beetle near the River Slitrig about the end of May.

{^Authors are responsible for nomenclature used.)

The Scottish Naturalist

No. 60.] 1916 [December.

EDITORIAL.

Bv the death of Mr J. M. Campbell, Scotland loses one of
its most enthusiastic amateur naturalists. Serving for a
quarter of a century as a lighthouse-keeper, under the
Northern Lighthouse Board, Mr Campbell made the fullest
use of his ample opportunities of observing the bird-life
around his lonely station, whether at the Bell Rock, the
Bass Rock, or the Noss Head, Wick. At the Bell Rock he
devoted much of his time also to lower marine life, and
in 1904 published an interesting and well-known volume
entitled The Natural History of the Bell Rock, in which he
treats of the seasonal fluctuations in the bird-life round the
lantern and in the lower life peopling the surrounding waves
and rock-pools. At the Bass he assiduously studied the
habits of the Gannet, and made a series of valuable notes,
which are incorporated in Mr Gurney's monograph. He
also contributed some useful records of insects occurring at
the Bass lantern, which are included by Mr Evans in the
papers recently published by him in our pages.

Examples of melanism or albinism occur not infrequently

in many groups of the animal kingdom, but it is only rarely

that one comes across an instance where both kinds of

variation are simultaneously present. In a recent article

60 2 K

292 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

entitled "Varieties of the Curlew and Lapwing,"^ F. W.
Frohawk describes and figures a Curlew, shot at Dunbeath,
Caithness, in 1908, whose plumage presents a combination
of both melanism and albinism. This remarkable specimen
forms part of Mr Whitaker's collection of varieties of British
Birds at Rainworth. Frohawk's illustration, in his well-
known style, shows us a bird with the mantle, scapulars,
secondaries, and the greater part of the primaries pure
white, a few white mottlings on the head, and the remainder
of the upper parts deep black. The under parts are entirely
dusky brown mottled with black, the bill is black, while the
legs and feet are of a deep leaden grey. In the same
article numerous colour-variations, white, pied, and cinnamon
of the Curlew and the Lapwing are also described or
alluded to.

A further instalment has recently appeared of T. E.
Lones' " Notes on the Fauna of the Country of the Chess
and Gade." - In this contribution many interesting notes
are given regarding the structure and habits of the two
Copepod Crustaceans, CantJiocainptus staphylinns^]\xx\x\&^ and
Cyclops viridis, J urine. Figures are given of both species.

We have received copies of a paper by Henry Coates,
entitled '"Wanted to Complete' — Perthshire Vertebrates."^
This is an appeal for assistance to complete the series of
Vertebrates in the Perth Museum, of which the author is
the curator. Had space permitted we should have been
glad to give the list of desiderata in full, but we trust that
such of our readers as are able or willing to assist will
procure a copy of the pamphlet, which gives full particulars
regarding the wants of the Museum.

> The Field, 9th September, 19 16, p. 407.

- Zoologist, September 19 16, pp. 337-47.

^ Trans. Perthshi7-e Soc. Nat. Science, vol. vi., part 3, pp. 1-19 (1916).

THE WHEATEAR, ETC., IN ORKNEY 293

PIED WHEATEAR AND OTHER RARE
BIRDS IN ORKNEY.

By John Bain.

On 1st November 1916 I obtained on the island of Swona
a Wheatear which was quite new to me. I sent it to Dr
Eagle Clarke, who informs me that it is a young female of
the Pied Chat {(Enanthe leucomeld). This is the second
British specimen, the only previous record being one from
the Isle of May in 1909.

This autumn has not been a very good one for birds,
but I have two other uncommon visitors to record. One
was a Red-breasted Flycatcher on 29th September. Strange
to say, this bird was in the same small geo and sitting on
the same ledge of rock as that I recorded last year. The
other was a Black Redstart, a young male, which I caught
in the storehouse, where it was exceedingly busy catching
flies on the window.

ON THE FIRST WINTER PLUMAGE OF THE
FEMALE PIED WHEATEAR, (ENANTHE
LEUCOMELA.

By Wm. Eagle Clarke, LL.D., F.R.S.E.

The capture of the second British example of the Pied
Wheatear (ffi. leuconiela, Pallas = (E. plesc/uinka, Lepache),
recorded above, is not only interesting as an example of the
wanderings from its accustomed tracks of a south-eastern
European and southern Siberian summer bird, but is useful
since it affords an opportunity of describing the species in
a stage of plumage which has been hitherto treated of in a
very sketchy and wholly inadequate manner.

This Orcadian specimen is a young female in its first

29* THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

winter dress — the stage in which the bird is most likely, in
one or other sex, to occur in our islands.

Head, mantle, and scapulars dark drab, with paler
edgings to the feathers, which are very faint on the head
and most pronounced on the scapulars. Ear coverts brown ;
rump white.

Primary and secondary wing feathers and their coverts
blackish ; the former and their coverts outwardly margined
and tipped with whitish buff; secondaries and rest of coverts
with greyish buff.

The two centre feathers of the tail are black except the
basal third, which is white ; rest of the tail white with a
broad black terminal band, broadest on the outer feathers ;
all the outer margins and tips edged with whitish buff.
Throat and fore-neck greyish buff, the dark basal portion
of the buff-edged feathers being in evidence and giving a
dusky appearance. Breast dull sandy buff. Abdomen,
flanks, and under tail coverts light buff.

Under surface of the primaries dark silvery grey, with
pale buff inner margins; coverts dusky, edged with white and
most pronounced on the smaller series ; axillaries dull black.

Wing, 92-5 mm. (3-62 ins.). Third and fourth quills
longest and equal, the second and fifth equal, and the third,
. fourth, and fifth emarginated towards the tips. Bill and legs
black.

Acronycta aceris in Aberdeenshire— a Correction. - In

the August number of the Ento7nologist (p. 191) G. E. Hartley
corrects his record of this species in the same journal (p. 22). The
moth, on emergence, proved to be A. leporina. Since the occur-
rence of A. aceris was stated at the time to be an addition to the
Aberdeenshire list, and as such was quoted in our issue of March
(p. 70) it is important to note the above correction.

Hoopoe in Ayrshire. — A female Hoopoe was obtained at
Monkton, Ayrshire, on 30th September last. I understand this
bird has not been recorded for Ayrshire for thirty-four years, when a
specimen was got near Kilmarnock. — Charles Kh-ik, Glasgow.

WIGTOWNSHIRE AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 295

WIGTOWNSHIRE AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN

FAUNA.

By W. Denison Roebuck, M.Sc, F.L.S.

{Concluded from page 274.)

Clausilia bidentata.

Portpatrick, 1890, one, R. Rimmer (Roy. Scot. Mus., 1913),
Stranraer, a few, i8qo, R. Rimmer {id^; Port Logan, September
1890 (W. Evans) ; Portpatrick, The Battery, a few, 16th August
1909 (J. F. Musham) ; Garheugh Rocks, Luce Bay, Mochrum
parish, numerous under stones, 2,8th April 19 10 (Jack G.
Gordon); Stairhead Cliffs, Isle of Whithorn, several, 12th
August 1916 (Alex. Ross): about Cairn, Isle of Whithorn,
a few, 1 2th August 191 6 {id.) : under stones near shore, Isle of
Whithorn, several, ist August 1916 {id.).

Cochlicopa lubrica.

Port Logan and Springl)ank, near Stranraer, September 1890
(W. Evans); Corsemalzie, several under stones, 23rd May
1909 (Jack G. Gordon); Stairhead Cliffs, Isle of Whithorn,
one, 1 2th August 191 6 (Alex. Ross); about Cairn, Isle
of Whithorn, one, 12th August 1916 (/V/.) ; road-plantation
between Isle of \Miithorn and Port William, three, ist August
1916 {id.).

Ca rych in m min imii ;;/ .

Springbank, near Stranraer, a few, September 1890 (W. Evans).

Succinea elegans.

Physgill Burn, near St Ninian's Cave, three on stones, 21st July
1916 (Alex. Ross).

Limnaa palustris.

Loch Lennows, monst. decollatuni on weeds, several small
and much-eroded examples, 12th May 1909 (Jack G. Gordon).

LimiKza truncatula.

Portpatrick, two, 1890, R. Rimmer (Roy. Scot. Mus., Edinburgh,
1913); Stranraer, a few, 1890, R. Rimmer (/^.) ; Stranraer,
numerous, 15th August 1909 (J. F. Musham); Loch Chesney,
Mochrum, one, young, 31st June 1909 (Jack G. (iordon).

LiiiDuea peregra.

Stranraer(Roy. Scot. Mus., Edinburgh, October 1888); Lochnaw,^—
{id.); Larbrax {id.^\ Chippermore, near Port William (P.

L I e R A R

296 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Adair, before 1891); Port Logan, September 1890 (W. Evans);
Stranraer, September 1890 (id.); var. ovata in Malzie Burn,
Corsemalzie, two, 2nd May 1909 (Jack G. Gordon); var.
lagotis. Loch Lennows, Mochrum, one, small, 12th May
1909 {id.) ; var. i/iicrocephala, Malzie Burn, Corsemalzie, two
on stones, 9th May 1909 {id.); var. microcephala., on weeds
in pool on Whitedyke Moor, Corsemalzie, one, 21st May 1909
{id.) ; Loch Chesney, var. microcephala, three at bottom,
on stone, same date {id.); Low Moor, Corsemalzie, numerous,
adult and young, in ditch, ist September 19 16 (Jack G.
Gordon).

Physa fontinalis.

Ardwell, several, i5lh September 1890 (W. Evans); Loch
Lennows, a few, loth June 191 1 (Jack G. Gordon).

Phviorbis albus.

Loch Chesney, Mochrum parish, six of various ages and
sizes on stones under water, 21st May 1909 (Jack G.
Gordon).

Plafiorbis conforfiis.

Loch Chesney, three on stones under water, 21st May 1909
(Jack G. Gordon); Quhillart Moor, Corsemalzie, one, small
30th August 19 16 {id.).

Ancylus fluviatilis.

Piltanton Burn, near Stranraer, September 1890 (W. Evans) ;
Dunskey Wood, Portpatrick, a few, i8th August 1909 (J. F.
Musham) ; Loch Chesney, three small examples, 21st May
1909 (Jack G. Gordon); three larger specimens, in Malzie
Burn, Corsemalzie, 24th May 1909 {id.).

Bythinia tentaculata.

Malzie Burn, Corsemalzie, a few eroded examples on stones,
gth May 1909, and one very young, 30th August 19 16
(Jack G. Gordon); Loch Elrig, Mochrum parish, 17th June
1909 {id.).

Valvata piscinalis.

Loch Lennows, Mochrum parish, a few small eroded specimens
on the bottom, 12th May 1909 (Jack G. Gordon): Loch
Chesney, a few small and eroded examples on the bottom, 20th
April 1910 {id); Garlieston, common in mill-dam, 28th May
1912 (Edward Collier); Portyerriock in Whithorn, 28th May
191 2 {id.).
Unio margaritifer.

Malzie Burn, Mochrum parish, not uncoauuon, yth May 1909

WIGTOWNSHIRE AND ITS INLAND MOLLUSCAN FAUNA 297

(Jack G. Gordon). Mr Gordon counted twenty-three living
specimens near the same place, and states that it also occurs in
the River Cree.

SphcBfium corneum.

Malzie Burn, Corsemalzie, four on the bottom, 4th May 1909
(Jack G. Gordon); Loch Lennows, five on the bottom, 12th
May 1909 (/V.) j Loch Chesney, on the bottom, three young
examples, same date {id.) ; ditch round the Moor, Corsemalzie,
one, 6th July 1916 (id.).

Pisidium fo n tin a le.

Ditch round the Moor, Corsemalzie, 6th July 19 16 (Jack G.
Gordon).

Pisidium pulchellu?n.

Ardvvell, September 1890 (W. Evans"^,

Pisidium cinertuin.

Portyerriock in Whithorn, 28th May 191 2 (Edward Collier);
Quhillart Moor, 4th September 19 16 (Jack G. Gordon).

Pisidium obtusale.

Ditch in wood, Corsemalzie, 8th September 191 6 (Jack
G. Gordon).

Every record in this list — which totals up to fifty-two
species — is an " authenticated " one, the paper being the
third of a series drawn up by me in my official capacity as
Hon. Recorder to the Conchological Society of Great Britain
and Ireland, with a view of stimulating closer investigation
throughout Scotland.

The most striking absentees from the list are the
following, which have all been authenticated from the two
adjoining counties, Ayrshire on the north, Kirkcudbright-
shire on the east : —

Hyalinia puva.
Piinctiini pygnucnvi.
Helix h or ten sis.
Helicella virgata.
Helicella itala.
Hygroniia fiisca.

Pupa musconim.
Vertigo substriata.
V. pus ilia.
Succinea piitris.
Acicula lineata.
Pisidium pusilluni.

And there are various others, e.g. Agrioliuiax Icevis, which
should certainly be found. Of Pisidia^ two species not in

298 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

this list have been recorded by Mr Kennedy {Joe. cit.). I
shall be pleased to have the opportunity of adding to the
above records, and not merely for this area but for most
Scottish counties — for which purpose my address is
259 Hyde Park Road, Leeds.

