ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 57 



Scarborough, as recorded in the " Zoologist " for November. 

 WILLIAM EVANS, Edinburgh. 



Heron nesting in the Outer Hebrides. Mr. M'Elfrish, in a letter 

 dated iSth November 1903, informs me that Mr. Richard Kearton 

 assures him he saw a Heron (Ardea dnerea) sitting on the nest in 

 N. Uist. This is the first good record of the fact of Herons nesting 

 in the Outer Hebrides. J. A. HARVIE-BROWN. 



Gadwall in Wigtownshire. In November my son shot a male 

 Gadwall (Anas strepara) which flew over his head in company with 

 three others. I have not known this species to occur before in 

 Wigtownshire. HERBERT MAXWELL. 



Destruction of Fish Ova by Mergansers. It is unfortunate that 

 some of the most beautiful and interesting species of birds are also 

 among the most mischievous. The Merganser (Mergus merganser) 

 must be reckoned one of the worst of fish-poachers. One shot in 

 November by Mr. Sykes, Borrobel, Helmsdale, contained 2 Ib. 

 weight of trout ova. The depredations of " sawbills " upon the fry 

 and smolts of salmon are well known to anglers, but I was not 

 aware that they robbed the spawning beds. HERBERT MAXWELL. 



Black-tailed Godwit in the "Forth" area. On xoth October 

 last, while passing along the south shore of the Tyne estuary, near 

 Dunbar, I had an excellent view, through my binoculars, of a 

 Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa belgica) feeding at the edge of the 

 incoming tide. I got within about a hundred yards of it, and would 

 no doubt have got nearer, had not two Curlews which were quite 

 close to it taken wing. When its wary companions rose, it 

 immediately followed them, uttering its peculiar call-note. WILLIAM 

 EVANS, Edinburgh. 



Sabine's Gull on the Argyllshire Coast. On 3oth October I 

 received for preservation from Belnahua, Easdale, an immature male 

 Sabine's Gull (Xema sabinii), a. facsimile of the one figured in 

 Saunders' Manual (ist edition), p. 642. Only one occurrence of 

 this Arctic species is recorded in the " Fauna of Argyll," namely an 

 adult obtained in Mull. C. H. BISSHOPP, Oban. 



Audacity in Richardson's Skua. It may be interesting to record 

 that whilst trapping rabbits on Oronsay, one of the men had taken 

 up a rabbit, which he threw behind him, and was re-setting the trap, 

 when on turning round he saw a Richardson's Skua (Stercorarius 

 crepidatus) eating the rabbit a few yards away. He threw the spade 

 at it and was lucky enough to kill it. C. H. BISSHOPP, Oban. 



Large Perch in the River Earn. A fine specimen of the 

 Perch (Perca Jiuriatilis) was caught in the Earn on the 313! 

 October last. The fish weighed 3^ Ibs., and was exhibited at the 



