NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 317 



WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 



Ansbe albifrons (Gmel.J. 



White-fronted Geese are common in Islay — are, indeed, the 

 common Wild Goose of Islay. They are, this year, also common 

 in S. Uist, where Mr. J. Henderson, on the 5th Dec, was 

 successful in shooting four out of two lots, one of which consisted 

 of about twenty. 



GREY LAG GOOSE. 

 Anser cinbrbus, Meyer. 



This is not by any means a common species on our east coast in 

 winter. A party of three, however, flew far inland in Stirling- 

 shire on the 3rd of January, 1880, and a friend and myself heard 

 them high in air. They had passed close over the village of 

 Larbert, and alighted in a mill -lead about half-a-mile further west, 

 where one was shot soon afterwards, and came into my possession. 

 A day or two later a second was killed at Larbert House pond. 

 The remaining bird continued to frequent Larbert pond, and also 

 the marsh called "The Volley." On a former occasion I saw, in 

 the same neighbourhood, a flock of about sixteen, which I believe 

 to have been Grey Lag Geese. A flock of a dozen on one occasion 

 passed over Larbert Station in a fog, within shot ; but these, though 

 probably Grey Lags, were not identified. 



WILD SWAN. 

 Cygnus musicus, BecJist. 



Two are reported from S. Uist as seen about the first week of 

 Dec. A number frequented the Kyle of Tongue, in Sutherland, 

 in the early part of Dec. Mr. Crawford writes also — " It is not 

 unusual for Swans to visit some of the lochs here on their way 

 northward." Mr. Chisholm reports that " a goodly number of 

 Swans take up their winter residence on Loch Gurim, a fresh- water 

 lake in front of Ballinaby House, Islay. There is no decrease in 

 the flock this year." Wild Swans are reported as more than 

 ordinarily abundant this winter in the Long Island. A flock of 

 26 was seen in December last, near Loch Boisdale, and about 100 

 have taken up their quarters on a fresh-water loch near Bornish, 

 S. Uist. My informant has himself seen numerous parties and 

 flocks of from two to eight together. Mr. Service reports Wild 

 Swans as unusually plentiful this winter. Mr. M'Lellan saw a 



