74 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



The specimen recorded as having been shot about 

 1 86 1, in the Pentland Hills, Midlothian, which passed into 

 the collection of Mr. Charles Cowan of Logan House 

 ("Field," 4th March 1871), is stated by Mr. William Evans 

 to be a Common Bittern (Botaurus stellaris] (Howard 

 Saunders, "Man. Brit. Birds," 1889, p. 734). 



Mr. Roderick Gillies, landlord of the Imperial Hotel, 

 Oban, has in his possession a stuffed American Bittern 

 which he bought from his predecessor, Mr. W. MacKenzie. 

 This bird is said to have been caught about ten years ago 

 at sea, aboard one of the North Atlantic liners, and cannot, 

 therefore, be included in the list of the occurrences of this 

 species in Scotland. 



For the compilation of the above facts, I have to thank 

 not only Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brovvn, but also Mr. T. N. 

 Johnston, Mr. A. Landsborough Thomson, the Earl of 

 Cassillis, and Mr. Roderick Gillies. 



THE SUPPOSED EGGS OF THE WOOD-SAND- 

 PIPER (TOTANUS GLAREOLA] TAKEN IN 

 ELGINSHIRE IN 1853. 



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



WITH reference to my note in this magazine for 1899 

 (p. 14), calling attention to Thurnall's record of finding a 

 nest of the Wood-Sandpiper ( Totanus glareola) in Elginshire, 

 on 23rd May 1853, I think it right to make known the 

 following communications which I subsequently received 

 from the late Professor Alfred Newton on the subject. 



On 6th July 1901, Professor Newton wrote me from 

 Magdalene College, Cambridge, as follows : " I have had 

 occasion to look over some bundles of old letters, written to 

 me by my late brother Edward while he was at this college, 

 and among them I have found the enclosures I herewith 

 send, which may have some interest for you in regard to 

 the letters which passed between us some two years ago, 

 concerning the supposed eggs of the Wood-Sandpiper alleged 



