THE TUFTED DUCK IN SCOTLAND 3 



THE TUFTED DUCK IN SCOTLAND ITS 

 INCREASE AND DISTRIBUTION. 



By J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S. 

 PLATE I. 



As introductory to the direct subject of this paper, we propose to 

 give some idea of the Continental and English and Irish distribution of 

 this species. This we have taken from Saunders' excellent " Manual 

 of British Birds " (1889). There we find that the Tufted Duck is said 

 to have bred in the Faeroes, and is found in small numbers in the 

 rivers and lakes of Norway in the summer months, becoming more 

 abundant in Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Southward it nests in 

 suitable localities down to about lat. 50, while over the rest of Europe 

 it is found on migration and in winter. In summer it frequents the 

 temperate regions of Asia. In England a tolerable and increasing 

 number remain to breed with us, and nowhere more abundantly than 

 in Nottinghamshire. Nests have also been found in Yorkshire, 

 Lancashire, Northumberland, Norfolk, Sussex, Dorset, and some 

 other counties which afford suitable resorts. In Ireland it annually 

 frequents Loughs Neagh and Beg, and some waters in County 

 Monaghan in summer, being generally distributed in winter. 



It is not necessary for us to go very far back in our annals in 

 order to trace the history of this species in Scotland. To preserve, 

 however, some uniformity in our method of treating this and similar 

 subjects, we refer first to the " Old Statistical Account of Scotland." 

 In the case of the Tufted Duck we do so only in order to record 

 the negative evidence, because no passage therein can be said to refer 

 directly to the species. But in the " New Statistical Account " we 

 find a few very few references as far north as Argyle in the parishes 

 of Killean and Kilchenzie (vol. vii. p. 381) and parish of Ardchattan 

 (p. 482), which, as will appear later, is an early date for our west 

 coast, and at that time they were in all probability first winter pioneers. 



An almost as early date, however, comes to be noticed here, 

 viz. : Thompson (" Birds of Ireland," vol. iii. p. 147) "saw a few 

 of these birds (some of which were adult males) frequenting two 

 small lakes on the moor above Ardimersy Cottage, in the island of 

 Islay, where they are well known by the name of ' douckers.' ' This 

 was in the month of January 1849. 



The older authors are unanimous in their opinion that the Tufted 

 Duck was only a winter visitor to Scotland, and that it " probably bred 

 in the Arctic regions." Also their records make it apparent, although 

 it was a regular winter visitor to the coasts and estuaries of England, 

 it only was seen in Orkney and Shetland after severe weather. Few of 



