54 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



or even beyond, the new year. I have killed Woodcock up to 

 17 oz., a few of 1 6 oz., but birds of from 15 to 15?, are plentiful in 

 the month of December. I have the weights of ninety Snipe which 

 average 5.78 oz. Mr. Howard Saunders in his "Manual of British 

 Birds" gives the average weight as 4 oz., which is much under the 

 above. I have killed Snipe up to 7 oz., and remember one day 

 getting three of 7.7 and 6 oz. I have been told of birds of 8 oz. 

 Jack Snipe often weigh 3^ oz., but the average is 3 oz., against 2 oz. 

 given by Mr. Saunders in his manual. The probable reason why 

 these birds weigh more in Shetland is the open winters ; perhaps 

 the undrained state of the country may also have something to do 

 with it. R. C. HALDANE, Lochend, Shetland. 



Great Snipe in Orkney. On i2th September I shot a Great 

 Snipe (Gallinago major] here and saw another the same day. In 

 both cases the birds rose from rough grass near a loch and marsh, 

 and their flight was heavy and sluggish. Ruff (Machetes pugnax) 

 are very numerous here at present (25th September).- ROBERT B. 

 BELL, Stronsay, Orkney. 



A Great Crested Grebe on Duddingston Loch, Edinburgh. 



On the afternoon of Sunday, 3rd December, we observed on 

 Duddingston Loch a bird which on closer examination proved to 

 be a Great Crested Grebe {Podicipes cristatus). 



We were told that the bird had appeared on the previous day 

 accompanied by another bird, which had been shot at and wounded 

 by some one, but escaped. We conjecture that this bird was the 

 mate of the one we noticed. W. T. BLACKWOOD, G. G. BLACK- 

 WOOD, Edinburgh. 



Red Mullet (Mullus barbalus] in the Solway. This fish seems 

 not to have been captured, or at least identified, in our local waters 

 hitherto. However, early in August Sergeant Murdoch, the keeper 

 of Southerness Lighthouse, informs me he captured several fine 

 specimens in his paidle net placed on Southerness Point. They 

 were identified by a gentleman visitor to the village, who was 

 acquainted with the species. ROBERT SERVICE, Maxwelltown, 

 Dumfries. 



Maigre (Sciccna aqitila) in the Solway. The capture of this fine 

 fish in the nets at Portling on the nth July is of interest to naturalists, 

 as it adds another species to the list for the Galloway and Dumfries- 

 shire waters, and is at the same time an addition to the species 

 that have been found in Western Scottish waters. I had the great 

 pleasure of seeing the specimen on the day following its capture. 

 It was a large, handsome fish, five feet in length, and 33 inches 

 girth at the first dorsal. Rather thin for its size, it was about 70 

 Ibs. in weight. Large lustrous eyes were conspicuous, and fine 