Cumberland-bred Black-headed Gulls nesting in Scot-
land.— Apropos of the mention of ringing birds in the " Report on
Scottish Ornithology " number, it may be of interest to state that two
Black-headed Gulls {La?-us ridibundus)., bred and ringed in Cumber-
land by myself, were picked up dead in Scottish gulleries in the
nesting season and among the nests. The first was one which I
marked at Greystoke, Mid-Cumberland, which, two years and eleven
months afterwards, was found dead in the breeding season in a
guUery at Tentsmuir in Fife. The second I marked at Ravenglass
on the Cumberland coast. It was picked up dead one year and
eleven months afterwards, also in the nesting season, and among
the nests, in a gullery near Kirknewton, Midlothian. There is little
doubt but that both these birds were nesting in these gulleries.
Two other Cumberland-bred birds were found dead near Scottish
gulleries in the nesting season, and were possibly nesting there.
The first of these was a Ravenglass-bred bird, which, eleven months
later, was found dead in Dumfriesshire close to two gulleries, and
the second was a bird marked on Denton Fell, Cumberland, and
found dead thirteen months afterwards close to a gullery, also in
Dumfriesshire.

It might be stated that three other Ravenglass-bred birds were
found dead among the nests in the breeding season in other
gulleries in England and Wales, as mentioned in my article in
British Birds, vol. viii., pp. 209-218, as follows: (i) In a gullery in
Delamere Forest, Cheshire, exactly one year afterwards; (2) in the
Llanfairpwll gullery, Anglesea, North Wales, one year and one
month afterwards; (3) in a gullery on Stanedge Moor, S.W.
Yorkshire, four years and one month afterwards. A fourth, marked
on the Llyn Mynyddlod gullery, Merionethshire, A\'ales, was found
dead three years later on a gullery at Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire.
Three Ravenglass-bred birds were found dead in their parent gullery
during the nesting season — two, two years, and the third three years
afterwards. —H. W. Robinson, Lancaster.

INSECTS CAPTURED IN ISLAND OF RAASAY 299

NOTES ON INSECTS CAPTURED IN THE
ISLAND OF RAASAY.

By William Evans and Percy H. Grimshaw.

The following insects were taken by Mrs J. H. Gaskell
during a stay of two months on the island of Raasay in the
past summer, and submitted to us for determination and
record. At our request Mrs Gaskell kindly supplied some
information regarding the nature of the country where the
insects were obtained. In her letter she states that the
south end of the island near the house is well wooded, and
there is a little arable land and some grass. The specimens
indicated as caught " in bracken " were all caught very near
the sea in very thick bracken, while those marked " in grass "
were taken on the lawns b}- the house, which stands on the
edge of a wood (mainly larch and Scots pine) and has fields
in front which slope down to the sea.

Lepidoptera.

Six species of butterflies and six of moths were taken as
follows: — Vanessa urtica, T.., one, 8th August; Argyntiis ag/aia,
L., one male and one female, 28th July ; Argyiuiis selene, Schiff., one,
24th July, and one, 26th July : Erebia (Fthiops, Esp., two, 26th July,
caught in marshy ground on the edges of the moor, seen in great
numbers ; Epinephele Janira, L., two males, 24th July : Ccenonywpha
pamphilus, L., one in bracken, 19th July; Metrocampa tnargari-
taria, L., one, 2nd August; Acidalia fnmata, St., one, 25th July;
Bupahis piniaria, L., one, 24th July; Melanippe montanata, Bork.,
one, 24th July ; Camptogramma bilineafa, L., one in bracken,
19th July, and one in heather, 26th July; Craftibus culmellus, L.,
two in heather, 25th July.

Hymenoptera.

Bombus bicorum. Smith, one, 22nd July; Bombus ini/scoriifn, L.,
one female, 19th July; Tenthredo olivacea, Htg., one female in
heather, 25th July; Glypta sp., one female in grass, 8th August;
and a specimen, not determined, belonging to the tribe Phyga-
deuonides (Fam. IchneumonidcB), taken in bracken, 19th July.

60 2 L

300 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

COLEOPTERA.

Harpalus ceneus, F., one, 26th July; Quediiis fuliginosits, Gr.,
one in grass, 8th August; Necrophoriis morhwrufn, F., one male,
2nd August; Necrophorus ri/spator, Er., one male, 22nd July;
Longitarsus Levis, Duft., several on lawn, 13th July; Hylobius
ahietis, L., one, 22 nd July.

Neuroptera.

The only insect taken belonging to this order was a teneral
specimen of the Dragon-fly, Sympetritm striolatum, Charp. It is a
female, and was captured on 25th July.

Hemiptera.

Leptopterna ferri/gafa, Fall., nymph in bracken, 19th July;
PhilcBHUS spumarius, L., three in bracken, 19th July; Etiacanthus
interrupfiis, L., one in bracken, 19th July; Limoteitix qvad7-i-
tiofafa, Fab., one on lawn, 13th July: Cixiiis ai)iicvlarius, L.,
one in bracken, 19th July.

DiPTERA.

Metriocne??ius fuscipes, Mg., one male on lawn, 13th July;
Linmobia bifasciata, Schrk — a single male of this fine species was
taken in heather, 26th July. (This is probably the most interesting
insect in the whole collection. The only previous Scottish records
are Guisachan, Inverness, and the Clyde district.) Tipula scripfa,
Mg., one female in heather, 25th July; Hcematopota ph/vialis, L.,
one female, 24th July; BiceUaria nigra, Mg., one male in grass,
8th August ; Hilara chorica. Fall., one female in grass, 8th August :
Dolichopus sp., one female, two much crushed for identification ;
Syinpycnus annulipes, Mg., one male in grass, 8th August ; Vohicella
pellucens, L., one male, 19th July; Calliphora erythrocephala, Mg.,
one female, 2nd August ; Phaonia basalis, TJX., one male in heather,
26th July; Hylemyia strigosa, Fab., one female in bracken, 19th
July; Fannia serena. Fin., one female in bracken, 19th July;
Caricea figrina, Fab., one on lawn, 13th July ; Ca'nosia elegantula,
Rond., one female on lawn, 13th July; Themira minor, Hal., one
male on lawn, 13th July; Sapromyza sp., one in bracken, 19th July ;
Drosophila sp., one on lawn, 13th July; Hydrellia griseola, Fin.,
two on lawn, 13th July; Ceratomyza denticortiis, Pz., one on lawn,
13th July; Opomyza germinafionis, L., several on lawn and in
bracken, 8th, 13th, and 19th July; Balioptera veniista, Mg., one in
bracken, 19th July; Agroniyza flaveola. Fin., one in bracken,
19th July.

SOME FOREST INSECTS IN ABERDEENSHIRE 301

SOME FOREST INSECTS IN ABERDEENSHIRE.
By Walter Ritchie, B.Sc.

T>HE Large Larch Sawflv {Nematus ericksonii).

While on a visit to Aboyne in the beginning of August, I
found the caterpillars of this Sawfly in clusters in several
plantations in the district. In the first instance I found
them in the Glentaner Estate, on the larch trees alongside
the south Deeside road, about one mile west of the suspen-
sion bridge over the River Dee at Aboyne. These trees
were about seventy years of age. I showed a number of the
caterpillars to Dr R. Stewart Macdougall, who determined
them as Nematns ericksonii. Having discovered that this
insect was in the neighbourhood, I examined a number of
similarly aged larch trees in a plantation on the Forest of
Birse Estate, and I found on them caterpillars of the same
species here and there throughout the plantation. I also
found many Large Larch Sawfly larva; on a young fifteen-
year-old larch which I chanced to examine in a narrow strip
of woodland on the northern portion of the Ballogie Estate,
and also in clusters on a larch tree on the Balfour Estate.
The plantation in which the latter occurred was about forty
years of age. In ever)' case but one I found the caterpillars
on the branches on the sunny side of the trees. The upper
branches appeared to be well foliaged, the lower ones only
being severely attacked, and in some cases these were com-
pletely defoliated. In the beginning of September I also
came across quite small caterpillars of N. erichsonii. The
female Sawfly lays her eggs in niches cut in young larch
shoots, and a number of these were seen curled and withered
as a result of the egg-laying. The area over which the
caterpillars were dispersed measured about eight square
miles. The damage caused by this species in England led
to its being placed among the insects scheduled under the
Destructive Insects and Pests Order. By this Order the
presence of the insect in any plantation must be reported

302 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

at once to the Board of Agriculture. (See Leaflet, No. 22,
Board of Agriculture for Scotland.) This is the first recorded
case of N. erichsonii caterpillars being at work in Aberdeen-
shire.

Attelabus curculionoides, L.

On the i6th June this year I found a single specimen of
this insect in an oak wood about two miles east of the
village of Aboyne. According to Fowler {Coleoptera of the
British Islands) this beetle is considered rare in Scotland,
having been found only in the Forth and Tweed areas.
Attelabus awculionoides bites the blades of the oak and
Spanish chestnut across on both sides of the midrib, and
then rolls up the severed portion of the blade into a ball
which hangs by the midrib. The specimen alluded to was
caught when resting in a flower of the Lesser VVintergreen
{Pjrola minor).

CrYPTORHVNCHUS LAI'ATHI, L.

On 28th December 191 5, I found tunnels of the larvae of
this insect on the various species and varieties of willow that
are growing on the right bank of the river Dee, near Aboyne
village. These willows skirt the river bank for a distance of
over one mile, and in almost every one of them I found larval
tunnels. At a later date I examined the stems and branches,
and found some of them to be simply riddled with larval
tunnels. At the same time I collected some hundreds of
specimens of adults and larvct. This weevil is in Central
Europe a destructive enemy of alder, but although alder
trees of various ages were growing amongst the willows I
never found any of them attacked by Cryptorhytichus.

Cryphalus abietis, Ratz.

On the 9th April last I found this insect breeding freely
on the wind-blown stems of silver fir in a wood on the
Ballogie Estate. At a later date I discovered numerous
adults boring into the suppressed branches of the younger
standing silver fir trees in this same wood.

SCOLYTIDS AND OTHER COLEOPTERA 303

SCOLYTIDS (INCLUDING HYLASTES CUNICU-
LARIUS AND FITYOPHTHORUS RAMU-
LORUM) AND OTHER COLEOPTERA (IN-
CLUDING META BLE TUS TR UNCA TELL US)
TAKEN IN THE FORTH AREA.

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

Mr J. VV. MUNRo's helpful papers and notes on bark and
wood boring beetles, in the present volume of this magazine
and elsewhere, have revived m)' interest in these insects,
and induce me to give particulars of my personal records for
the Forth area. These, and the records of species belonging
to other families included in the present paper, may be
regarded as a continuation of my notes on Scottish Cole-
optera begun in the Annals of Scottish Natural History for
1900. The principal lists are in the volumes for that year
and 1903, since which date a number of short notes have
from time to time appeared in that and other journals.

Scolytidie (Bark Beetles).

Two of my better captures in this family are a specimen
of Hylastes amiailariiis, Er., taken in a wood of Scots pine
and spruce near Kirknewton, Midlothian, on 23rd May 1895 ;
and one of Pityophthorus rainiilonaii, Perr. {pnbesce)is, Marsh),
beaten, on 12th March 1904, from a heap of pine branches
where a tree had recently been cut down, near Gifford, East
Lothian. The Hylastes has been examined by Mr Munro,
and compared with authentic specimens of cnniculariiis in
his collection, and he concurs in the identification. Owing
to its great similarity to //. ater, this species is easily
passed over, and therefore may not really be so rare as
has been supposed. The Pityophthorus was determined for
me by Dr D. Sharp some years ago as a variety (?) of
P. ramuloruni. In Newbery and W. E. Sharp's recent list
of British Coleoptera we find P. ramuloruin, Perr., given,
with puhescens, Marsh, as a synonym. Both of the above
beetles are additions to the Forth list. Prof. Hudson Beare
has recorded P. pubescens from Rannoch. H. ater, Payk.,
is common and does not call for a full list of records.

304 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

but as showing how widely it is distributed in the Edinburgh
district the following occurrences, all in Scots pine stumps,
may be mentioned : — Woods near Kirknewton and Balerno
(county of Edinburgh) fairl)- common, April 1903, etc. ;
Dalmeny Park and Drumshoreland (Linlithgow), April 1905
and August 1916 respectively ; Gifford (Haddington),
October 1916; near North Oueensferry (Fife), November
1896. Though not given for Forth in Sharp's Scottish
Catalogue, //. ater was recorded from Craiglockhart by
Duncan in 1831 {JMciii. Weiii. N. H. Soc, vi., 500), and from
near Stirling in June 1844 by R. N. Greville (Zoo/., 698). //.
palliatits, Gyll., while perhaps not so common as ater, is also
widely distributed, occurring in spruce (chiefly) and other
conifers. My specimens were taken in the vicinity of
Kirknewton, Midcalder district, in dead spruce, Scots pine,
and larch, April 1903, March 1913, etc.; Balerno, March
1905, February 191 1, etc. ; Heriot (Edinburgh), May 191 1 ;
Drumelzie, Westcraigs (Linlithgow), dead, October 1916;
Saltoun (Haddington), April 191 1; Gifford, October 1916;
Cullalo (Fife), April 1897; Dollar (Clackmannan), April
1897; Comrie (Perth), April 1899.

