ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 51 



to shoot them. They are extraordinarily shy and wary. They are 

 always on bare marshy ground, and they keep from 150 to 200 

 yards away from one, walking away feeding and watching all the time 

 that one does not get nearer them. They keep calling ' Nape, nape ' 

 to one another whilst feeding. I saw another lot of four, two or three 

 days after I shot the one sent. I watched them for over two hours. 

 They have a wild, eerie whistle when on the wing." 



In another letter Mr. Anderson speaks of the Bar-tailed Godwit 

 as very common on the sea-shore in flocks of ten to twenty birds or 

 more, but it never leaves the sea-shore, and I have never seen a Bar- 

 tailed Godwit " inland, or on a marsh, or even on grass land ; whereas 

 the Black-tailed species never goes near the sea-shore. While in 

 Tiree the habits of the two species are entirely different. The Bar- 

 tailed Godwits are very confiding, while the Black-tailed species is 

 quite the reverse." 



"I spent some time watching a Black-tailed Godwit to-day (5th 

 September 1902) a single bird, at the Faoil. It was rusty red on 

 neck, breast, and belly, except the vent, which was whitish. If I 

 had had my gun I could have shot it, as it passed, while feeding, 

 within 20 yards of where I was hiding." JOHN A. HARVIE-BROWN. 



Herring 1 Gull capturing- a Bat. Between the Perth Museum 

 and the bridge over the river Tay is a favourite resort of Gulls of 

 various species. On i gth September, at noon, a foolish bat was dis- 

 porting himself near the bridge. A number of Herring Gulls were 

 present, and one of them flew at the Bat, but did not make a capture, 

 for the Bat dropped ; a second Gull, however, swooped and took it 

 from the river, and made off with it. ALEX. M. RODGER, Perth. 



Pomatorhine Skua on the Nith. On the morning of 2Qth 

 October last a fine young immature bird of this species was shot as 

 it passed Glencaple Quay, going up the Nith on the flood tide. 

 It was sitting on a carcase of the Herring Gull, which it was busy 

 devouring. I found its stomach gorged with Gull's flesh and 

 feathers. R. SERVICE, Maxwelltown. 



Pomatorhine Skua at Loch Lomond. On 5th October an 

 immature female Pomatorhine Skua (Stercorarius pomatorhinus) was 

 found on the shore at Midrass, Luss, Loch Lomond, by Mr. 

 Colquhoun, which had been choked while endeavouring to swallow 

 a Powan (Coregonus dupeoides] weighing 4 ounces. CHARLES KIRK, 

 Glasgow. 



Note on a Young 1 Adder.--! have been interested in the 

 correspondence in the " Annals " regarding the Adder ( Vipera berus) 

 in Scotland, in response to Dr. Leighton's paper. And as, so far, no 

 information with regard to actual specimens appears to be forth- 

 coming of vipers measuring less than 1 5 inches, perhaps it is worth 

 while recording that I have a specimen, taken at Aberfoyle about the 



