io The Scottish Naturalist. 



vulgaris), not common ; Common Partridge (Perdix cinerea), not uncommon. 

 Golden Plover {Charadrius pluvialis), frequent ; Dotterel (C. morinellus), 

 said to breed on Binean and Benmore ; Lapwing ( Vanellus cristatus), 

 abundant ; Heron (Ardea cinerea) frequent ; Curlew {A T umenius arquata), 

 common ; Redshank ( Totanus calidris), not common ; Common Sand- 

 piper (T. hypoleuca), common ; Woodcock* {Scolopax rusticola), frequent 

 in winter — may not improbably breed here as at Loch Lomond-side ; 

 Common Snipe (S. galliuago), frequent ; Jacksnipe (S. gallinula), have good 

 authority for the fact of its being native to the district ; Corncrake (Crex pra- 

 tensis), common; Water-hen (Ga llinula chloropus), common; Coot [Fulica 

 atra), on Loch Lubnaig and Loch Voil. Wild Swan* (Cygnus ferus), an 

 occasional winter caller ; Wild Duck {Anas boschas), common ; Teal Duck 

 {A. crecea), not common; Wigeon* (A. penelope), frequent in winter; 

 Goosander* {Mergus Merganser), an occasional winter visitant ; Little Grebe 

 {Podiceps minor), common ; Black-headed Guil* {Lams ridibundus), an 

 occasional caller. — W. Cameron, Carstairs Junction, August, 1872. 



Occurrence of th.9 Golden Oriole (Oriolus galbulaJ.—A specimen of 

 this bird, obtained in the parish of Kirkconnel, Dumfries-shire, was exhibited at 

 a recent meeting of the Thornhill "Society of Enquiry." Specimens have three 

 times previously been met with in Scotland. — F. Buchanan White. 



Purple Heron {Ardea purpurea L.J— About the 28th of September last a 

 specimen of this very rare bird was shot on the links at Aberdeen by an indivi- 

 dual who was gull-shooting, and on its being brought to the Natural History 

 Museum of the University, 1 had an opportunity of examining it. It is a young 

 male, and is a very fine specimen. This is the second recorded occurrence in 

 Scotland as far as known to me ; the only other instance is recorded by Dr. 

 Macgilivray, from Monquhilter, Aberdeenshire, on 18th June, 1847. It seems 

 to be more common in England, as notices of it are recorded from several 

 counties, several having been found in Norfolk. — H. O. Forbes, Aberdeen, 

 November, 1872. 



[Another young Purple Heron (in first year's plumage) was recently shot in 

 Haddingtonshire. — Editor.] 



Wood Sandpiper ( Totanus glareola ).— At the October Meeting of the 

 Glasgow Natural History Society, a specimen of this rare Scottish species wis 

 exhibited, which was shot on the banks of Loch Lomond by Sir George Leith, 

 Bart., on the 8th of August last. This is the second record of the Wood Sand- 

 piper's occurrence in the west of Scotland, one having been shot in the autumn 

 of 1853, on the Clyde, near Port Glasgow. It has, however, been met with on 

 three or four occasions in the east.- -James Lumsden, Jun., Arden House, 

 Alexandria, Nov. 6, 1872. 



Turtle Dove.— There was an adult female of the Turtle Dove ( ' Columba 

 Turtur ) sent to me for preservation lately. It was shot on the 21st October, 

 1872, three miles from Berwick. This is unusually late for a migratory bird, 

 and it could not be from weakness that it remained so late, as it was very fat 

 when shot. I observe Morris, in his " British Birds, " records one, almost as late, 

 which was shot in Perthshire, October 20th, T834. 



Another instance of migration occurred to me about the sane time -a Black- 

 cap (Sylvia atricapilla) which I saw at Edenmouth, 20th October, three miles 



