56 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



have attempted to breed, one having been trapped in a rabbit's 

 burrow, and the last shot there in April 1877. 



The other birds worthy of mention obtained on the Tay about 

 the same time are a Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and a Wild 

 Duck (Anas boscas), both approaching albinism. These were both 

 old females, and what is worthy of remark is, that in both cases the 

 ovaries were diseased. The Cormorant had all the upper surface 

 of a very pale fawn colour, head and neck included, darker on the 

 tail and flanks, the under parts pure white, irides pale straw. The 

 duck was also of a palish fawn colour, mottled on the back, the 

 head grayish-brown, under parts pale, the bill and feet paler than 

 in the normal form. Both these birds I also hope to place in the 

 Society's Museum at Perth. 



Regarding the specimen of the Hawfinch (Coaothraustes vulgaris) 

 now in the Museum of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science at 

 Perth, to which allusion was made in Mr. Eagle Clarke's very 

 interesting note in the last number of the "Annals," it was one of 

 two birds that were shot in the garden at Annat Lodge, Perth, 

 during January of the severe winter of 1 860-61. They were shot 

 by the gardener on the wall-trees, and at once taken by him to Dr., 

 now Professor M'Intosh. H. M. DRUMMOND HAY, Perth. 



Nesting of the Water Rail near Glasgow. As the nesting of 

 the Water Rail (Rallus aquatints] appears to be rather a rare occur- 

 rence in the West of Scotland, at the request of the editors I send the 

 following note : On igth May 1889, whilst walking round the Possil 

 Marsh, Glasgow, some boys brought me a nest and eggs of the Reed 

 Bunting, for which I gave them a few pence. Seeing this, another 

 boy ran off and soon returned with five eggs of the Water Rail. He 

 told me that he had found the nest a day or two before, with nine 

 eggs, out on the marsh, that he had blown four of them and put 

 them back in the nest for the bird to lay to again, and brought the 

 other five to me. On further inquiry, he told me that somebody 

 else had since taken the four eggs he had left in the nest. The 

 five he brought me were unblown, and quite fresh. I may add that 

 I have shot the Water Rail in winter on the Clyde near Bowling, 

 where it is by no means uncommon at that time of year. ROBERT 

 H. READ, Westminster. 



Black-tailed Godwit in Orkney. A specimen of the Black- 

 tailed Godwit (Limosa beJgica) was shot on the island of Westray, 

 Orkney, on the 27th of September 1894, and seems to be the first 

 recorded from there on satisfactory evidence. LEWIS DUNBAR, 

 Thurso. 



Green Sandpiper in Dumbartonshire. On the 8th of Decem- 

 ber I shot a Green Sandpiper (Totanus ochropus) on the pond at 

 Douglaston. The bird was extremely wary, and though I saw it 



