196 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



and ihe bird's proximity, making any mistake as to its identity 

 impossible. 



This, I gather, is the latest authentic example from the district. 

 Fred S. Beveridge, Dunfermline. 



The Whooper Swan in Ross-shire in June. The occur- 

 rence of the Whooper Swan {Cygniis imisictis) anywhere in the 

 British Isles in the month of June is sufficiently rare to make the 

 following visit of the species worthy of record. On 5th June 1919, 

 at g A.M., I was proceeding to fish on Loch Beannachavan, a loch 

 on the Meig, one of the upper affluents of the river Conon, when I 

 was greatly surprised to see thereon a Whooper Swan that had 

 unquestionably arrived overnight. It remained on the loch until 

 the morning of the 13th, paying visits in the interval to neighbouring 

 smaller hill lochs, and no evidence was shown that its power of 

 flight was in any way impaired. The plumage was that of an adult 

 bird, but the upper mandible did not have quite the lemon-yellow 

 tint of the mature bird, being rather of a creamy yellow, thus 

 showing traces of immaturity. I may state that the hills in the 

 neighbourhood were covered with mist on two days previous to its 

 arrival, and that the bird was very shy of allowing a near approach 

 when I was on foot, but appeared to be less scared of a vehicle. 

 D. Macdonald, Glasgow. 



Wild Swans observed in the Western Highlands in 

 Summer. During a visit to Western Inverness-shire in June 1919, 

 Mr T. G. Laidlaw and myself were greatly surprised to observe on 

 several occasions two adult Whooper Swans {Cygniis musicus) on 

 Loch Trieg. At first only one was seen which stayed a day or two, 

 and then left. On the 26th it returned accompanied by another. 

 These on and off visits continued down to early July, when our 

 residence in the district came to an end. During these sojourns 

 the birds frequented a broad belt of weedy shallows on the west 

 side of the loch, which afforded them the only suitable feeding 

 ground. 



On making inquiries of the keepers, we learned that the two 

 birds arrived at Loch Trieg in the late autumn of 19 18, and were 

 seen there at intervals during the winter and early spring. In April 

 one of them disappeared, and the two were not seen in company 

 again until late in June. Both were strong on the wing and visited 

 other lochs in the neighbourhood, some at high altitudes, which 

 offered suitable feeding haunts. This was all we could learn 

 regarding the birds. 



We found the birds somewhat wary, inasmuch as they betook 