Hylesimis crenatiis, F., is common in dead, or partly dead
ash trees, from the bark of which I have taken it at Roslin,
etc., October 1896; Boghall, March 1902; Blackford Hill and
Craiglockhart, Februar\' 191 5; near Musselburgh, June
i9i6(aH in the county of Edinburgh); Philpstoun (Linlithgow),
April 1916 ; Gullane (one on wing), Tyninghame, and Gifford
(Haddington), June 1901, December 1913, and October 1916
respectivel)- ; Dollar, April 1897. In 1896 I found this
species in an elm at Comiston, near Edinburgh. No other
species of the genus has come under my notice here.

Myelophilus piniperda, L., attached as its name indicates
to the Scots pine, is undoubtedly our most abundant bark-
beetle. Wherever there are pine plantations, one is almost
certain to find the bark of practically every dead tree riddled
with its borings. My notes include records from, all the
Watsonian counties and vice-counties (81 to 87) falling within
the boundaries of the Forth area. M. i/n'uor, Hart., has not
so far been detected in the area.

SCOLYTIDS AND OTHER COLEOPTERA 305

Hylastinus obsc/ints, Marsh, and PJilojoplithonts rhodo-
dactylHS, Marsh, are common in dead stems and branches
of broom, the same plant usually yielding both species.
On the south side of Blackford Hill and on the Braid Hills
I have taken both plentifully in broom (October 1914, etc.) ;
also atvKirknewton, February 1914; Lothianburn, April 1916;
Whitehill, September 1916 (all in the county of Edinburgh);
Milnathort (Kinross), April 191 5; Ormiston and Tranent
(Haddington), April and June 1916 respectively ; Kinneil Mill
(Linlithgow), March 1914 ; Eddleston (Peebles), November
1916. H. obscurus occurred alone at Blackshiels (Edinburgh),
August 1916; Illieston (Linlithgow), November 191 5; and
Cardenden (Fife), April 191 5. In March last I got both
species in whin on Braid Hills, and H. obscurus in the same
plant at Pentland.

The first recorded Scottish specimen of Cryphalus nbictis,
Ratz., was beaten by Prof Hudson Beare off a shrub at
Gorebridge (Edinburgh) in May 1905, and on Arniston
Estate, in the same neighbourhood, I found the flight-holes
of the species in dead branches of tall silver firs last September
— only one beetle was then obtained, but on i8th November
about fifty were got in a few pieces of similarly bored
branches from a silver fir at Bush, near Roslin. Mr Munro
kindly gave me specimens from Eddleston (Tweed area),
where I have recently observed its borings myself This is
an excellent example of how a species may evade detection
till a knowledge of its habits is made the basis of search
for it.

The not less interesting spruce-inhabiting species,
DryoccEtes autographus, Ratz., has been met with in the
following localities, namely, near Kirknewton, under the
bark of spruce stumps in April 1903 (one on 2nd and a
colony on 14th), and April 1905 (fifteen), and of a fallen
tree of the same kind in Jul\- last ; Harelaw ravine, near
Balerno, abundant in blown-down spruces, February and
May 1916 (I owe my knowledge of this colony to the
kindness of Mr Munro, by whom it was discovered — see
a7ite, p. 95) ; Blairadam, Kinross-shire, one caught on the
wing in a fir wood, 3rd June 1909 ; and Gifford, Haddington-

3o6 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

shire, a fair number in spruce stumps, 17th October 1916,
as already recorded [ante, p. 288).

Of Tomicus acnminatns, Gyll., I have onl}' taken three
examples in this area : they were beaten out of dead
lopped-off branches of Scots pine, near Kirknevvton (Mid-
lothian), one on 3rd, and a pair on 14th April 1903. In the
same locality Pityogenes bidentatus^ Herbst, was taken in
some numbers on dead (cut) Scots pine branches in April
1903, and again in June and July last; also at Roslin in
October 1896, and this year at Mortonhall and Balerno (all
in county of Edinburgh). In West Lothian I found it near
Westcraigs in October last ; and East Lothian specimens
are from Luffness, September 1893; Gullane, August 1903;
and Gifford, March 1904, etc. An example (male) of var.
quadridens is from Bo'ness (Linlithgow), May 1901.

Trypodendron lineatmit, F., which, owing to its habit of
boring well into the solid wood of spruce stumps and
logs, is difficult to obtain even when its presence has been
detected, must for the present be regarded as one of our
" good things." The only specimens taken in " Forth "
appear to be two got by myself in a spruce stump in
wood near Kirknewton (Midlothian), on 2nd and 3rd April
1903. Prof Hudson Beare was with me on the first of
these dates, and the specimen I then took is that recorded
in his notes on " Scottish Coleoptera " in the Eiitovwlogisfs
Record of July 1903. In May 1916, the unmistakable borings
of the species were discovered in a fallen spruce near Balerno,
but no beetle was obtained. Mr Munro has given me a
specimen from Eddleston (Tweed area), taken in October
last, and I have another which I got myself in a spruce
stump there in November. Search on oak and birch for
T. doviesticHDi^ L., a specimen of which Prof. Beare took
at Hawthornden in May 1905 by sweeping herbage, has not
as yet been successful.

The other bark and wood boring beetles, belonging to
the families Curculiotiidce (Weevils), Ceranibycidce (Longi-
corns), etc., may next be referred to.

Hylobius abietis, L., the well-known pine weevil, is widely
distributed and locally common in this area, where it has

I

SCOLYTIDS AND OTHER COLEOPTERA 307

been met with in every county. My specimens are from
the following localities : — Penicuik district, many years ago ;
Balerno, May 1894 ; Kirknewton, April 1903 and June 1916;
Boltonmoor (Haddington), June 1904; Gifford, etc., larvae,
October 1916; Drumshoreland, April 1905; Dunipace
(Stirling), May 1914; Aberfoyle (South Perth), May 1896;
near Thornton (Fife), August 1893 ; Isle of May Lighthouse,
male at lantern, 13th August 19 13. The last occurrence is
of interest in more than a local sense. Pissodes pim,'L.,\\&
also have in our pine plantations, but it is less common.
My specimens were taken in Redford Wood, near Balerno,
loth May 1903 (a pair off branches of newly felled Scots
pine); near Kirknewton, 28th February 1914 (also by
beating freshly cut pine branches) ; West Bavelaw, in bark
of dead pine, April 19 16. Its galleries and larvae have been
observed at Kipps (Linlithgow) and Eddleston. Duncan,
writing in 1831, mentions {loc. cit., p. 506) that H. abietis was
first ascertained to be an inhabitant of Britain by Sir J. E.
Smith, the famous botanist, "who found it in Ravelston Wood,
near Edinburgh."

Of longicorns we have i&w species, and all save one are

rare. Taking them in their systematic order, the first on my

list is Asemuni striatum, L., of which two living examples

were taken in a "clearing" near Kirknewton (Midlothian) on

20th June 1916. Observing a rather large flight-hole in a

sound Scots pine stump, I drew the attention of Mr Munro,

who was with me, to it, and in due course his axe exposed

the two beetles and several larva: in their galleries. A month

later I took a dead beetle from the same stump, and found

larval galleries in another. In Murray's Catalogue (1853) it

is entered as " Rare near Edinburgh ; Dollar, etc.," and I

know of no more recent record for the Forth area. Our only

common longicorn is Rhagiuni bifasciaiujit, which is to be

found in decayed stems and stumps of pines in every county,

as the following list of localities represented by specimens in

my collection shows: — Penicuik, 1869; Bavelaw, May 1895 ;

Dalmaho}', June 1895 ; Kirknewton, April 1890 and May

1891 ; near Dunbar, August 1915; Tartraven (Linlithgow),

June 1914; near Stirling, 1887; old pine wood near Loch

Coulter (Stirling), over a dozen in rotten stump, 30th October

60 2 M

3o8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

1915; Cullalo and Blairadam ; Clackmannan Forest, April
1897; Aberfoyle, May 1897 ; summit of Ben Ledi, 8th July
1902. The last is an interesting record as showing the
insect's powers of flight and capacity for extension of range.
A number of years ago I found several in a dead beech by
the roadside west of Dal m ahoy Hills. R. viordax, De G.
{inquisitor^ Brit. Catalogues, nee L.), which affects birch, etc.,
is very scarce in this district ; indeed, the only local specimen
I have seen is one taken by Mr J. W. Bowhill at Press-
mennan. East Lothian, on 4th July 1909. Hardy's record
from Pease Bridge, Berwickshire, which Sharp assigned to
" Tweed," really belongs to " Forth " as now defined Pachyta
ceranibyciforuiis, Schr., is another rarity which Dr Hardy
took at Peasedean many years ago. On nth July 1904 I
captured my single specimen on the south side of Saltoun
Wood, East Lothian. Another was seen, but took wing
before I could catch it. I know of no other Scottish records.
Of Strangalia qnadrifaseiata, L., a striking black and yellow
species, I have a male captured at Saltoun Wood on 9th
August 1902, as recorded in A)in. Seot. Nat. Hist, for 1903,
p. 96 ; and three (two males and a female) caught in the
same locality on nth July 1904. Five altogether were seen
on the latter occasion, but two of them, by timely flight,
managed to evade my net. Mr A. E. J. Carter has shown
me a specimen he took at Aberfoyle in July 1901. In 1903
{loc. eit.) I recorded Grnninwptera rnficornis, F. (a single
specimen), from the north bank of the Esk, near Polton,
Midlothian, i8th June 1901. Now I am able to record
G. tabaeicoior, De G. {Jce-vis, F.), having taken two (male and
female) on flowers of earth-nut, in Castle Campbell Glen,
Dollar, 24th June 1905, and a third at Pressmennan, on
valerian, in June 191 1. It has also been taken in the latter
locality by Mr Bowhill.

A few other longicorns have occurred as importations in
timber. I have Acanthocinus cedilis, from Bo'ness, August
1 90 1, and Granton, i6th x^ugust 191 6; Pogonoehcsnis fcrseicn-
latus, from Bo'ness Docks, September 1901 ; and Monocham-
niiis sutor, from Colinton Dell, near Edinburgh, September
1878 (see records in my 1900 and 1903 papers).

{To be coNfi/ii/ed.)

NOTES 309

Dryocsetes autographus, Rtz., etc., in Peeblesshire. —

On 15th October, in a very open belt of wood consisting chiefly of
spruce, on Earlyvale Estate, Eddleston, Peeblesshire, I obtained both
larv;^ and adults of Dryoccetes autographus on a wind-blown spruce
stem. On another fallen spruce I obtained H. palliatus^ Gyll., and
the galleries of Trypodendrofi Utieatuni, 01. A third spruce, how-
ever, y'ielded the most interesting bag, for on its branches I took
Fifyoge/ies bidentatus, Hbst, and Cryphaltis alnetis, Rtz. In one
piece of branch I obtained the two species side by side. This last
is a most interesting find, for hitherto C. abietis has been taken only
on silver fir in Scotland, and P. bidentatus is normally a Scots pine
dweller. — Jamks W. Munro, Edinburgh.

Cemiostoma laburnella, Heyd., in the Forth Area. —

Though apparently unrecorded from the Forth area, this dainty
little moth is certainly locally common if not widely distributed.
During the second and third weeks of August last (1916) it was very
common on and about lalnirnum bushes in the Blackford district of
Edinburgh. I first noticed it in Blackford Road, and subsequently
found it in profusion at the shrubbery on the north side of Blackford
Hill pond. The larva? " mine " the leaves of laburnum, and cause
large blotches on them. These blotches were much in evidence on
the laburnums at the pond, and on the undersides of many of the
leaves tiny silken webs covering the pup;\; were to be seen. PVom
some of the leaves brought home the moths were reared. Miss
Balfour tells me this species is common at Whittingehame, and
I recently ol)served that a laburnum at Giffofd had the character-
istic blotches on its leaves. During the first fortnight of August
C. spartifoliella was very abundant on broom at Craiglockhart. The
larvce, in this case, live in the bark of their food-plant. Notwith-
standing this difference in habits, the two moths are practically
indistinguishable. — William E^•ANs, Edinburgh.

The Feathered Thorn or October Moth in Aberdeen-
shire.— As I have not observed this moth {Himera J)e>i/iana) in
Aberdeenshire before, I send a record of a single specimen found
by me in the woods of Crathes Castle on nth November. The
species, while moderately common in England, is said to be rather
rare and local in distribution in Scotland, its scarcity increasing
northwards till it reaches its northern limit m Ross-shire. The
only previous Aberdeenshire record with which I am at present
acquainted, is one from Aberdeen by Mr Clark, recorded in
Prof. J. \V. H. Trail's " Lepidoptera of Dee" in the Trans. Aberdeen
Nat. Hist. Soc. — Alex. Macdonald, Durris.

