20 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



COMMON SNIPE, Gallinago ccelestis. Frequents the marshy 



margins. 



JACK SNIPE, Gallinago gallimila. A regular visitant. 



COMMON SANDPIPER, Totanus hypoleucus. Infrequent ; 

 shores too woody. 



HERON, Ardca cinerea. Breeds in a wood near the lake. 



COMMON BITTERN, Botaurus stellaris. One was shot, I 

 regret to say, in January 1893. 



KINGFISHER, Alcedo ispida. An irregular visitor. 



No doubt, were shooting permitted, other birds might 

 have been secured and identified, but the above have all 

 been recognised, except the Bittern, without paying the 

 penalty of death. 



Since writing the above note I have witnessed a pretty 

 scene. The mother Grebe and two young ones were in a 

 shallow bay among a lot of Coots. I approached through 

 the wood sufficiently near to have an excellent view of all 

 their movements through the glass. The young birds were 

 playing on the surface, diving, swimming with all submerged 

 but their heads, and preening themselves. Meanwhile, the 

 parent bird was busy fishing. From time to time she 

 brought up a small perch four or five inches long, and held 

 it in her bill till one or other of the young ones came and 

 took it from her. Their movements were so quick that I 

 could not detect whether she served them alternately or 

 indiscriminately. 



ON SOME NEW AND RARE BRITISH DIPTERA. 

 By PERCY HALL GRIMSHAW, F.E.S. 



DURING the examination of a number of Diptera from 

 various parts of Scotland, either sent to me for identification 

 or presented to the Museum collections, I have come across 

 many specimens of sufficient interest to record in these 

 pages. Perhaps the most interesting point in connection 

 with these new records, and one which seems to impress 



