ii2 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



male, and Mr. Bankart has had both specimens forwarded to London 

 for preservation. Vide "SHETLAND TIMES," 4th March 1899. 



[We are informed that there is some doubt as to the identity of 

 the female bird. EDS.] 



Water Rail and Frog. In the stomach of a Water Rail caught 

 on the Pentlands on yth January, and brought to me, I was surprised 

 to find a medium-sized Frog. This seems to indicate that the Frog 

 had been on the move on that date, and not lying dormant at the 

 bottom of a pool, as is usually the case in winter. R. GODFREY, 

 Edinburgh. 



Lead-poisoning in Pheasants. I had recently handed to me 

 by a gamekeeper sixteen pellets which he had taken from the gizzard 

 of a hen Pheasant. These had evidently been picked up by the 

 bird while scraping among soil in search of food. The Pheasant 

 was unable to fly any distance, and when it was put up it went 

 off noiselessly, moving its wings after the manner of an owl. The 

 pellets had evidently remained in the bird's gizzard for some time, 

 for they were very much worn by the action of that organ. The 

 keeper, who has large experience, tells me that he has on several 

 occasions, in different parts of Scotland, picked up Pheasants that 

 had died from the result of lead-poisoning through having picked 

 up pellets in the manner here described. BRUCE CAMPBELL, 

 Edinburgh. 



The Spotted Redshank on the Solway. So far back as October 

 of 1876 a friend of mine, Mr. Robert Douglas, who at that time 

 resided near Gatehouse of Fleet, shot at the head of Fleet Bay what 

 lie always insisted was a Spotted Redshank ( Totanns fuscus). I 

 never saw the specimen, but as Mr. Douglas had a very good 

 knowledge of birds there need be little difficulty in accepting the 

 record. The bird in question was preserved as a mounted specimen, 

 and was sent to England, and I lost trace of it. So far that was 

 the only Spotted Redshank that has occurred on the Scottish side 

 of the Solway that I am aware of, although every now and again 

 a lively imagination would seem to hear, from amongst the hosts 

 of waders that frequent the banks in the neighbourhood of Souther- 

 ness, the echoes of its peculiar call. But an individual about 

 which there is no doubt has now turned up. About the New Year 

 Mr. Robert M'Call of Carsethorn noticed a peculiar Redshank 

 amongst the others. It nearly always forgathered with the Common 

 Redshanks, but was markedly different in flight and voice. Shy and 

 wild, it could not be approached within gunshot, and long shots 

 were tried without success. At last, at the mouth of the Kirkbean 

 Row, on 1 3th February, Mr. M'Call stalked it by crawling up a 

 " runner," and was successful in bringing it down. Next day I 

 saw it, and confirmed its identification. Mr. M'Call has preserved 