INDEX

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS.

ASHWORTH, J, IL, D.Sc, 8i
Bain, John, 23, 293
Barnard, Leonard, 95
Bartholomew, James, 38, 114, 228
Baxter, Evelyn V., H.M.B.O.U.,

5. 68, 93, 99, 106, 123, 145-218,

264, 265
Beare, Prof. T. Hudson, B.Sc,

F.E.S., 257, 258
Berry, Willlam (Lentran), 68, 95
Berry, Willlam (Newport), 287
Beveridge, Fred S., 23, 264
BoLAM, George, 264, 286, 290
Campbell, Bruce, 240
Carter, A. E. J., 12, 48, 114, 119,

261
Clarke, William Eagle, LL.D.,

F.R.S.E., 75, 293
Clyne, Robert, 55
COATES, Henry, 28, 66, 70
Collinge, W, E., M.Sc, F.L.S., 120,

143
Evans, William, F.R.S.E., M.B.O.U.,
21, 39, 42, 47, 70, 71, 72, 88, 120,
129, 138, 241, 249, 266, 283, 288,

289. 299, 303, 309
Gaskell, Jean Helen, 269
Gaskell, Major T. K., 139
Gladstone, Hugh S., M.A., F.R.S.E.,

F.Z.S., 24
Grimshaw, Percy H., F.R.S.E.,

F.E.S., 43, 85, 114, 115, 134, 299
Hamilton, I)., 138
Hinton, Martin A. C, 221
Honv, G. Bathurst, B,A., 221
HuiE, rMiss) L. H., F.E S., 13, 61

Kirk, Charles, 294
Kirke, D. J. Balfour, 22S
Laidlaw, T. G., 69
M'CoNACHiE, Rev. William, 241,

252
Macdonald, Alex., 309
MacKeith, T. Thornton, 84, 94,

270
Mackenzie, D., 288
MuNRO, James W., B.Sc. (Agr.), B.Sc.

(For.), 92, 93, 95, 96, 228, 263,

266, 275, 290, 309
Nash, J. Kirke, L.D.S., 23

PaTERSON, GtORGE, 79

Rintoul, Leonora Jeffrey,
H.M.B.O.U., 5, 68, 93, 99, 106,
123, 145-218, 264, 265
Ritchie, Walter, B.Sc, 301
Robertson, John, 60, 66, 240, 282
RoBiNSJN, H. W., M.B.O.U., 298
Roebuck, W. Denison, M.Sc, F.L.S.,
80, 107, 229, 253, 271, 274, 282,

295
Russell, George W., 24
Serle, William, 240
Tait, T. M'Gregor, 239
Taylor, William, 48
Thomson, A. Landsborough, M.A.,

B.Sc, M.B.O.U., 239
Thomson, John G., 23
Ticehurst, Claud B., M.A.,

M.R.C.S., M.B.O.U., 29
VVaterston, James, B.D., B.Sc, 140
Wiglesworth, J., 241
Williamson, William, 89, 92
Wilson, Mary M., 289

OBITUARY NOTICES.

»

Dresser, Henry Eeles, 3 | Harvie-Brown, John Alexander, 219

BOOK NOTICES.

Annelids, The British Marine, Vol. II f..

Parts I. and II., 80
Birds, Hill, of Scotland, 4
Birds of Britain, 246
Entomology, Medical and Veterinary,

242
Fowl, The Structure of the, 72
Insects and Man, li

310

Man, The Antiquity of, 46
Ornithology, Bibliography of British,

247
Pests of the Farm, Fungoid and Insect,

266
Rhizopoda and Heliozoa, The British

Freshwater, 128

INDEX

311

SUBJECTS NOTICED IN EDITORIALS.

Amoebae of old Stored Soil, 245

Anobiidie, Larvae of, 98

Ants : new volume by Donisthorpe,

27
Beetle attacking aerial cables, 2
Beetles, Furniture, Larvae of, 98
Birds, i^ew British, 27
Birds, Rate of Digestion in, i
Birds, Recoveries of ringed, 73
Butterfly, Chalk Hill Blue, Wholesale

slaughter of, 98
Campbell, Mr J. M., Death of, 291
Cat, Scotch Wild, Variations in, 243
Chess and Gade, Fauna of, 292
Clupeinae, British, 243
Constantine's Cave, Fife Ness, Animal

Remains from, 25
Crossbill, Food of, 25
Curlew, Combined Melanism and

Albinism, 292
Flagellates of old Stored Soil, 245
Flies in Dwelling-houses, 50
Gatty Marine Laboratory, Notes from,

244

Helix neniora/is, Shell-banding as a

means of protection, 268
Hydroid Zoophytes, Reproduction of, 2
Insects, British Fossil, 74
Lapwing, Varieties of, 292
Lyclidie, Larvae of, 98
Mammals, History of British, 97, 267
Molluscan Investigation of Scotland,

121
Owls, Long-eared, Observations on, 26
Pellagra, Suimlium and, I
Perthshire Vertebrates wanted by Peith

Museum, 292
Rats, Generic names of, ?43
Sea- Urchin, Purple-tipped, Feeding

habits of, I2i
Simulium and Pellagra, I
South London Entomological and

Natural History Society, Proceed-
ings of, 244
Thrush Stones and Helix neiiwralis.,

268
Turner, Sir William, Death of, 49
Whale, Cuvier's, on Irish coast, 73

MAMMALS.

Cetacea stranded on the Scottish coasts,
227

Mice, Notes on Two Collections from
Lewis, Outer Hebrides, 221

BIRDS.

See also Special Index to I he " Repoi

on pp.

Aberdeenshire, Wryneck, 239
Aeroplanes, Birds and, 39, 66
Auk, Little, in Perth District, 70
Ayrshire, Hoopoe, 294
Bee-eater in Shetland, 24
Berwickshire, Bernicle Goose, 69 ;

Honey Buzzard, 69
Bird-Parasites and Bird-Phylogeny, 51
Bird-Phylogeny, Bird Parasites and, 51
Birds and Aeroplanes, 39, 66
Birds attracted b}' Lighted Tents, 23
Birds moulting in their Winter

(Quarters, 5
Birds, Scottish, observed in 1915, 75
Buzzard, Honey, in Berwickshire, 69
Buzzard, Rough-legged, in East Fife,

68
Capercaillie in Renfrewshire, 270
Creeper, Tree-, in Island of Lewis, 75
Ciossbili in North Uist, 264
Divers, Generic names of, 22 1

Don, mouth of, Little Gull, 79 !

/ on ScoUis/i Ornil/wlo^y iii I9I5>
215-8.

Dumfriesshire, Barn Owl, 38 ; Great

Grey Shrike, 24
Dunkeld, Black-headed Gull in winter,

28
Fair Isle, Red-necked Grebe, 79
Fife, Continental Redbreast, 265 ;

Lesser Black-backed Gull, 265 ;

Spotted Redshank, 287
Fife, East, Rough-legged Buzzard, 68
Forth, Black-tailed Godwit, 70J the

Record of the Levantine Shear-
water, 249
Gadwall in Midlothian, 289
Gannet, Movements at Butt of Lewis,

55 ; Notes on, 66
Glasgow, Little Gull, 240 ; Little Stint,

38 ; Tree-Sparrow, 228
Glasgow District, Barn Owl, 1 14
Godwit, Black-tailed, in Forth, 7° ; '"

Moray Area in summer, 38 ^, * .
Goldcrest's Unusual Nesting^ 'i>Jace,

239 A.V

L : --^

312

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Goldeneye, Notes on Eclipse Plumage

of Young Male, 93
Goldfinch in Midlothian, 240
Goose, Bernicle, in Berwickshire, 69
Grebe, Great Crested, at Kilconquhar

Loch, 264
Grebe, Red-necked, at Fair Isle, 79
Gull, Black-headed, at Dunkeld in
winter, 28; Cumberland - bred,
nesting in Scotland, 298
Gull, Ivoiy, in Inverness-shire, 95 ; on

West Coast of Scotland, 95
Gull, Lesser Black-backed, in Fife, 265
Gull, Little, at mouth of Don, 79 ; near

Glasgow, 240
Hoopoe, in Ayrshire, 29 +
Inverness-shire, Ivory Gulls, 95
Inverness-shire, West, Lesser While-
throat, 78
Kilconquhar Loch, Great Crested

Grebe, 264
Kirkcudbrightshire, Lesser White-
throat, 264
Landrail at St Kilda, 69
Lapwing, swimming of young, 94
Largo, curious nest of Pied Wagtail,

264
Lauderdale, Bird Notes from, 252
Lewis, Butt of. Movements of Gannets,

55
Lewis, Island of, Nightjar, 288 ; free-

Creeper, 75
Midlothian, Gadvvall, 289 ; Goldfinch,

240
Migrants and Moult, Notes on, 29
Moray Area, Black-tailed Godwits in

summer, 38
Moult, Migrants and, Notes on, 29
Nightjar in Island of Lewis, 288
Orkney, Uncommon Birds, 23, 293 ;

Pied Wheatear, 293
Ornithological Movements, Comparison

of Danish and Scottish, in 1914,

106
"Ornithology, Bibliography of British,"

The new, 247
Owl, Barn, in Dumfriesshire, 38 ; in

Glasgow District, 114; "Milk-
man's Whistle " of, 60
Owl, Barn, Contmental, in Shetland,

76
Perth District, Little Auks, 70
Raasay, Notes on Birds seen at, 269
Rail, Water-, at St Kilda, 77, 241
Redbreast, Continental, in Fife, 265
Redshank, Spotted, in Fife, 287
Renfrewshire, CapercaiUie, 270
Ross-shire, East, Crested Titmouse, 24
Scottish Breeding Birds, Continental
Racial Forms and their Occur-
rences in Scotland, 99, 123
Shearwater, Levantine, the Firth of

Forth Record, 249
Shetland : Bee-eater, 24 ; Continental
Barn Owl, 76 ; \ellow-browed
Warbler, 24
Shrike, Great Grej', in Dumfriesshiie,

Sparrow, House-, utilising nest of Black-
bird, 228
Sparrow, Tree-, near Glasgow, 228
St Kilda, Landrail, 69 ; Water-rail, 77,

241
Stint, Little, near Glasgow, 38
Swallows, Generic names of, 22
Swift, Early Appearance of, 240
Thrush, Song, Strange Diet of, 23
Titmouse, Crested, in East Ross- shire,
24 ; Notes on Extension of Range,
68
Uist, North, Crossbill, 264
Visitants, Summer, Moults of, 29
Wagtail, Pied, Curious Nest at Largo,

264
Warbler, Yellow-browed, in Shetland,

24
Wheatear, Pied, in Orkney, 293 ;

First Winter Plumage, 293
Whinchat, imitatino- Swallow's Notes,

282
Whitethroal, Lesser, in Kirkcudbright-
. shire, 264 ; in West Inverness-
shire, 78
Wryneck in Aberdeenshire, 239

FISHES.

Shark, Basking, off Ayrshire Coast, 47 \ Shark, Fox-, off Ayrshire Coast, 47

Aigyll, Main, and its Inland Molluscan

Fauna, 229
Easterness, the Vice-County and its

Molluscan Fauna, 107 ; Additions,

282
Jura and neighbouring Islands, Land

and Freshwater Mollusca, 74.
Scottish Mollusca, Records ol, 289

MOLLUSCS.

Slug, Black : White Variety in Stirling-
shire, 274
Slugs in mountains of AVesterness, So
Stirlingshire, While X'ariety of Black

Slug, 274
Westerness, Slugs in mountains of, 80
Wigtownshire and its Inland Molluscan
■^ Fauna, 253, 271, 295

INDEX

313

INSECTS-GENERAL.

Aberdeenshire, Forest Inaects, 301

Lepidoptera and other Insects at Scottish Lighthouses in 1915, 129

Raasay, Insects captured in, 299

INSECTS -LEPIDOPTERA.

Aberdeefishire, Acronvc/a <ici>ns on
Birch, 70, 294 (correction) ;
Feathered Thorn or October Moth
(^Hiinera peiuiarta), 309

AnoiiYcta aceris on Birch in Aberdeen-
shire, 70, 294 (correction)

Astliena liiieata in Forth Area, 47

Cemiostoina lahurnella in Foilh Area,

309
Chirroram/ia celeiio in Border Counties

286 ; in Edinburgh, 241
Clacl<mannan, Larentia salka/a, 266
Deilepliila livoniica in Border Counties,

286
Depressaria hepatariella in Scotland, 70
Edinburgh, Chcerocainpa celerio, 241
Forth Area, Astheua Inteata and Oxy-

ptilus teiicrii, 47 ; Cemiostoma

lahurnella^ 309

Ha\vi-:-moth, Silver-striped, in Edin-
burgh, 24.1
Hawk-moths, Striped, in Border Coun-
ties, 286
Hiinera pennaria in Aberdeenshire, 309
Kincardineshire, Lycicna artaxerxes and

Zvfiicna filip<'7tilul(P, 70
l.arenUa salicata in Clackmannan, 266 ;
in Midlotiiian, 266 ; in South-east
of Scotland, 290
Lvi(cna ar/axerxi'.'! in Kincirdineshire,

70
Midlothian, Larentia sal/ra/a, 266
Moth, New British, 70 ; October, in

Aberdeenshire, 309
Oxyptilns teucrii in Forth Area, 47
Thorn, Feathered, in Aberdeenshire, 309
Zvgcvna filipeniliihc in Kincardineshire,
70

INSECTS-COLEOPTERA.

