I70 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST . 



turned down; perhaps they came from one of the few east coast 

 duck decoys still worked. That Lieut. Beveridge has shot the 

 small race of Mallard in North Uist is not, to my mind, proof 

 positive that they were descendants of the birds turned down ; they 

 were quite as likely to have been genuine migrants. 



Mareca penelope. I should not like to accept, as even probable 

 evidence of breeding, the fact that Wigeon were seen, and one, an 

 adult $, , procured in August. I have shot Wigeon in England, 

 both in North Lanes and Norfolk, in August, which I am satisfied 

 had not bred in the immediate neighbourhood where they were 

 killed, but were early migrants from farther north. 



Larus fuscus. Lieut. Beveridge does not draw any distinction 

 between our own western pale-mantled form of Lesser Black Back 

 {Larus fuscus affifiis) and the more eastern European black-mantled 

 bird {Larus fuscus fuscus), but quite irrespective of this, I doubt 

 his statement that the Lesser Black Back is a resident in North 

 Uist, or any other part of Great Britain for that matter ; the bird 

 is a summer breeding migrant to our coasts, and retires south in 

 August, September, and October, returning at the end of February, 

 and in March and April. You may see individual Lesser Black 

 Backs here in winter; if so, they are examples of the European 

 black-mantled form Larus fuscus fuscus, and are distinctly rare. 



F. W. Sm ALLEY. 



The Fulmar Petrel at Poula Isle during Winter. Desirous 

 of procuring some rough idea of the number of Fulmars found at 

 Foula Isle during Winter, I set out on 2nd January 191 9 to the 

 east side of the island. The day was not the best for observing, 

 being sunless and cold, while a stiff breeze blew from the north-east 

 which made the sea choppy. Starting at Durga-Ness, I slowly 

 skirted the brow of the cliffs in a southerly direction for little over 

 half a mile, then found I had proceeded far enough for my purpose. 

 Careful enumeration of the birds was no easy matter, for while 

 those settled on the cliffs were easily dealt with, many kept skirting 

 along them north and south, others again kept flying in circles, 

 then finally I added to my total a few groups swimming on the sea 

 lose by. Within the half mile I counted 500 Fulmars. It should 

 be borne in mind that the east side of the Isle is a pigmy in 

 comparison with that on the west, and it is on the latter side that 

 the immense numbers of Fulmars dwell. The bird appears to 

 be as plentiful at its habitat in the month of January as in June, 

 plus, of course, the young in the former month. \\n. Harry 

 Greenaway. 



