BIRDS. 165 



P. graculus (Linnaeus).- -Shag. Not r. in Firth. Nests in S. Ayr. and on 



Glunimore I., off Mull of Cantyre. 

 Sula bassana (Linnaeus). Gannet. Thousands breed on Ailsa Craig. 



ORDER HERODIONES. 



Fam. Ardeidae. 



Ardea cinerea, Linnaeus. Common Heron. About ten heronries distributed 



over "Clyde" with 8 nests or more (H. B. Watt, Trans. Nat. Hist. 



Soc. Glas., iii. (N.S.), pp. 378-398). 

 Nycticorax griseus (Linnaeus). Night-Heron. One shot " many years ago" 



nr. Kilmarnock (Gray) ; one shot nr. the same town in 1888 (The Field, 



21/11/1896). 

 [Ardetta minuta (Linnaeus). Little Bittern. One reported shot nr. Egliuton 



Castle recently, but not yet properly authenticated.] 

 Botaurus stellaris (Linnaeus). Bittern. Probably a pair or two nested in 



Clyde over a century ago ; since then only an irregular winter visitor. 



ORDER ANSERES. 



Fam. Anatidae. 



Anser cinereus, Meyer. Grey Lag-Goose. 

 A. albifrons (Scopoli). White- fronted Goose. 

 A. segetum (Gmelin). Bean-Goose. 



A. brachyrhynchus, Baillon. Pink-footed Goose. Examples of the above 



four species of " Grey " geese have been obtained or recorded at rarr 

 intervals. Unfortunately owing to the absence of information regard- 

 ing the specific identity of the flocks of "Grey" geese seen from time to 

 time, and the extreme rareness of examples reaching bird-stuffers, there 

 are no data for a satisfactory comparison of the numbers of the various 

 species which visit " Clyde." 

 Bernicla leucopsis (Bechstein). Barnacle-Goose. 



B. brenta (Pallas). Brent Goose. Gray stated that the former species 



greatly outnumbered the latter in this region. The writer from obser- 

 vation and data communicated by correspondents has been led to a 

 contrary opinion. Both occur in the estuary, and the Brent Goose is 

 seen regularly in large flocks in the muddy bays S. of Fairlie. 

 Cygnus musicus, Bechstein. Whooper Swan. An occasional winter visitor 

 to L. Lomond, the Clyde estuary, and Lochwinnoch. 



C. bewicki, Yarrell. Bewick's Swan. A winter visitor of uncertain 



appearance ; recorded from Argyll, L. Lomond (several times) ; Hoggan- 

 field L. ; Lochwinnoch. 



C. olor (Gmelin). Mute Swan. Fairly c. in ponds and lochs. 



Tadorna cornuta (S. G. Gmelin). Common Sheld-Duck. C. in estuary and 

 Firth. Seems to have increased in numbers in the past decade and 

 extended its breeding range, which now includes L. Lomond (Lumsden). 



Anas boscas, Linnaeus. Mallard or Wild Duck. Common. 



A. strepera, Linnaeus. Gadwall. Very r., only two occurences known ; 

 one shot Tarbolton (Gray) ; one shot on L. Lomond recently, now in 

 Sir Geo. H. Leith Buchanan's collection. 



Spatula clypeata (Linnaeus). Shoveler. Appears regularly on spring mi- 

 gration on lochs nr. Glasgow. Has bred at L. Lomond ; two or three 

 pairs, I am informed, nest at Lochwinnoch. 



Dafila acuta (Linnaeus). Pintail. Scarce in winter, absent in summer. A 

 pair observed 2/5/1898 in E. Eenfrew (Eobert Wilson). Another pair- 

 seen 5/1901 by writer in E. Renfrew. 



Nettion crecca (Linnaeus). Teal. C. 



