342 TJie Scottish Naturalist. 



all appeared to be male birds, and I naturally concluded the 

 females were all on shore breeding. The birds that remain with 

 us have also appeared to me to be composed of males only, pro- 

 bably young birds of the previous season. As the Scoter does 

 not breed with us, their appearance at such a season is difficult 

 to account for, unless they be young males excluded from the 

 breeding-grounds, which remain together during the summer — 

 a habit not uncommon in some of the Gulls. 



128. Clangula glaucion, Brehm. (Golden-Eye.) 



The Golden-Eye is frequent in the higher part of the estuary 

 during the winter months, and goes some way up the Tay. 

 When not disturbed, I have seen them congregated in consid- 

 erable numbers after the close season about Kinfauns ; and this 

 year, on the 7th of April, I observed large numbers swimming 

 and diving quite unsuspiciously close up to the salmon-fishers 

 while at work ; and had not next day been the Fast Day at 

 Perth, when the river was covered with amateur shooters from 

 early morning until sunset, driving every bird off the water six 

 weeks after close-time, they probably would have remained some 

 weeks longer. As it was, not another bird was afterwards to be 

 seen. Mr Harvie-Brown mentions three Golden - Eyes being 

 seen off the coast of Berwickshire as late as the 3d of May, and 

 that Golden-Eyes were reported to have bred in a hollow tree 

 at a locality in the south of Perthshire last summer (1879).-^ 



129. Harelda glacialis, Steph. (Long-tailed Duck.) 



The Long - tailed Duck, though not very numerous, is a 

 regular winter visitant on the lower part of the estuary in the 

 salt water. It is seldom, however, they make their appearance 

 higher up. 



130. Mergus castor, Linn. (Goosander.) 



Of all the Mergus tribe the Goosander may be considered our 

 most regular visitant, though rather local in its habits, frequent- 

 ing many of the upper parts of the river in preference to the 

 mouth, where, however, Mr Nelson observed them in large num- 

 bers a few winters ago. They are every winter to be seen on 

 the Earn and Almond, and are common at Taymount and other 

 parts of the Tay. An occasional pair have been known to breed 

 in the upper part of tlie district. 



^ Proceedings of Nat. Soc. of Glasgow, Sept. 1879, P- 184. 