Aberdeenshire, Attelabus citrciilionidesy
302 ; Cryptorhynclms lapathi, 302 ;
Cryplialtis abietis, 302 ; Hvlas/es
cunicularius. 290
Acanthocinus ccdilis at Lauder, 241
Attelabus curcidionoides in Aberdeen-
shire, 302
Auskerrj', Orkney, Coleoptera, 21
Bemliiduiin palulosnm in F"orth Area,

71

Beinbidinm qutmiuestriatuin in Edin-
burgh District, 93
Crelamhiis quhiquelineatus in Forth

Area, 71
Crvphalus abietis in Aberdeenshire, 302 ;

in Peeblesshire, 263
Crvptorlivnc/nis lapatln in Aberdeenshire,

302'
Deleaster diiltroiis in Roxburghshire,

290
Dr\occEtes aittographus in East Lothian,

288 ; near Harelaw, Midlothian,

95 ; in Peeblesshire, 309
Edinburgh District, Beinbidinm quinque-

strialum. 93
Fair Isle, Coleoptera, 257
Forfarshire, Myelophiltis minor, 93
Forth Area, Bernbidium palitdosuiUy "]! ;

Ccelambus quinqiielineatus, "ji ;

Hylastes cunicularius, 303 ; Meta-

hlelns truncatellus, 303 ; Miscodera

arctiia,-j\, 138 ; Pityophagus ferrii-
^ineus, Reoccurrence of, 228 ; Piiy-
ophlhorns ramiilortiin, 303 ; Onedi-
oiuichus hmiigatits, 138 ; Scolytids
and other Coleoptern, 303
Hv tastes cunicn'arius, and its Relation
to the Forest, 275 ; in Aberdeen-
shire, 290 ; in Forth Area, 303 ; in
Peeblesshire, 92
Hylastinus ohscurus, Note on habits, 96
Lauder, Acanthocinus cedilis, 241
Lothian, East, Drvocetes auto(;rap/ius,

288
Metabletus truncatellus in Forth Area, 303
Midlothian, Dryocietes autographus near

Harelaw, 95
Miscodera arctica in Forth Area, 71,

138
Myelophilus minor in Forfarshire, 93
Orkney, Philontlms varius var. shet-

iaiidicus, 71
Peeblesshire, Cryphalus abietis, 263 ;

Dryoccptes aittograplins, 309 ; //r-

lastes cunicularius, 92 ; Siiiodeiidron

cylindricum, 96
Philontlms varius \-ar. shetlanduus, in

Orkney, 71
Phlreophthorus rhododactvlns, Note on

habits, 96
Pitvogenes chalcographus, Reoccurrence

in Scotland, 266

314

THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST

Pityophagus (^Ips) fernigineiis, Reoccur-
rence in Forth Area, 228
Pitvop/ithonis raiiiuloniiu in Forth Area,

303

Oj<edionuchiis Idvigatiis in Forth, 1 38

Roxburghshire, Dehaster dic/iroiis, 290
St Kilda, Notes on Coleoptera, 258
Sinodendron cvlindricitin in Peebles-
shire, 96

INSECTS-HYMENOPTERA.

Aberdeenshire, Large Larch Sawfly
(^\'e»iatus eric/isoiiii'), 301

Andrena cetii in Forth and Argyll, 88

Andrena Irintinerana and its allies, 71

Ant, New British, 65

Argyll, Andrena celii, 88

Bee, Humble-, see Boinhns.

Bomhiis joiiel/us, attempt at Nest-build-
ing in a Shawl, 289

Braconidae : Scottish Records, 288

Ceropales macuhta^ near Nairn, 48

Chalcididas : Greville Collection, 43

Forth, Auilrena retii, 88

Greville Collection of Chalcididoe and
Proctotrypidaf, 43

Myrmua schencki in Britain, 65

Nairn, Ceropales maculata^ 48

Nematus erichso)iii\x\ Aberdeenshire, 301

Proctotrypidae : Greville Collection, 43

Sawfly, Large Larch, in Aberdeenshire,
301

Steiiomahts iiiuscariiin, Occurrence in
company with Hibernating Flies,
140

Wasps : two Queens apparently con-
structing the same Nest, 228

INSECTS— DIPTERA.

a Forfarshire Garden,

Scottish List,
-The Western

Diptera in

12
Diptera new to the

261
Diptera Scotica : VI.

Isles, 115, 134
Diptera, the Study of, 85
Empis coiicolor in Midlothian, 119
Fifeshire, Hibernation of Flies in a

House, 139
Forth District, Hvleiuyia grisea, 48
Hibernation in a Fifeshire House, 139 ;

Note on, 81

Hylemyia grisea, Habits and Life-
history, 13 ; in Forth District, 48

Leria flavotestacea in Midlothian and
Perthshire, 119

Midlothian, E7npis concolor, 1 19 ; Leria
flavotestacea, 1 1 9

Perthshire, Flies in House, 114 ; Lena
flavotestacea, 1 19; Tipula vittata,
114

Renfrewshire, Plague of Flies in House,
84

Siiuulium equuiiim in Scotland, 72

Tipula vittata in Perthshire, 1 14

INSECTS— NEUROPTERA, TRICHOPTERA, AND
MALLOPHAGA.

Bird- Parasites and Bird-Phylogeny, 51

Caddis-Flies from Fair Isle, 72

Fair Isle, Caddis-Flies, 72

Forth Area, Lcemobothrium tinmmculi

from a Kestrel, 120
Inverness-shire, Neuroptera, 133

L.icmobothriuin timiuuculi from a Kestrel

in Forth Area, 120
Neuroptera from Inverness-shire, 133
SteiwpsocHS criiciatus. Observations on

Hatching, 61
Trichoptera from Fair Isle, 72

ARACHNIDA. CRUSTACEA AND CCELENTERATA.

Edinburgh, Eriophyes tristriatus vai.

erijieuin, 47
Erigone tirolensis. Forth and Tay Areas,

'42
Enophves tristriatus var. erineum, 47
Forth Area, Mountain Spiders, 42
Forth, Firth of, Halichstits auricula and

other Medusre, 283
Haliclystiis auricula in Firth of Forth,

283

Huitfeldtia rectipes, Colom' of, 92
Hydracarina from Strathearn, 89
Medusje in Firth of Forth, 283
Oniscus fossor. Specific Identity, 143
Spiders, Mountain, from Forth and Tay

Areas, 42
Strathearn, Hydracarina, 89
Tay Area, Mountain Spiders, 42
Wood-lice of Scotland, 120

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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. 8vo,
cloth. £\, 10s.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

Ready Aid to Distinguish the Commoner

Wild Birds of Great Britain

By David T. Price. Pocket Size, limp cloth. Is. net.

British Wild Flowers

By John E. Sowerby, Author of The Ferns of Great Britain.
Described, with an Introduction and a Key to the Natural Orders,
by C. Pierpoint Johnson. Reissue, to which is added a Supple-
ment containing 180 Figures, comprising later discovered Flowering
Plants, and the Ferns, Horse-tails, and Club-Mosses. Super-royal
8vOj with 1780 Coloured Figures. ;£Z, 3s.

GURNEY & JACKSON, Z2, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.G.

CONTENTS

PAGE

Editorial . . ... . , ■ . . i

Henry Eeles Dresser . . . . . .3

Some Notes on Birds Moulting in their Winter Quarters. —
Lemiora Jeffrey Rintoul,- H.M.B.O.U.^ and Evelyn V.
Baxter, H.M.B.O.U. '. . . . • 5

The Habits and Life-History of HyHemyid grisea, Fall., an
Anthomyiid Fly new to the.S.eottish Fauna. -^(Miss) L. H.
Hide, F.E.S. . . ' . ' . . . 13

Coleoptera from Auskerry, Orkney.— Wtl/iam Evans, F.R.S.E. 21

Notes: - '

Birds attracted by Lighted Tents — Fi'ed.' S.'Beveridge, 23;
Strange Diet of the Song Thrush — J. Kirke Nash, 23 ;
Uncommon Birds in Orkney — John Bain zxiA John G.
Thomso7i, 23 ; Crested Titmouse in East Ross-shire, 24 ;
Bee-eater and Yellow-browed Warbler in Shetland — George
W. Russell, 24 ; Great Grey Shrike in Dumfriesshire —
Hugh S. Gladstone, 24 ; The Generic Names of the
Swallows and Divers, 22 ; Diptera in a Forfarshire Garden
— A. E.J. Carter, 12.

Book Notices :

Hill Birds of Scotland, 4 ; Insects and Man, 11.

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE

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PRINTED BVlfOLIVBR AKD BOYD, EDINBDRaH.

No. 50.] ' 19 16 [February.

The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Maga-zme devoted to Zoology

/

W ith which is incorporated /V^ ^,

"The Annals of Scottish Natural Histor)f*2r<L | B R "^

V EDITED BV V'

WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E., Etc.--

Keeper, Natural Histori, Depdrtnniit, Roijul Scotthil Museum

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

Member of tile British . Oriiithoiogists' Union

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

Assistant-Keeper. Katural History Department , Royal Scottish Museum

ASSISTED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, LL.D., F.R.S.E. i H. S. GLADSTONE, M.A., K.R.S.E., F.Z.S.

EVELYN V BAXTER. H.M.B.O.U. J.AMES RITCHIE,^. A., D.Sc.

LEONORA J. RINTOUL. H.M.B.O.U | A. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON. M.A., M B.O.U.]

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

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The Scottish NaturaHst

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Full Catalogue {84 pages) mailed free to any address

36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C, ENGLAND

• /

THE NATURALIST

A Monthly Illustrated Journal of Natural History for the North of England

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 Rejerees in Special Departments, of

J. Gilbert Baker, F.R.S., F.L.S. ; Professor P. F. Kendall, M.Sc, F.G.S. ;

T. H. Nelson, M.Sc, M.B.O.U. ; Geo. T. Porritt, F.L.S., F.E.S. ;

John W. Taylor, M.Sc. ; Riley Fortune, F.Z.S.

AH Communications to be addressed to —

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/'•

/

From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E.

Member of the British Association Committee uii the Migration of Birds

as Observed on the Brilisli ajui Insli Coasts, and Autlior of its Final

Reports, lSyO-1908, etc.

With Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and Weather Charts.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy 8vo. 18s. 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 ol this difficult but fascinating suhject. It is certain that to the serious student
of bird migration the volumes are indispensable." — The Athenaum.

"This book has been long expected, and it is certainly one worth waiting
for." — Xat'.tre.

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. ;£\, Is.

•■ Excellent alike in style and matter, it ought to be in the hands of e\ery lover of
birds." — A nnah of Natural flistory.

■' 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

Ah 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 W'arren.
With a Coloured Plate, ]\Iaps, and other Illustrations. 450 pp. Svo,
cloth. £\, 10s.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

Ready Aid to Distinguish the Commoner

Wild Birds of Great Britain

By David T. Price. Pocket Size, limp cloth. Is. net.

GURNEY & JACKSON, 33 PATERNOSTER ROW^ LONDON, E.C.

innn "^^O^^MES on natural history, including many valuable works
IV'UU on Botany, Conchology, Entomology, Orniiholog}-, etc.. New and Second-
hand, at half to (juarter publishers' prices. Many thousands of British and tropical
Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Pupce, etc. A few good Varieties of British Birds (Albinos, etc.).
Lists from

A. FORD, South View, Irving Road, Bourne.mouth.

CONTENTS

Editorial . . . . . . .25

Notes on Migrants and Moult, with special reference to the
Moults of some of our Summer Visitants. — Claud B.
Ticehurst, M.A., M.R.C.S., M.B.O.U. ... 29

Birds and Aeroplanes. — Wil/iam Evans, M.B.O.U. . . 39

The Greville Collection of Chalcididi^ and Proctotrypidi^ in the
Royal Scottish Museum, with some references to Walker's
Types {concbided). — Percy H. Griinshazv, F.R.S.JE.,
F.E.S. ....... 43

Book Notice : The Antiquity of Man . . . .46

Notes :

Fox-shark and Basking Shark oft" the Ayrshire Coast, 47 ;
Barn Owl in Dumfriesshire — James Bartholomew, 38;
Black-tailed Godwits in Moray Area in summer, 38 ; Little
Stint near Glasgou-, 38 ; Black-headed Gulls at Inver,
Dunkeld, in winter — Hejiry Coates, 28 ; Some Mountain
Spiders, including Erigone tirolensis, L. Koch, from the
Tayand the Forth Areas — William Evans, 42 ; Eriophyes /'
tristriatus, var. erineum, Nal., in Edinburgh — William
Evans, 47 ; Asthena luteata, Schiff., and Oxyptilus teucrii,
Jord., in the Forth Area — William Evans, 47 ; Ceropales
maculata near Nairn — William Taylor, 48 ; Hylemyia
grisea. Fin., in the Forih District — A. E. J. Carter, 48.

