a4 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



Griminish Point and Haskier, in 1902, is now in my brother's 

 possession. 



[Pujffifius anglonim, Tern. Manx Shearwater. Reported now 

 and again off the coast but have never seen an example from North 

 Uist. Seen near Haskier on 13th September rgog.] 



Fubnarus glacialis^ Linn. Fulmar. Specimens are washed up 

 every year from St Kilda. But the live bird is very rarely met with. 



A Note on the Identification of Ducks' Eggs. In cases 

 where the identification of a Duck has not been determined at the 

 nest, it has been customary to seek the aid of the down and feathers 

 formincr the lining of the nest as means of establishing the identity 

 of the eggs. Miss Jackson, who has made a special study of the 

 nest down of a number of British Ducks, in recently expressing her 

 views on this interesting subject, has remarked {Briiish Birds, 

 October 1918), "I should like, however, to point out that it is, 

 I consider, impossible to identify a nest-lining of any of the above 

 species by the examination of the down alone, and that the feathers 

 are by far the most important means of identification." The Ducks 

 specified by Miss Jackson are the Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Garganey, 

 Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Scaup, and a few 

 others which do not breed in Britain. 



The object of this note is not to take exception to, or criticise, 

 Miss Jackson's conclusions, but merely to relate a little experience 

 of my own regarding the feathers which may be found in a Duck's 

 nest. A few years ago I examined the lining of a Pintail's nest 

 obtained at Loch Leven and found that it contained, in addition to 

 Ducks' feathers, several of those of the Red Grouse. This raises 

 an important point, namely, if a Duck gathers feathers to supple- 

 ment her own, for the purpose of forming a bed for her eggs, it is 

 quite possible, indeed probable, that she may pick up the feathers of 

 other species of Duck and introduce them into her nest. Such alien 

 ducks' feathers would certainly be more readily obtained at Loch 

 Leven than those of the Red Grouse a bird which nests in the 

 district but not in the immediate vicinity of the loch. 



The incident described may, perhaps, be regarded as exceptional, 

 but nevertheless it clearly indicates that the feathers found in a 

 Duck's nest are not all of them necessarily those of the real owner ; 

 some, possibly the most diagnostic ones, may belong to another 

 species. Wm. Eaiu.k Clarkk, Edinburgh. 



