ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 257 



ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. 



Crossbills in Foula, Shetland. A solitary Crossbill (Loxia 

 ciirvirostra) made its appearance here on the 1 6th of August, after a 

 strong breeze from N.W., N., N.E., on the two preceding days ; and 

 I saw five more on the 3rd of September. The islanders tell me they 

 have never seen these birds here before. FRANK TRAIL, Foula. 



[A bird of the same species, a female, was captured at the 

 Monach Lighthouse, Outer Hebrides, on the yth of August, and was 

 sent to us for identification by Mr. W. A. Tulloch. On the 2nd of 

 July a flock of Crossbills appeared at the Skerryvore Rock Light- 

 house, as we are informed by Messrs. Nicol and Charleson. -EDS.] 



Kingfisher in Mull. The Kingfisher (Akedo ispida) is suffi- 

 ciently unfamiliar in all the Hebrides to make its occurrence of 

 some interest. I observe in the "Evening Times" of the i2th of 

 September that a fine specimen killed itself the other day by flying 

 against the windows of Aros House, Tobermory. JOHN PATERSON, 

 Glasgow. 



Nesting of the Tufted Duek in Renfrewshire. I was surprised 

 to see under the above heading, in the " Annals " for July, the Tufted 

 Duck (Fuligula cristata) at Eaglesham recorded as a new addition 

 to the birds of East Renfrewshire. During my residence in Glasgow 

 in the years 1888-91 I always considered the Tufted Duck to be by 

 far the most common of the various species of duck which frequent 

 the lochs around Eaglesham, Mearns, and Neilston. I never 

 remember during my frequent excursions to these lochs, both in 

 summer and winter, ever to have missed seeing several pairs of these 

 handsome birds ; the males, in their conspicuous black and white 

 plumage, being usually more numerous than the females. During 

 the latter end of May and the first half of June I found many of 

 their nests every year, and still have one of them in my collection 

 taken in 1889. The keepers at that time informed me that it was 

 only during the last four or five years they had noticed the Tufted 

 Duck remaining to breed in that district, and it was then rapidly on 

 the increase. Not only here, however, but in many other parts of 

 England and Scotland this bird appears to be greatly increasing in 

 numbers. In 1890, when, through the kindness of my friend Mr. 

 Montgomery, I had an opportunity of thoroughly exploring the 

 islands on Loch Leven, I met with upwards of thirty nests of the 

 Tufted Duck in one day, containing from two to fifteen, and in one 

 instance twenty eggs in a nest. The last-mentioned number were 

 apparently the layings of two females ; but the fifteen were not, 

 although nine and ten appeared as a rule to be the full set. I have 

 no doubt that the Scaup Ducks said to have been seen by a Mr. 

 Stark on Loch Leven during the breeding season really belonged to 

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