46 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



he saw five at Ballantrae Bay, of which number he killed four, and 

 again in September 1893 he shot one at Lendalfoot. Two of the 

 specimens he had procured I saw in his collection. One of these 

 he gave me, and I sent it to Mr. Harvie-Brown. On the 2Qth of 

 August 1896 I saw one on the sands at Turnberry beside two 

 Knots. Mr. M'Culloch, the taxidermist in Glasgow, tells me he 

 has never had it for preservation, but he handled one at Port 

 Bannatyne, Bute, which was in the possession of Mr. Frew, an 

 artist, who had shot it out of a number in Etterick Bay, Bute. I 

 incline to the belief that this species is a regular autumn visitor in 

 small numbers to this area, and that there are more Little Stints 

 than observers.- JOHN PATERSON, Glasgow. 



Gray Phalarope in Caithness. A Gray Phalarope (Phalaropus 

 fulicarius) was sent in to Mr. Macleay, Inverness, for preservation, 

 from Watten, Caithness, on 23rd September 1896. T. E. BUCKLEY, 

 Inverness. 



Sabine's Gull in Kilbrennan Sound. The description given in 

 the October number by Mr. W. Evans of a Sabine's Gull (Xema salu'/ii] 

 in Aberlady Bay convinces me that I saw the same species in 

 August 1894 on the coast near Campbeltown in this county. I was 

 hand-line fishing outside Campbeltown harbour in a small steam- 

 launch. Many gulls came round us to pick up bits of the bait, etc. 

 One of them caught my eye at once as unlike any bird I had ever 

 seen. It was a very small gull, although its forked tail, which was 

 conspicuous, led me at first to think it was a Tern. But its more 

 robust form rendered that impossible. I have now no doubt it was 

 a Sabine's Gull. I feel sure that many of the rarer Gulls are really 

 more common than is supposed. The very small proportion of sea- 

 going observers who know anything of ornithology, together with the 

 general uniformity of aspect among all Gulls, make the recognition of 

 species a rare accident. Many years ago, when on my way to 

 America, we stopped as usual at Queenstown. The liner I was in 

 was surrounded by scores of Gulls. Among them I saw one wholly 

 white not a speck of black or gray on any part of its plumage. I 

 do not know what the species was. But I could not help noticing 

 that among the many passengers, British and American, on board 

 not a human being but myself took the least notice of a rare and 

 fine Gull. ARGYLL, Inveraray. 



Little Gulls at Dunbar. On the nth September last I was 

 informed that two strange birds had been shot at the mouth of the 

 Biel burn, Belhaven, about two miles from Dunbar. I managed 

 to secure the birds, and on examination identified them as two 

 immature specimens of the Little Gull (Larus minutus) from 

 their plumage, I should say birds of the year. Both were sitting 

 together on a rock near the edge of the water, and appeared very 

 tame. D. BRUCE, Dunbar. 



