ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 113 



occurrence took place at Closeburn, in Dumfriesshire, some thirty 

 miles distant. In both cases the sounds ceased in May, and 

 although a pair of birds was undoubtedly present at each locality, 

 no nest was discovered to my knowledge, nor indeed any signs of 

 their having nested. So fhr, nothing has been seen of the birds up 

 till date of writing. SMEW (Mergus albellus).^ finely plumaged 

 young female was sent to me on 2nd January 1907. It had been 

 shot at Kirkconnell by Mr. Robert Maxwell Witham. There was 

 another bird of the same species in its company when first seen on 

 the salt merse lands of Kirkconnell. My last record of a local 

 Smew is one taken on the neighbouring estate of Shambellie during 

 the arctic weather of February 1895. GREEN SANDPIPER (Totanus 

 ochropus. This species I was very pleased to see again, the last 

 occurrence here to my knowledge being 26 years old. Mr. 

 Paterson Jun. of Broomlands shot a pretty female specimen on his 

 shooting at Locharbriggs, Dumfriesshire, on the afternoon of 

 29th December 1906. It seems strange that the Green Sandpiper 

 should not turn up, because some half-century or more ago (vide 

 Sir Wm. Jardine) it seems to have been quite a familiar species in 

 Dumfriesshire. FORK-TAILED PETRELS (Procellaria leucorrhod). 

 In November we had a severe NNW. gale, one of the kind that 

 brings to Nithsdale and Annandale squall after squall, heavy with 

 rain-clouds that hold salt spray which leaves on trees and hedges a 

 coating of salt that is often quite visible, and may always be tasted 

 if touched with a moist finger-tip. When a storm of this type 

 happens in November we invariably hear of Petrels being brought 

 along with it, and flung exhausted across the country. This 

 particular gale was no exception, for a Fork-Tailed Petrel was picked 

 up at Dunscore on the morning of i8th November. It was caged, 

 but died shortly after, as well it might, for its captor offered it 

 canary-seed as food. Another one was found alive in Lochar Moss, 

 and within a couple of miles a third was picked up dead. Two 

 days afterwards a fourth was got at Castlemilk near Lockerbie. 

 ROBERT SERVICE, Maxweiltown. 



Bird Notes from Thornhill, Dumfriesshire. GREAT GREY 

 SHRIKE (Lanius excubitor). -A female was shot at Newtonairds, 

 Dumfriesshire, on 26th December 1906. Presumably blown in 

 by north-easterly gales then raging. GREEN SANDPIPER (Totanus 

 ochropus). Shot near Dumfries on same date, under similar 

 conditions. SNIPE (Galli/iago ca>lestis}. With white secondaries, 

 scapulars, and a sprinkling of white feathers on body. Shot four 

 miles west of Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, on yth November 1906. 

 WATER RAIL (Rallus aquaticus). Shot four miles west of Thornhill, 

 Dumfriesshire, on yth November 1906. This is the first time, as 

 far as I can ascertain, that this bird has been seen in this locality. 

 HUGH S. GLADSTONE, Thornhill. 



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