THE TUFTED DUCK IN SCOTLAND 9 



TWEED AND FORTH. 



And now, in similar sequence from South to North, we take up 

 the parallel accounts of its appearances and history from Tweed 

 northwards on the East Coast as far as the Firth of Forth ; and in 

 doing so, endeavour to compare dates upon East and West water- 

 ways, and institute a comparison between "Solway " and " Clyde " on 

 the one side and " Tweed " and " Forth " on the other : as a probable 

 test also of the correctness of Gray's remarks as to a certain direction 

 of the migrating flight of another species (the Shoveller) between the 

 same Firths of Solway and Forth, and also to compare dates of 

 first records with the first records in Perthshire. 



As early as 1876 Mr. Andrew Brotherston gives us interesting 

 particulars of the Tufted Duck's appearance in the South-East of 

 Scotland. He relates that in 1877, as late as 2nd May, he " counted 

 about fifty Tufted Ducks on Yetholm Loch," and on 26th May, "I 

 saw," he goes on to say, " eight pairs on the same loch. On Hose- 

 law Loch, on the same day, there were a large number." He had 

 been led to visit these localities " from seeing two male and female 

 of these birds on Yetholm Loch, 27th May 1876." Later he 

 records the certainty " that three perhaps four pairs remained to 

 breed there in 1877," the old males being seen on the loch alone 

 on 4th July, and " four old Tufted Ducks, accompanied by between 

 twenty and thirty young ones," having been seen on the following 

 Saturday by Mr. Clarke. As will be observed, these records very 

 closely correlate with records in Perthshire (1875) and the sub- 

 sequent record from Fifeshire, also for 1875 ("Zoological Notes" 

 by Mr. A. Brotherston : " Proc. Berwickshire Naturalists Club," 

 1876-78 published 1879 PP- l8 and. 521). We have also to 

 compare these South-East records with the earlier instances in Solway 

 and Clyde. 



But even as far south as Duns, certain localities apparently 

 favourable to the species do not seem readily to be taken up by 

 them. Thus, on 2Qth May 1895, Mr. J. Ferguson, Duns, informed 

 Mr. Evans " that there are several on Duns Castle Lake now, and 

 that they have bred there for two or three years past." Mr. Evans 

 continues: "In a letter dated 4th November 1895, Mr. Ferguson 

 sends me the following particulars : ' The Tufted Duck has been on 

 Duns Castle Lake for four seasons. It was first seen in 1892, when 

 one pair and their brood were observed. In 1893 three pairs and 

 broods were seen. The following season, 1894, the breeding pairs 

 had fallen to two ; and this year, although I have noticed at least 

 two pairs, I cannot say that I have seen any young, and the keeper 

 recently made a remark to me to the same effect. The nest has 

 never been discovered. I am unable to assign any probable cause 

 for the failure to breed this year." 