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE

The Annual Subscription for 1916, payable in advance,
6s. 6d. post free, should be addressed to the Publishers,
Oliver and Boyd, Tweeddal^ Court, Edinburgh.

Covers for Binding ''The Scottish Naturalist ''

Special Cloth Cases for Binding the 1915 Volume can be
supplied at Is. each (by Post Is. 2d.), by Oliver and Boyd,
Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

PHINTKD BV OLIVER AND BOVD, KLilSBURi»H.

No. 51.]

1916

[March.

The Scottish Naturalist

A Monthly Magcvzine devoted to Zoology

With which is incorporated

" The Annals of Scottish Natural Histor>^li U

EDITED BY

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

Keeper, Natural Historx/ Department, Royal Scottish Museum

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 Histori/ Department, Royal Scottish Museum

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, LL.D., K.R.S.E
EVELYN V. BAXTER, H.M.B.O.U.
LEONORA J. RINTOUL. H.M.B.O.U

ASSISTED P.Y

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.

/

EDINBURGH: OLIVER & BOYD, Tweeddale Court
LONDON : GURNEY & JACKSON, Z2> Paternoster Row

Price gd. Annual Subscription, payable in advance, 6s. 6d. post free

The Scottish Naturalist

All Articles and Communications intended for publication, and
all Books, etc., for notice, should be sent to Mr Percy H. Grimshaw,
Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

Subscriptions and Advertisements should be addressed to the
Publishers, Messrs Oliver and Boyd, Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

Authors of General Articles will receive 25 Reprints (in covers) of
their Contributions gratis. Additional Copies, in covers, may be had from
the Printers, at the undermentioned rates, exclusive of postage, provided #
*such orders accompany the Manuscript.

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4 pages 4/6

8 „ 61-

12 „ 8/-

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THE NATURALIST

A Monthly Illustrated Journal of Natural History for the North of England

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 , 0/

J. Gilbert Baker, F.R.S., F.L.S. ; Professor P. F. Kendall, M.Sc, F.G.S. ;

T. H. Nelson, M.Sc, M.B.O.U. ; Geo. T. Porritt, F.L.S., F.E.S. ;

John W. Taylor, M.Sc. ; Riley Fortune, F.Z.S.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

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191 1, in all Twenty Volumes, handsomely bound in
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Many of the Back Numbers can still be supplied.

From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E.

Member of the British Association Committee on the Migration of Birds

as Observed on the British ami lush Coasts, and Author of its Final

Reports, lSy6-l%3, etc.

With Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and Weather Charts.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy Svo. ISs. 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." — J'/ie Athenauni.

■'This book has been long expected, and it is certainly one worth waiting
for."— .\rt/.v;Y.

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, p^l, Is.

" Excellent alike in style and matter, it ought to be in the hands of every lover of
birds." — Annals of Natural Hist07y.

" 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, ISIigrations, 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,
doth. ^1, 10s.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

Ready Aid to Distinguish the- Commoner
Wild Birds of Great Britain

By David T. Price. Pocket Size, Hmp cloth. Is. net.

GURNEY & JACKSON, 2,Z PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.C.

VOLUMES ON NATURAL HISTORY, including many valuable works
on Botany, Conchologj', Entomology, Ornithology, etc., New and Second-
hand, at half to quarter publishers' prices. Many thousands of British and tropical
Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Pupx, etc. A few good Varieties of British Birds (Albinos, etc.).
Lists from

A. FORD, South View, Irving RoAd, Bournemouth.

CONTENTS

PAGK

Editorial . . . . . . . .49

Bird-Parasites and Bird-Phylogeny . . . .51

Movements of the Gannet as observed at the Butt of Lewis. —

Robert Clyne . . . . . -55

Observations on the Hatching of Stetiopsocus cruciatus. — {Miss)

L. H. Hide, F.E.S. (Plate I.) . . . .61

Notes :

Birds and Aeroplanes — Henry Coates^ 66 ; The " Milkman's
Whistle '' of the Barn Owl — John Robertson, 60 ; Notes on
the Gannet — John Robertson, 66 ; Notes on the Extension
of Range of the Crested Tit — William Berry, 68 ; Rough-
legged Buzzard in East Fife — Evelyn V. Baxter and
Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul^ 68; Honey Buzzard in Berwick-
shire— T. G. Laidlaw, 69 ; Bernicle Goose in Berwickshire
— T. G. Laidlaw, 69 ; Landrail at St Kilda, 69 ; Little
Auks in the Perth District — Henry Coates, 70 ; Black-
tailed Godwit in Forth — William Evans, 70; Lycaena ~-
artaxerxes and Zygasna filipendul^e in Kincardineshire, 70 ;
Acronycta aceris on Birch in Aberdeenshire, 70 ; A new
British Moth, 70 ; Miscodera arctica, Payk., in the Forth
Area — William Evans, 71 ; Bembidium paludosum, Panz.,
and Coelambus quinquelineatus, Zett., in the Forth Area —
William Evans, 71 ; Staphylinid Beetle from Orkney, 71 ;
A new British Ant, 65 ; Andrena trimmerana, K., and its
allies, 71 ; Simulium equinum, L., in Scotland, 72 ; Tri-
choptera (Caddis-flies) from Fair Isle, Shetland — William
Evans, 72.

Book Notice : The Structure of the Fowl , . .72

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE

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6s. 6d. post free, should be addressed to the Publishers,
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Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

PHlNrKD HY OLIVER AND BOVD, EDISBUROH.

No. 52.] 19 1 6 [April.

The Scottish NaturaUst

A Monthly Magazine devoted to Zoology ^,„-rr7>

With which IS incorporated

f

"The Annals of Scottish Natural HistoryLnY

EDITED BY

WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E., EtcX

Keeper, Kattirai History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

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

JS'lember of t'lie British Ornithologists'' Union

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

Assistant Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, LL.D., F.R.S.E
EVELYN V BAXTER. H.M.B.O.U.
LEONORA J. RINTOUL. H.M.B.O.U

ASSISTED BY ;

H. S. GLADSTONE, M.A., K.R.S.E.. K.Z.S. \

JAMES RITCHIE, M.A., DSc. ,

A. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON M.A., M.B.O.U. i

EDINBURGH : OLIVER & BOYD, Tweeddale Court

LONDON : GURNEY & JACKSON, ZZ Paternoster Row

%

Price 9^. Annual Subscription, payable in advance, 6s. 6d. post free

\

The Scottish Naturalist

All Articles and Communications intended for publication, and
all Books, etc., for notice, should be sent to Mr Percy H. Grimshaw,
Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

Subscriptions and Advertisements should be addressed to the
PubUshers, Messrs Oliver and Boyd, Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

Authors of General Articles will receive 25 Reprints (in covers) of
their Contributions gratis. Additional Copies, in covers, may be had from
the Printers, at the undermentioned rates, exclusive of postage, provided
such orders accompany the Manuscript.

25 Copies 50 Copies 100 Copies

■ 4 pages 4/6 6/- " 9/6

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WATKINS ^ DONCASTER

IRaturalists

Keep in Stock every kind of APPARATUS and CABINETS required by
Entomologists, Ornithologists, Botanists, etc.

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A LARGE STOCK OF BUTTERFLIES, MOTHS, BIRDS, EGGS, Ete.

Full Catalogue {84 pages) mailed free to any address

36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C, ENGLAND

THE NATURALIST

A Monthly Illustrated Journal of Natural History for the North of England

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.

Wit/i the assistance, as^ReJerees in Special Departments, 0/

J. Gilbert Baker, F.R,S., F.L.S.,; Professor P. F. Kendall, M.Sc, F.G.S. ;

T. H, Nelson, M.Sc, M.IS.O.U. ; Geo. T. Porritt, F.L.S., F.E.S. ;

John W. Taylor, M.Sc. ; Riley Fortune, F.Z.S.

All Communications to be addressed to —

THE EDITORS, "THE NATURALIST," THE MUSEUMS, HULL

Annual Subscription, 6s. 6d. Single Numbers, 6d. ; by post, 76..

LONDON : A. BROWN & SONS, Ltd., 5 Farrin^^don Avenue, E.C.

WANTED.— WHITE OR OTHER RARE VARIETIES OF
BRITISH BIRDS. Address "C," Messrs Oliver and Boyd,
Tweeddale Courts Edinburgh.

From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

- By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E.

Member of the Bntisli Association Committee on tlie Migration of Birds

as Observed on the British and Irish Coasts, and Author of its Final

Reports, ]S;t6-1903, etc.

W^th Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and Weather Charts.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy 8vo. 18s. 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 sulject. It is certain that to the serious student
of bird migra'iion the volumes are indispensable." — The Alheiimirn.

"This book has-been long expected, and it is certainly one worth Avaiting
for." — Nature.

An IlFustrated Manual of British Birds

By Howard Saunders, F.L.S., F.Z.S., etc. Second Edition. Demy
8vo, with 384 fine Woodcuts and 3 Maps. ^^1, Is.

" Excellent alike in style and matter, it ought to be in the hands of every lover of
birds." — A nnah Sf A'alural 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. 8vo,
cloth. £\, 10s.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

Ready Aid to Distinguish the Commoner

Wild Birds of Great Britain

By David T. Price. Pocket Size, limp cloth. Is. net.

GURNEY & JACKSON, zz PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.G.

1 AAA VOLUMES ON NATURAL HISTORY, "including many valuable works
-L'JUU on Botany, Conchology, Entomolog)', Ornithology, etc., New and Second-
hand, at half to quarter publishers' prices. Manj' thousands of British and tropical
Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Pupjs, etc. A few good Varieties of British Birds (Albinos, etc.).
Lists frorrv

A. FORD, South View, Irving Road, Bournemouth.

CONTENTS

Editorial . . . . . . -73

Notes on some Scottish Birds observed in 1915. — William

Eagle Clarke, M.B.O.U. . . . . -75

A Note yon the Hibernation of FHes.— y. H. Ashiioorth, D.Sc. . 81
The Study of Diptera.— /'fm- H. Grimshaw, F.R.S.E., F.E.S. 85
Hydracarina from Strathearn. — William Williamson, F^.S.E. 89

The Colour of Huitfeldtia rectipes Sig Thor. — William

Williamson, F.R.S.E. . . . . .92

Notes :

Some Notes on the Eclipse Plumage of the Young Male
Goldeneye — Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul,
93; Swimming of young Lapwings — T. Thortitoii Mackeith,
94 ; Ivory Gull on the West Coast of Scotland — Leonard
Barnard, 95;; Ivory Gulls in Inverness-shire — William
Berry, 95 ; Little Gull at the mouth of the Don — George
Paterson, jq ; Land and Freshwater MoUusca of Jura
and neighbouring islands, 74 ; Slugs in the mountains of
Westerness — f-F. Denison Roebuck, 80; Hylastes cuni-
cularius, Er., in Peeblesshire— /fl7;^,?j- W. Munro , 92 ; Bem-
bidium quinquestriatum, Gyll., in the Edinburgh District,
93 ; Myelophilus minor (Hartig), in Forfarshire — James
W. Munro, 93 ; Dryocastes autographus, Ratz., near Hare-
law, Midlothian— yi3'/;/t'j' W. Munro, 95 ; Note on the
habits of Fhlceophthorus rhododactylus. Marsh, and
Hylastinus obscurus. Marsh — James W. Munro, 96;
Sinodendron cylindricum, L., in Peeblesshire — Jatnes W.
Munro, 96 ; Andrena cetii, Schr., in Forth and Argyll —
William Evans, 88 ; Plague of Flies in a Renfrewshire
house — T. Thornton Mackcith, 84. •

Book Notice : The British Marine Annelids, Vol. III., Part I.

(Text) and Part II. (Plates) . . . .80

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE

The Annual Subscription for 1916, payable in advance,
6s. 6d. post free, should be addressed to the Publishers,
Oliver and Boyd, Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

Covers for Binding " Tlie Scottish Naturalist "

Special Cloth Cases for Binding the 1915 Volume can be
supplied at Is. each (by Post Is. 2d,), by Oliver and Boyd,
Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

PHINTKD BV OLIVER AND BOVD, KUlSbOROH.

No. 53.] 1916 [May.

The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Magazine devoted to Zoology

With which is incorporated

"The Annals of Scottish Natural History"

EDITED BY

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

Keeper, Natural History Department, Roval Scottish Museum

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

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, LL.D., F.R.S.E. I H. S. GLADSTONE, M.A., F.R.S.E., F.Z.S.

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STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E.

Member of the British Association Committeo on tlie Migration of Birds

as Observed on the British and Insh Coasts, and Author of its Final

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•'This book has been long expected, and it is certainly one worth waiting
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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. ;Q\, Is.

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birds of a single region that has ever been written." — Science Gossip.

The Birds of Ireland

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observed in Ireland, with all additions to the Irish Li.st, including an
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NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

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Svo, with 1780 Coloured Figures. ;^3, 3s.

