50 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



A fine female specimen came into my hands this autumn. In 

 recent years the species, so abundant in north-western waters, has 

 been finding its way round to our firth with increasing frequency. 

 R. SERVICE, Maxwelltown. 



Smew and White-fronted Goose in Shetland. I received from 

 Mr. T. Henderson, jun., of Dunrossness, an immature Smew (Mergus 

 albellus) shot on Loch Spiggie on i5th December: in the letter 

 accompanying the specimen, Mr. Henderson informs me that he also 

 shot a White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) on the i3th. T. E. 

 BUCKLEY, Inverness. 



Red-legged Partridge in Forfarshire. When shooting in 

 Forfarshire on the 6th November, I saw a Red-legged Partridge 

 (Caccabis rufa) shot : it was a male in fine plumage. The keeper 

 said that he was aware of a pair being on the ground, and that he had 

 seen a nest with eggs in the spring. W. H. M. DUTHIE, Row, Doune. 



Former presence of the Ptarmigan in Rum. It may interest 

 those who are studying the historic aspect of the past and present 

 distribution of our native Scottish animals to know of an old record 

 which I do not remember having seen quoted of the presence 

 of the Ptarmigan on the island of Rum, as related in a somewhat 

 uncommon book which is now before me, and for which I am 

 indebted to my friend Colonel H. W. Feilden, who also drew rny 

 attention to the passage. The work is " The Life of Edward Daniel 

 Clarke," by William Otter, and the preface to the second edition 

 bears date of 3ist December 1824. This author is best known to 

 general readers by his series of volumes entitled " Travels in various 

 Countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa," n vols. 1816-1824. But I 

 am not aware that it is generally known that he made a voyage to 

 Scotland and the Western Isles, as related in his " Life," vol. i. 

 chap. iv. p. 250. The passage referring to the Ptarmigan is as 

 follows [I quote it fully, as I believe it possesses sufficient interest 

 to Scottish naturalists generally]. Having described the great 

 crater or corrie of Oreval a mountain in Rum and the ancient 

 method of entrapping the Red Deer, Clarke goes on to say : " Mr. 

 M. remaining in the crater with his gun to seek for game among the 

 heath and morass, I continued my journey towards the summit. 

 In my way up, among the loose stones near the top, those beautiful 

 birds the Ptarmigans came so near me, and appeared so little 

 alarmed at my intrusion, that I nearly took one of them with my 

 hands. It appeared of a fine glossy dark colour, almost black, with a 

 beautiful ring of the purest white round its neck." [This sounds- 

 says the reader uncommonly like a misidentification.] Clarke 

 then goes on to say : " They change their colour with every season 

 of the year, and are seen alternately brown, gray, and white. Its 

 most usual appearance is that of a dusky brown, like moor/owls " 



