50 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Rough-legged Buzzards in East Lothian. A fair number of 

 Rough-legged Buzzards (Buteo lagopus) seem to have arrived in 

 Scotland about the end of last autumn. In the vicinity of Dtinbar 

 one was fired at and wounded on 22nd October. Escaping for the 

 time being into Broxmouth woods, it was finally captured there four 

 days later. Mr. D. Bruce, to whom I am indebted for these par- 

 ticulars and for a photograph of the bird, obtained possession of it 

 and has it alive still. Mr. Bruce adds that about the close of 

 October and beginning of November he several times saw large 

 Raptores on the wing in the Dunbar district one, which he feels 

 sure was a Rough-legged Buzzard, was being buffeted by crows near 

 Drem. Three specimens of this species all from one locality at the 

 foot of the Lammermoors, south from Haddington were received 

 by Messrs. Small for preservation on i2th, i4th, and igth Novem- 

 ber respectively, and Hope had one sent from the north of Scotland 

 in the beginning of December. I suppose it is useless pleading with 

 most gamekeepers to spare the lives of such fine birds. 



Mr. Bruce also reports large numbers of " newly arrived " Short- 

 eared Owls and Fieldfares about Dunbar during the week ending 

 5th November. WILLIAM EVANS, Edinburgh. 



Garganey and Gadwall in Aberdeenshire. Seven specimens of 

 the Garganey ( Qiterqnedii la cirda), and four of the Gadwall (Anas 

 strepera\ were killed at Pitfour on 22nd October. G. SIM, Aberdeen. 



Remarkable variety of the Black Grouse. A young male 

 Black Grouse was shot at Bowhill, in Selkirkshire, on the nth of 

 November, which is remarkable, since it shows a decided tendency 

 towards albinism. The prevailing tint of this specimen is ashy-gray, 

 darker on the back and sides of the breast, which are brownish-gray, 

 and on the head and neck, which are blackish-gray. The wing- 

 coverts, secondaries, and scapulars are faintly, almost invisibly, 

 vermiculated with brown. A few of the neck feathers are edged with 

 black. The wing spot is present, but, being only a little lighter in 

 tint than the general coloration of the wing, it is not at all conspic- 

 uous. WM. EAGLE CLARKE. 



Spotted Crake at Dunbar. About n P.M. on iSth October, 

 what, from the description given me, must have been a Spotted 

 Crake (Porzana maruettd] came against the lighted window of the 

 west signal cabin at Dunbar Station, and was captured by the men 

 on duty, who kept it over night, and let it away in the morning. 

 About the same time a Spotted Crake, possibly the same bird, was 

 got at Dunbar Old Barracks. D. BRUCE, Dunbar. 



Baillon's Crake in Caithness. When shooting here in Sep- 

 tember I obtained a female specimen of Baillon's Crake, which is 

 now being set up by Mr. Dunbar of Thurso. WM. ARKWRIGHT, 

 Westfield Lodge, Thurso. 