GURNEY & JACKSON, 33 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.G.

CONTENTS

Editorial

1

\

PAGE

97

Continental Racial Forms of Scottish Breeding Birds and
their Occurrences in ^coWsind.— Leonora Jeffrey Rifitouf,
JL.M.B.O.U., dind Evelyn V. Baxter, H.M.B.O.U. . 99

Easterness: The Vice-County and its Molluscan Fauna.—

, W. Denison Roebuck, M.Sc, F.L.S. . . . 107

Diptera Scotica : VI.— The Western Isles (continued).— Bercy

H. Grimshaiv, RR.S.E., F.E.S. . . . -115

Notes :

Comparison of Danish and Scottish Ornithological Movements
in 1914 — Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul,
106 ; Barn Owl in the Glasgow District— /aw^j Bar-
tholomew, 1 14 ; Flies in a Perthshire House — Percy H.
Grimshaw, 114 ; Tipula vittata, Mg., in Perthshire—^. E.
J. Carter, 114; Empis concolor, Verr., in Midlothian —
A. E. J. Carter, 119; Leria flavotestacea, Zett., in Mid-
lothian and Perthshire— yi. E. J. Carter, 119; The Wood-
lice of Scotland — W. E. Collmge, 120; Ljemobothrium
tinnunculi (L.), from a Kestrel in the Forth Area—
William Evans, 120.

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE

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FKIMTKD RV OLIVER AND BOVD, EDINDL'ROH

No. 54.] 1916 [June.

The Scottish NaturaHst

A Monthly Magazine devoted to Zoology ^_

With which is incorporated f^

"The Annala^ of Scottish Natural History-"- n.-

■<'.

EDITED BY

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

Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

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

Memher 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

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, LL.D., F.R.S.E.
EVELYN V. BAXTER, H.M.B.O.U.
LEONORA J. RlNTOUL.>I.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.

EDINBURGH: OLIVER & BOYD, Tweeddale Court
LONDON : GURNEY & JACKSON, 2>2> Paternoster Row

Price gd. Annual Subscription, payable in advance, 6s 6d. post free

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all Books, etc., for notice, should be sent to Mr Percy H. Grimshaw,
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Full Catalogue {84 pages) mailed free to any address

36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C, ENGLAND

THE NATURALIST

A Monthly Illustrated Journal of Natural History for the North of England

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. ;

T. H. Nelson, M.Sc, M.B.O.U. ; Geo. T. Porritt, F.L.S., F.E.S. ;

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Annual Subscription, 6s. 6d. Single Numbers, 6d. ; by post, 7d.

LONDON : A. BROWN & SONS, Ltd., 5 Farringdon Avenue, E.G.

From Gurney £# Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, 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.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy 8vo. 18s. 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." — The Athenaitm.

"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
8vo, with 384 fine Woodcuts and 3 Maps. jQl, Is.

" 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. 8vo,
cloth. ^1, 10s.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

Ready Aid to Distinguish the Commoner
Wild Birds of Great Britain

By David T. Price. Pocket Size, limp cloth. Is. net.

British Wild Flowers

By John E. Sowerbv, Author of The Ferns of Great Britahi.
Described, with an Introduction and a Key to the Natural Orders,
by C. Pierpoint Johnson. Reissue, to which is added a Supple-
ment containing 180 Figures, comprising later discovered Flowering
Plants, and the Ferns, Horse-tails, and Club-Mosses. Super-royal
8vo, with 1780 Coloured Figures. ;^3, 3s.

GURNEY & JACKSON, n PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.G.

CONTENTS

\

PAGE

121

Editorial ••.....

Continental Racial Forms of Scottish Breeding Birds and
their Occurrences in Scotland {concluded). — Leonora Jeffrey
Rintoui, H.M.B.O. U., dindEvelyn V. Baxter, H.M.B.O. U. 123

Lepidoptera and other Insects at Scottish Lighthouses in

19 1 5. — William Evans, F.R.S.E. . . . .129^

Diptera Scotica : VI. — The Western Isles (concluded). — Fercj

H. Grimshaw, F.R.S.E., F.E.S. . . . .134

The Hibernation of Flies in a Fifeshire House. — Major T. K.

Gaskell . . . . . . .139

On the Occurrence of Stefwmalus muscarwn (Linn.) in Company

with Hibernating Flies. — Rev. James Waterston, B.D., B.Sc: 140

On the Specific Identity of the Wood-Louse, Oniscus fossor,

Y^och.— Waller E. Collinge, M.Sc, F.L.S. . . 143

Notes :

Miscodera arctica in Forth area — D.ffamilto7i, 138 ; Quedionu-
chus lasvigatus, Gyll., in Forth — William Evans, 138;
Neuroptera (in the Linnean sense) from Inverness-shire, 133.

Book Notice: The British Freshwater Rhizopodaand HeHozoa. 128

NOTICE

The July and August numbers will be combined, and
will be devoted to the "Report on Scottish Ornithology
in I9i5>" by the Misses Rintoui and Baxter.

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE

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X

RINTBD BV OLIVER AND BOVD, EDINBOROH.

iThis number is devoted to the "Report on Scottish
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NOS. 55 AND 56.J

I9I6

[July- August.

The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Magcvzine devoted to Zoology

With which is incorporated

" The Annals of Scottish Natural His

tor v^ L I S R -^ ^^ ^^

^

EDITED BY

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

Keeper, Natural His tori/ Department, Royal Scottish J^useum

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

Member oj the Britisii Ornithologists^ Union

PERCY H. G^IMSHAW, F.R.S.E., F.E.S.

Assistant- Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

ASSISTED BY

J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, LL.D., F.R.S.E.
EVELYN V BAXTER, H.M.B.O.U.
LEONORA J. RINTOUL. H.M.B.O.U.

H. S. GLADSTONE, M.A., K.R S E., F.Z.S

JAMES RITCHIE, M.A., DSc.

A. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON. M.A., M.B.O.U.

EDINBURGH : OLIVER & BOYD, Tweeddale Court
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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.

IVV//; ^/?e 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. ;

T. H. Nelson, M.Sc, M.B.O.U. ; Geo. T. Porritt, F.L.S., F.E.S. ;

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From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

By WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, 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.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy 8vo. 18s. net.

" Thtre is no other English ornithologist better quahfied 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." — The Athenaiwu

"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. £,\^ Is.

" Excellent alike in style and matter, it ought to be in the hands of every lover of
birds." — A nnals 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.

v.^

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. ^1, 10s.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

Ready Aid to Distinguish the Commoner
Wild Birds of Great Britain

By David T. Price. Pocket Size, limp cloth. Is. net.

British Wild Flowers

By John E. Sowerby, Author of The Ferns of Great Britain.
Described, with an Introduction and a Key to the Natural Orders,
by C. Pierpoint Johnson. Reissue, to which is added a Supple-
ment containing il^o Figures, comprising later discovered Flowering
Plants, and the Ferns, Horse-tails, and Club-Mosses. Super-royal
Svo, with 17S0 Coloured Figures. ;£?>, 3s.

GURNEY & JACKSON, 33 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.G.

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PRINTED BY OLIVBR AND BOVD. KDINBUBUH.

No. 57.]

1916

[September.

The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Magazme devoted to Zoology

With which IS incorporated /U5 ^ -^9^ t*

L . t ! G5 R A R y

"The Annals of Scottish Natural History" ^^^■'^ >

EDITED BY

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

Keener, Natural Histori/ Department. Royal Scottish Aluseum

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

iVIemier oj the British Ornithologists' Union •

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

Assistant-Keeper, Natural Historij Department, Royal Scottish Museum

EVELYN V BAXTER, H.M.B.O.U.

LEONORA J. RINTOUL. 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 LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON. M.A.,
M B O U.

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

Special Number, is. 6d. net. Annual Subscription, ts. 6d. post free

The Scottish Naturalist

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all Books, etc., for notice, should be sent to Mr Percy H. Grimshaw,
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Subscriptions and Advertisements should be addressed to the
Publishers, Messrs Oliver and Boyd, Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

Authors of General Articles will receive 25 Reprints (in covers) of
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Full Catalogue {84 pages) mailed free to any address

36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C, ENGLAND

THE NATURALIST

A Monthly Illustrated Journal of Natural History for the North of England

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 Rejerees m Special Departments, of

J. Gilbert Baker, F.R.S., F.L.S. ; Professor P. F. Kendall, M.Sc, F.G.S. ;

T. H. Nelson, M.Sc, M.B.O.U. ; Geo. T. Porritt, F.L.S., F.E.S. ;

John W. Taylor, M.Sc ; Riley Fortune, F.Z.S.

All Communications to be addressed to —

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Annual Subscription, 6s. 6d. Single Numbers, 6d. ; by post, yd.

LONDON : A. BROWN & SONS, Ltd., 5 Farringdon Avenue, E.G.

From Gurney ^ Jackson's List

STUDIES IN BIRD MIGRATION

Bv WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E.

Jleniber of the British Association Committee on the Migration of Birds

as Observed on the British and Irish Coasts, and Author of its Final

Reports, 1896-1903, etc.

With Numerous Illustrations, ]\Iaps, and Weather Charts.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy 8vo. 18s. net.

"There is no other English ornithologist better qualifitd 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 sufject. It is certain that to the serious student
of bird migration the volumes are indispensable." — T/ie AihetiaiDn.

"This book has been long expected, and it is certainly one worth waiting
for." — A'at'.ire.

An Illustrated Manual ol 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.

•' Excellent alike in style and matter, it ought 10 be in the hands of e^■ery lover of
birds." — A nnals of Nahiral History.

" The whole book forms the most concise and at the same time trustworthy bock on
birds of a single region that has ever been written." — Scierce 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.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

Ready Aid to Distinguish the Commoner

Wild Birds of Great Britain

By David T. Price. Pocket Size, limp cloth. Is. net.

British Wild Flowers

By John E. Sowerby, Author of The Ferjis of Great Britahi.
Described, with an Introduction and a Key to the Natural Orders,
by C. Pierpoint Johnson. Reissue, to which is added a Supple-
ment containing it^o Figures, comprising later discovered Flowering
Plants, and the Ferns, Horse-tails, and Club-Mosses. Super-royal
Svo, with 1780 Coloured Figures. ^3, 3s.

GURNEY & JACKSON, zz PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.C.

*

CONTENTS I

PAGE i

In Memoriam — John Alexander Harvie-Brown . . .219 i

Notes on Two Collections of Mice from Lewis, Outer Hebrides. j

— Martm A. C. Hinto7i and G. Bathurst Hony^ B.A. . 221 ;

Main Argyll and its Inland Molluscan Fauna. — W. Denison \

Roebuck, M.Sc, J^.L.S. ..... 229 \

Notes : j
Cetacea stranded on the Scottish Coasts, 227 ; Re-occurrence

of Pityophagus dps) ferrugineus in the Forth Area — J. W. \

Munro, 228 ; Tree-sparrow near Glasgow — James Bar- :

tholomew, 228 ; House-sparrows utilising nest of Black- '

bird — D. J. Balfour Kirke, 228 ; Two Queen Wasps j

apparently constructing the same Nest — D. J. Balfour I

Kirke, 228; Wryneck in Aberdeenshire — A. Lands- \

borough' Thomson, 239 ; Goldcrest's unusual Nesting- '

place — T. M''Gregor Tail, 239 ; Little Gull near Glasgow \

— John Robertson, 240; Goldfinches in Mid-Lothian —

Bruce Campbell, 240 ; Early Appearance of Swift — Rev. ]

William Serlc, 240; The Silver- striped Hawk -moth

(Choerocampa celerio, L.) in Edinburgh — William Evajts,

241 ; The Water-rail at St Kilda-— y. Wiglesworth, 241 ;

Acanthocinus ^dilis, L., at Lauder — Rev. Wvi. M'^Conachie, j

241. '

Book Notice : Medical and Veterinary Entomology . . 242 j

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE

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PRINTSD BY OLIVER AND BOVD, EDINBOBQH.

No. 58.]

1916

[October.

The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Magazine devoted to Zoology

With which is incorporated

"The Annals of Scottish Natural History," '"■' ® " ^ " V

\

EDITED BY

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

Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

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

Member oj the British Ornithologists^ Union

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

Assistant-Keeper, Natural History Department, Royal Scottish Museum

AS®-

ASSISTED BY

EVELYN V. BAXTER, H.M.B.O.U.

LEONORA J. RINTOUL, 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.

EDINBURGH : OLIVER & BOYD, Tweeddale Court
LONDON : GURNEY & JACKSON, 33 Paternoster Rov

Price gd. Annual Subscription, payable in advance, 6s, 6d. post free.

The Scottish Naturalist

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36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C, ENGLAND

THE NATURALIST

A Monthly Illustrated Journal of Natural History for the North of England

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. ;

T. H. Nelson, M.Sc, M.B.O.U. ; Geo. T. Porritt, F.L.S., F.E.S. ;

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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.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy 8vo. 18s. net.

" There is no other hnglish 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." — The Atheimuvi.

"This book has been long expected, and it is certainly one worth waiting
{o^:""— Nature.

