4 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



these authors refer to it as even frequenting inland waters, Selby, how- 

 ever, speaking in more general terms of its distribution in 1832. Mac- 

 Gillivray, twenty years later, only speaks of it as "arriving in October 

 and departing in April," and adds : " Beyond the Firths of Clyde and 

 Tay becomes of less frequent occurrence " (" Water Birds," vol. iv. p. 

 125). MacGillivray also repeats the assertion that "it retires to the 

 Arctic regions to breed, although some, according to M. Temminck, 

 remain in the temperate climates." 



The above remarks, as regards its " probably breeding in Arctic 

 regions " and only appearing in the northern districts of Britain " after 

 severe weather," " although a regular winter visitor to the coasts and 

 estuaries of England," does not seem a strong argument in favour of 

 its high- Arctic origin; and Temminck's remark appears to us 

 distinctly of value, as rather indicating an Eastern origin ; and we 

 think this is borne out by the sketch of its Continental distribution 

 as given by Mr. Saunders, and by the observations of other naturalists 

 who prior to the date of MacGillivray's remarks and accentuation 

 of earlier writers, such as Fleming, Jenyns, etc. have left their 

 records. 1 



Coming now to the date of Gray's " Birds of the West of 

 Scotland" (1871), the Tufted Duck is [spoken of as occurring in 

 great abundance in the Clyde during winter, but as rare in the Outer 

 Hebrides, though seen there occasionally in autumn and winter 

 (loc. cit. p. 387) ; and he adds : " In very severe winters the Tufted 

 Duck is much more frequently obtained than in open seasons," and 

 " limited numbers are also shot on some of the inland lochs and 

 ponds from October to March." Nothing, however, in the text of 

 Gray's book is said as regards any having remained anywhere to 

 breed ; but in a pencil note in his own handwriting, in my interleaved 

 copy, the nest taken in Fifeshire and the two instances in Perthshire 

 are referred to (1875, 1876, and 1878). 



We next take up the Scottish section of the " Migration Reports," 

 only, however, as in the case of the " Old Statistical Account," to 

 record the negative ; as, upon a re-examination of these nine reports, 

 dating from 1879, we do n t nn d one mention made of the species 

 a result after all not perhaps to be surprised at, all circumstances 

 considered. We mention this negative principally to save other 

 people time and trouble. 



Since the greater part of the following account had been written 

 out and mapped for other areas of Scotland, we have been favoured 

 by the generous assistance of Mr. Wm. Evans, who placed at our 

 service his current notes upon the species in the south-east of 

 Scotland, ranging between the years 1883 an d the present time, 1895. 



1 We should state here, however, that not owning nor having access to 

 Temminck's valuable work, we have not had an opportunity of consulting his 

 details. 



