THE TUFTED DUCK IN SCOTLAND 11 



on the pond in May (gth, 22nd, and 27th), and a single bird on 

 26th August." 



In 1894 he noted three pairs on the same pond (Bonaly). They 

 were first seen on lyth April, and on i3th June he discovered a 

 nest with seven eggs. This brood was safely led off on loth June. A 

 duck with nine young was observed on 25th July. Mr. Evans con- 

 tinues : "In the summers of 1892, 1893, and 1894 I was not near 

 the Pentland ponds, being then very much from home. This year 

 (1895), as I have already mentioned to you, a pair made their 

 appearance on Bonaly Pond in the spring, but left by the end of 

 May. Godfrey saw them on 2nd April ; they were not there, he 

 says, on 2gth March." Also : " Like myself, Godfrey has seen a 

 pair or two (in 1894, 2oth April, there were no fewer than five 

 pairs) on Thriepmuir and Harelaw Ponds (Pentlands) in April and 

 May [Mr. Evans's earliest year is 1884], but neither of us has been 

 able to discover that they have bred there yet : I am inclined to 

 think they have. I was round Thriepmuir, Harelaw, etc., ponds on 

 the Pentlands to-day (i.e. 23rd November 1895), and there was not 

 a Tufted Duck on them. They are, however, practically only spring 

 visitors to these higher lochs. In the winter they frequent chiefly 

 the reedy and sedgy lochs in the lowland districts. Up to 1889 or 

 1890 I was often at Harper-rig and Cobbinshaw Ponds at the foot of 

 the Western Pentlands in summer, and never saw Tufted Ducks on 

 either of them. On 3oth August 1884, however, I noticed two on 

 Harper-rig. Since 1889 or 1890, I have only been to these ponds 

 in winter. In March 1894 there were none on Cobbinshaw, nor 

 were there any on Harper-rig a month ago (i.e. previous to 23rd Nov- 

 ember, the date of Mr. Evans's letter to us). In July 1890 I did not 

 see any at Slipperfield Loch, near West Linton ; but Godfrey says he 

 saw a pair at Marfield Loch, near Carlops, in May 1894, and two 

 pairs in May 1895." 



Mr. Evans also, under date of yth June 1885, gives negative 

 evidence as regards Rosebery and Edgelaw Reservoirs, because 

 they can hardly be considered " as yet suitable habitats." 

 Farther to the westwards he also walked round Hillend Reservoir, 

 between Bathgate and Airdrie, on iSth June 1885, "but could see 

 no ducks of any kind on it " (compare under Renfrewshire and 

 Clyde). 



On yth June 1885 Mr. Evans saw "six on Gladhouse Reservoir, 

 Midlothian. Four were paired ( and > ), and two fine drakes 

 were flying anxiously up and down the pond no doubt their mates 

 were on nests, most likely on the island." He has since seen eggs 

 taken there in June 1889. On the neighbouring Portmore Loch 

 thirty-two were counted by Mr. Evans on 23rd November 1885. 



Of its occurrence in Stirlingshire our own notes go back as far 

 as 1860. 