An Illustrated Manual of British Birds

By Howard Saunders, F.L.S., F.Z.S., etc. Second Edition. Demy
8vo, with 384 fine Woodcuts and 3 Maps. ^\, Is.

" Excellent alike in style and matter, it ought to be in the hands of every lover of
birds." — Aimals 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. 8vo,
cloth. ^1, 10s.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

Ready Aid to Distinguish the Commoner
Wild Birds of Great Britain

By David T. Price. Pocket Size, limp cloth. Is. net.

British Wild Flowers

By John E. Sowerby, Author of The Ferns of Great Britain.
Described, with an Introduction and a Key to the Natural Orders,
by C. Pierpoint Johnson. Reissue, to which is added a Supple-
ment containing 180 Figures, comprising later discovered Flowering
Plants, and the Ferns, Horse-tails, and Club-Mosses. Super-royal
8vo, with 1780 Coloured Figures. ;^3, 3s.

GURNEY & JACKSON, n PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.G.

CONTENTS

Editorial . . . . . . .243

The New " Bibliography of British Ornithology" — H.S.G. . 247

The Firth of Forth Record of the Levantine Shearwater —

Willtafti Evans, F.R.S.E., M.B.O.U. . . .249

Wigtownshire and its Inland MoUuscan Fauna — IV. Denison

Roebuck, M.Sc, F.L.S. . . . . -253

Coleoptera from Fair Isle — Prof. T. Hudson Beare, B.Sc, F.E.S. 257

Notes on Coleoptera from St Kilda — Prof. T. Hudson Beare,

B.Sc, F.E.S. . . . . . .258

Diptera New to the Scottish List — A. E. J. Carter . . 261

Notes :

Bird Notes from Lauderdale — Rev. IVm. M'Conachie, 252 ;
Crossbill in North Uist — Fred. S. Beveridge, 264 ; Lesser
Whitethroat in Kirkcudbrightshire — George Bolam, 264 ;
Pied Wagtails' curious nest at Largo — Evelyn V. Baxter
and Leonora /. Rintoul, 264 ; Great Crested Grebes at
Kilconquhar Loch — Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora J.
Rintoul, 264 ; Continental Redbreast and Lesser Black-
backed Gull In Fife — Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora J.
Rintoul, 265 ; Larentia salicata, Hb , in Midlothian and
Clackmannan — William Evans, 266; Reoccurrence of
Pityogenes chalcographus L. in Scotland — James IV.
Monro, 266 ; Cryphalus abietis Ratzb. in Peeblesshire —
James W. Munro, 263.

Book Notices :

The Birds of Britain, 246 ; Fungoid and Insect Pests of the
Farm, 266.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

A few Complete Sets of "The Annals of Scottish
Natural History," from its Commencement in 1892 to
1911, in all Twenty Volumes, handsomely bound in
cloth, gilt top, are still available, at the reduced
price of £4, 4s. net.
Many of the Back Numbers can still be supplied.

PRINTED BV OLIVBB AND BOVD, BDINBOBOH.

No. 59.]

1916

[November.

The Scottish Naturalist

A Monthly Magazine devoted to Zoology

With which is incorporated

The Annals of Scottish Natural History*-

ij^^A ^»^ -^y^^
' ,a LI B R ARYJ30

EDITED BY

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

Keeper, Natural Histonj Department, Royal Scottish Museum

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, H.M.B.O.U.

LEONORA J. RINTOUL, 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. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON, M.A.,
M.B.O.U.

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

Price ^d. Annual Subscription., payable in advance, 6s. 6d. post free.

The Scottish Naturalist

All Articles and Communications intended for publication, and
all Books, etc., for notice, should be sent to Mr Percy H. Grimshaw,
Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

Subscriptions and Advertisements should be addressed to the
Publishers, Messrs Oliver and Boyd, Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

Authors of General Articles will receive 25 Reprints (in covers) of
their Contributions gratis. Additional Copies, in covers, may be had from
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A LARGE STOCK OF BQTTERFLIES, MOTHS, BIRDS, EGGS, Etc.

Full Catalogue {84 pages) mailed free to any address

36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C, ENGLAND

THE NATURALIST

A Monthly Illustrated Journal of Natural History for the North of England

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 Depai'tments, of

J. Gilbert Baker, F.R.S., F.L.S. ; Professor P. F. Kendall, M.Sc, F.G.S. ;

T. H. Nelson, M.Sc, M.B.O.U. ; Geo. T. Porritt, F.L.S., F.E.S. ;

John W. Taylor, M.Sc. ; Riley Fortune, F.Z.S.

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Annual Subscription, 6s. 6d. Single Numbers, 6d. ; by post, yd.

LONDON : A. BROWN & SONS, Ltd., 5 Farringdon Avenue, E.C.

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, 1896-1903, etc.

With Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and Weather Charts.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy 8vo. 18s. 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." — The Athenaum.

•'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
8vo, with 384 fine Woodcuts and 3 Maps. J[^\^ Is.

" 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. 8vo,
cloth. £\, 10s.

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION

Ready Aid to Distinguish the Commoner
Wild Birds of Great Britain

By David T. Price. Pocket Size, limp cloth. Is. net.

British Wild Flowers

By John E. Sowerbv, Author of The Ferns of Great Britain.
Described, with an Introduction and a Key to the Natural Orders,
by C. PiERPOiNT Johnson. Reissue, to which is added a Supple-
ment containing 180 Figures, comprising later discovered Flowering
Plants, and the Ferns, Horse-tails, and Club-lNIosses. Super-royal
8vo, with 1780 Coloured Figures. £,"?>, 3s.

GURNEY & JACKSON, 33 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.G.

CONTENTS

PAGB

Editorial . . . . . . .267

Some Notes on Birds seen at Raasay — Jean Helen Gaskell . 269

Wigtownshire and its Inland MoUuscan Fauna {continued') —

W. Denison Roebuck^ M.Sc, F.L.S. . . . 271

Hylastes cumcularius, Er., and its Relation to the Forest — James

W.Munro,B.Sc.{Agr.\B.Sc.{For.) . . -275

Haliclystus auricula (Rathke), and other Medusse in the Firth of

¥or\h— William Evans, F.R.S.E. . . . .283

Notes :

The Capercaillie in Renfrewshire^ 7". Thornton Macketth, 270 ;
Whinchat imitating Swallow's Notes — John Robertson, 282 ;
Spotted Redshank (Totanus fuscus) in Fife — William
Berry, 287 ; Nightjar in the Island of Lewis—/?. Mackefisie,
288; The Gadwall in Midlothian^ rFz7//fl;« Evans, 289;
White Variety of Black Slug in Stirlingshire — W. Detiison
Roebuck, 274 ; Easterness Mollusca : Additions — W.
Deniso7i Roebuck, 282 ; Records of Scottish Mollusca, 289 ;
The Striped Hawk Moths (Choerocampa celerio, L., and
Deilephila livornica, Esp.) in the Border Counties — George
Bolam, 286 ; Larentia salicata, Hb., in South-east of
Scotland — George Bolam, 290 ; Dryocsetes autographus,
Ratz., in East Lothian — William Evans, 288 ; Hylastes
cunicularius, Er., in Aberdeenshire^/^/w^j W. Munro, 290 ;
Deleaster dichrous, Grav., in Roxburghshire, 290 ; Scottish
Records of Braconidae, 288 ; A Humble-bee's Attempt at
Nest-building in a Shawl — Mary M. Wilson, 289.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

A few Complete Sets of "The Annals of Scottish
Natural History," from its Commencement in 1892 to
ipii, in all Twenty Volumes, handsomely bound in
cloth, gilt top, are still available, at the reduced
price of £4, 4s. net.
Many of the Back Numbers can still be supplied.

PRINTED BY OLIVER AND BOYD, KUlNBURaH.

No. 60.]

1916

[December.

The Scottish Naturahst

A Monthly Magivzine devoted to Zoology

With which is incorporated

"The Annals of Scottish Natural Histoj^'L ' S R A P v; -r-

EDITED BY

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

Keeper, N'aturji Historii Depjrtmetit, Ruy.il Scottish Museum

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

Member of tlie British Ornithologists' Union

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

Assistant-Keeper, Natural Historij Department, Roi/al Scottish Museum

ASSISTED BY

EVELYN V. BAXTER. H.M.B.O.U. I JAMES RITCHIE, M.A., D Sc.

LEONORA J. RINTOUL H.M.B.O.U. I A. LANDSBOROUGH THOMSON, M.A.,

H. S. GLADSTONE, M.A., F.R S E.. K.Z.S ! M BO.U

EDINBURGH : OLIVER & BOYD, Tweeddale Court |

LONDON : GURNEY & JACKSON, y^ Paternoster Row j

Price ^d. Annual Subscription, payable in advance, 6j. 6^/. post free.

The Scottish Naturalist

All Articles and Communications intended for publication, and
all Books, etc., for notice, should be sent to Mr Percy H. Grimshaw,
Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh.

Subscriptions and Advertisements should be addressed to the
Publishers, Messrs Oliver and Boyd, Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

Authors of General Articles will receive 25 Reprints (in covers) of
their Contributions gratis. Additional Copies, in covers, may be had from
the Printers, at the undermentioned rates, exclusive of postage, provided
such orders accompany the Manuscript.

26 Copies

30 Copies

100 Copies

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4/6

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9/6

8 „

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1 1/6

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9/6

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1 1/6

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IRaturalists

Keep in Stock every kind of APPARATUS and CABINETS required by
Entomologists, Ornithologists, Botanists, etc.

Also, NESTING BOXES, which should be fixed in Gardens or
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A LARGE STOCK OF BUTTERFLIES, MOTHS, BIRDS, EGGS, Etc.

Full Catalogue {84 pages) mailed free to any address

36 STRAND, LONDON, W.C, ENGLAND

THE NATURALIST

A Monthly Illustrated Journal of Natural History for the North of England

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.

IVt'i^ 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. ;

Riley Fortune, F.Z.S.

All Communications to be addressed to —

THE EDITORS, "THE NATURALIST," THE MUSEUMS, HULL

Annual Subscription, 6s. 6d. Single Numbers, 6ci. ; by post, yd.

LONDON : A. BROWN & SONS, Ltd., 5 Farringdon Avenue, EX.

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, 1S96-1903, etc.

With Numerous Illustrations, Maps, and ^^"eather Charts.
2 Vols. Sq. Demy 8vo. 18s. 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." — 7'Ag Aihftiaum.

"This book has been long expected, and it is certainly one worth waiting
for." — iVahirf.

An Illustrated Manual of British Birds

By Howard Saunders, F.L.S., F.Z.S., etc. Second Edition. Demy
8vo, with 384 fine Woodcuts and 3 Maps. ;£\, Is.

"Excellent alike in style and matter, it ought to be in the hands of every lover of
birds." — A una Is 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. 8vo,
cloth. £\, lUs.

GURNEY & JACKSON, Z2> PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.G.

PUBLISHERS' NOTICE

The Annual Subscription for 1917, payable in advance,
6s. 6d. post free, should be addressed to the Publishers,
Oliver and Boyd, Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

Covers for Binding ''Tfie Scott is fi Naturalist"

Special Cloth Cases for Binding the 1916 Volume can be
supplied at Is. each (by Post Is. 2d.), by Oliver and Boyd,
Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh.

CONTENTS

PAGE

Editorial . . . . . . ' . 291

Pied Wheatear and other Rare Birds in Orkney— John Bai/i . 293

On the First Winter Plumage of the Female Pied Wheatear,

CEnanthe leuco77iela — Wm. Eagle Clarke, LL.D., F.R.S.E. 293

Wigtownshire and its Inland MoUuscan Fauna {concluded') —

W. Deiiison Roebuck, jW.Sc, E.L.S. . . . 295

Notes on Insects captured in the Island of Raasay — William

Evans and Percy H. Gritnshaiv . . . .299

Some Forest Insects in Aberdeenshire — Walter Ritchie, B.Sc. . 301

Scolytids (including Hylastes cunicularius and Pityophthorns
ramulorum) and other Coleoptera (including Metabletus
truncatellus) taken in the Forth Area — William Evans,
F.R.S.E. ....... 303

Notes :

Acronycta aceris in Aberdeenshire — a Correction, 294 ; Hoopoe
in Ayrshire — Charles Kirk, 294 ; Cumberland-bred Black-
headed Gulls nesting in Scotland — H. W. Robinson, 298 ;
Dryocastes autographus, Rtz., etc., in Peeblesshire —
James W. Munro,' 309 ; Cemiostoma laburnella, Heyd.,
in the Forth Area — William Evans, 309 ; The Feathered
Thorn or October Moth in Aberdeenshire — Alex. Mac-
donald, 309.

Index ........ 310

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

A few Complete Sets of "The Annals of Scottish
Natural History," from its Commencement in 1892 to
1911, in all Twenty Volumes, handsomely bound in
cloth, gilt top, are still available, at the reduced
price of £4, 4s. net.
Many of the Back Numbers can still be supplied.

PRINTED BY OLIVER AND BOVD, KUINBUROH.

MBL WHOI LIBRARY

UH IflTF G