256 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



and scattered over with collieries and mining villages. Yet in 

 the midst of these the Woodcock is now breeding in considerable 

 numbers. In searching for wild Pheasants' eggs this spring, three 

 Woodcocks' nests were found in one day, and several more after- 

 wards. A week ago I saw four young ones well grown but unable 

 to fly. This is unique in my experience. JAMES S. DIXON, 

 Fairleigh, Bothwell. 



Pratincole at the Flannan Islands. The occurrence of an 

 example of Glareola pratincola at such an out-of-way spot as the 

 Flannan Islands, affords another remarkable instance, among many, 

 of the appearance of migratory birds at places far removed from 

 their accustomed seasonal haunts and on the routes followed to reach 

 them. The bird referred to was an adult female, and the date of 

 its visit was i3th July. This is the third recorded occurrence of 

 this Pratincole in Scotland. WM. EAGLE CLARKE. 



The Oar-fish (Regalecus glesne). Referring to my paper on the 

 Oar-fish in the previous number of the "Annals" (antea, p. 150), 

 Professor M'Intosh, St. Andrews, tells me that the Buckie example 

 (April 1884), was partly preserved in spirit by Prof. Sir J. Struthers, 

 and that there is a section of it in St. Andrews Museum. In 

 stating that it had not been preserved, I simply quoted from Sim's 

 "Vertebrate Fauna of Dee." The Findhorn specimen sent to the 

 British Museum in April 1896, is, Mr. Boulenger informs me, 

 still there, where it also is preserved in spirit. WILLIAM EVANS, 

 Edinburgh. 



Meta menardi, Latr., in Perthshire. Mr. Arthur S. Reid, M.A., 

 Trinity College, Glenalmond, sent me two egg-cocoons for identifica- 

 tion of the above species taken on 2gth June. The specimens were 

 found, eight in all, hanging under a raised hollow stone platform 

 in the grounds of Trinity College. The largest nest measures 2.1 

 c.m. diam. the length of the suspending thread 12.5 c.m. and the 

 nest =14. 8 c.m. Mr. Reid hopes to secure specimens of this 

 interesting and rare Scottish spider. - - ALEX. M. RODGER, The 

 Museum, Perth. 



Palloptera ustulata, Fin., in Edinburgh. On igth September 

 I took from a window here a female Palloptera which on examina- 

 tion proved to be P. ustulata, Fin. The species is new to the 

 district and possibly to Scotland, for I do not find it on the half 

 dozen local lists to which I have had access. JAMES WATERSTON, 

 Edinburgh. 



Ceratophyllus borealis, Rothscli., in Berwickshire. From a 

 single female taken in July 1906, by Mr. Joy in St. Kilda, Mr. 

 Rothschild described the above species (Ent. Mo. Mag., Jan. 1907, 

 p. 11). Since then no additional examples have occurred, but Mr. 



