Ii6 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



authority of Mr. Henderson of Spiggie, has already been recorded in 

 "The Annals," and feathers of the young ( $ birds) in his possession 

 have been sent to me. J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, Dunipace. 



Occurrence of the American Wigeon in Benbeeula, Outer 

 Hebrides. The following note is sent in response to the Editor's 

 request for information regarding the capture of the American 

 Wigeon (Mareca americand). When we arrived at Greagorry, we 

 found everything under snow and practically all the fresh-water lochs 

 frozen up. On 3rd January we tried some of the salt-water lochs 

 for Wigeon, etc. On one of these, Ob Suille, about a mile east of 

 Greagorry, we found about thirty Wigeon. Of these we shot two 

 as they passed out to sea. Our shots disturbed a solitary Brent, 

 which flew up to the top of the loch. We then sent the men round 

 to flush the Goose or anything else that might have remained, while 

 we guarded the outlet. The men flushed the Wigeon in one of the 

 small bays of the south side, and it flew towards me, lighting again 

 after flying about 200 yards, and swam towards or past me, feeding 

 from time to time. When abreast of me I stood up, it rose, and I 

 shot it. Unfortunately it was not killed and my spaniel pulled most 

 of the tail out in retrieving it. It was a male of the year, I fancy, 

 but, if so, in very fine plumage. EDWARD M. CORBETT, Greagorry, 

 Benbeeula. 



[This rare visitor has been obtained on one or two occasions in 

 England, but this is the first authentic record of its capture in 

 Scotland. The bird has been presented to the Natural History 

 Museum, South Kensington. EDS.] 



Velvet Scoter at Barra, Outer Hebrides. An adult female 

 Velvet Scoter ( (Edemia fusca) was found dead a few yards above 

 high-water mark at Eoligary en the 25th of November last. It is 

 the first I have known to occur in the Island of Barra ; but I have 

 a male in my collection obtained in South Harris in the spring of 

 T8Q6. WM. L. MACGILLIVRAY, Barra. 



Capercaillie in the South of Scotland. Mr. Gladstone notes 

 the appearance of Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) in Dumfriesshire 

 as marking the southernmost limit of their occurrence in Scotlar d. 

 We in Wigtownshire are considerably farther south than Thornhill 

 (as I write I am actually farther south than Durham). In 1873 or 

 1874 two Capercaillie hens were shot in this county, one on the 

 estate of Barnbarroch and one on that of Penninghame. The 

 appearance of this strong-flying bird may be expected, I fancy, in 

 any district where there is suitable woodland more frequently in the 

 future as the stock increases in Central Scotland. HERBERT 

 MAXWELL, Monreith. 



Capercaillie and Willow Grouse in Moray. In reference to 

 the article in the January number of "The Annals" on the above 



