NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 53 



and new worlds and in Australia. The President at some length 

 gave a description of the various specimens. 



PAPERS RP]AD. 



I. — Notes on the occurrence of the Tufted Duck (Fuligula cristataj 

 as a breeding species in Scotland. By Mr. Eowley Jex Long. 



In looking over the Proceedings of this Society I do not find 

 any mention made of this bird as a nesting species in Scotland. In 

 Vol. I., part i., page 312, Messrs. Eobert Gray and Thos. Anderson, 

 in a paper read on 30th March, 1869, on the birds of Ayrshire and 

 Wigtown shire, say, regarding Fidigida cristata, "Strictly a winter 

 visitant." In Yol. II., part i, page 1G3, Mr. James S. Dickson, in 

 his paper of 30th May, 1871, on the birds of Possil Marsh, says, 

 " Mr. Gray informs me that a Tufted Duck was obtained at Possil 

 within a few years." Whether this specimen was obtained in 

 winter or summer Mr. Dickson does not say. In Yol. III., part i., 

 pages 52, 53, 54, Mr. Harvie-Brown, on 25th January, 1876, in 

 his paper On the Birds of the North-east of Russia, mentions this 

 bird as rare. In page 72 of the same part of the Proceedings, Mr. 

 James Lumsden, in his paper on the birds of Loch Lomond and 

 district, 29th February, 1876, says, with regard to Fuligula 

 cristata, '-'a few pairs on the loch every winter." 



Within the last few days Mr. Small, of Edinburgh, writes to me 

 that two years ago a Mr. Herbert took a nest in Fifeshire and 

 placed the eggs under a hen, which brought them out; also that 

 a brother of Sir Victor Brooke took two nests last year, but he 

 does not say where. 



Mr. Small does not recollect ever having had a specimen sent to 

 him for preservation during the breeding season, nor to have heard 

 of the nest being taken in Scotland, with the exception of the 

 above two instances. 



The specimens which I have brought here to-night, and which 

 were obtained from Perthshire, were sent to me in the latter part* 

 of last year, my friend having had them in his possession since last 

 summer. He writes: "The Tufted Duck's nest I found under a 

 swan's nest, on a small island, about 18 inches down among the 

 straw, and there were 9 eggs in it. I shot the drake, which you 

 have, but the duck got away after being wounded. I took two of 



