ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 



53 



people, viewing this bird's apparently leisurely flight, would have 

 estimated its velocity at less than half the actual speed." 



Breeding- of the Pintail Duck in Shetland. It has for some 

 time past been suspected that the Pintail Duck (Dafila acuta) has 

 bred in Dunrossness, Shetland, but the fact remained not proven 

 until the past summer. On the 4th of June I saw a pair. The 

 young birds were then hatched. There were six of them, and the 

 female was very restless and excited when the young were approached, 

 and would come within a few yards, quacking loudly ; but the male 

 kept at a respectful distance. One of the birds is here now (i7th 

 November), and may often be seen winging round the house in 

 the early morning in company with the tame Mallards. THOMAS 

 HENDERSON, Jun., Dunrossness. 



Goosander and Scoter in Outer Hebrides. I saw two Goosanders 

 (Mergus merganser], a male and a female, in the Sound of Lingay off 

 the north end of North Uist on 3151 October 1905. Mr. Harvie- 

 Brown's book seems to leave it doubtful whether these birds visit the 

 Outer Hebrides, and I have been on the look-out for them for the 

 last nineteen years, but never before saw a single specimen in the 

 Outer Isles. There can be no doubt about this pair, as they passed 

 over my head within twelve yards, and immediately afterwards over 

 Sir Arthur Campbell-Orde. Both of us identified them without 

 hesitation, and either of us might have shot them had we not been 

 afraid we might spoil a chance at Brent. 



On 6th November we saw two Black Scoters (CEdetnia nigra) in 

 the Sound of Lingay, and other two, apparently male and female, as 

 the one was glossy black and the other sooty brown, in the Sound 

 of Harris. ANDREW ELFRISH, Lochmaddy. 



Weig-hts of Woodcock and Snipe in Shetland. It is well 

 known to residents in Shetland that Woodcock and Snipe obtained 

 there are exceptionally heavy. The following weights may interest 

 some of your readers : 



Nov. 1902, average weight of 30 woodcock, 13.20 07.. 



Dec. ,, 

 Jan. 1903 

 Feb. 

 Nov. ,, 

 Dec. 

 Jan. 1904 

 Nov. ,, 

 Dec. ,, 

 Jan. 1905 



31 

 35 



12 

 12 



21 

 13 



18 



7 



n 



13-74 

 13.28 

 12.50 



13-75 

 13.66 

 14.01 



12.33 

 13.28 



13-3 



I give rather more particulars about these Woodcock than is perhaps 

 necessary, but the average weights seem worth recording. Three 

 days of frost or snow will bring Woodcock down in condition con- 

 siderably, but if the winter is open they increase in weight up to, 



