186 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 

 Podiceps cristatus (Lin.). 



Mr. Robert Gray records a specimen shot at North Berwick in 

 the second week of January, and another, at Portobello, in the last 

 week of February, 1879 [loc. cit.\ 



RED-NECKED GREBE. 



Podiceps rubricollis, Latham. 



A fine specimen shot at Coldingham, Berwickshire, on the 14th 

 February, 1879, and recorded by Mr. R, Gray \op. cit., p. 502]. 



SCLAV ONI AN GREBE. 



Podiceps cornutus (Gm.J. 



A specimen is recorded by Mr. R. Gray, " found dead upon the 

 shore near Dirleton early in March [op. cit., p. 502]. Another, 

 which I have examined, and two or three others, were obtained on 

 the Tay estuary by Mr. Maloch, Perth.* 



RAZORBILL. 



Alca torda, Lin. 



About the end of February and beginning of March there seems 

 to have been considerable mortality amongst Razorbills on the 

 Berwickshire coast [J. Hardy, in lit., 9th March, 1879]. 



Inquiries instituted and observations made in St. Kilda and the 

 Shiant Islands, and other rock-bird stations, show that no appre- 

 ciable difference took place in the time of their laying. They 

 cannot be said to have been affected by the cold spring, and the 

 same remark applies to rock-birds generally. 



LITTLE AUK. 



Mergulus alle (Lin. J. 



Large numbers of this species were caught or shot at inland 

 localities in the counties bordering the Firths of Forth and Tay, 



* The recurved bill of the Eared Grebe (Podiceps auritus) is sufficient to 

 distinguish it at any age from the Horned or Sclavonian Grebe (Podiceps 

 cornutus). Macgillivray puts the description in plain language. Describ- 

 ing the former, he says [Brit. Birds, vol. v., p. 270] : — " Somewhat inferior 

 in size to the Sclavonian Grebe, this species is distinguished from it by the 

 peculiar form of its bill, which is curved a little upwards at the end, and 

 depressed at the base." 



