40 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



when Ailsa was leased by a tacksman, as observed by Mr William 

 Sinclair, a member of the society, who had lived night and day 

 upon the rock during a part of that season ; and enumerated, on 

 the same authority, a list of the birds, visitors as well as those 

 which breed, observed during his visit. Among the more im- 

 portant of these were the golden eagle and white-tailed sea-eagle, 

 both of which are now but rarely seen. Mr Gray also dwelt at 

 some length on the dates for the arrival and disappearance of the 

 various sea-fowl frequenting the rock during the time of incubation, 

 and contrasted the habits of some of these with the same species 

 found on the Bass Rock — a bird-hive with which he was equally 

 familiar. 



Illustrative of his second paper, the secretary exhibited a well- 

 preserved specimen of the grey lag-goose, and two of its eggs, 

 which had been forwarded by a correspondent in the outer Hebrides, 

 and expressed his belief that although recent writers on British 

 ornithology stated the species to be rare, and that it no longer 

 bred in any part of Britain, it still exists in considerable numbers 

 in places suited to its habits. In former times, according to our 

 older writers, it haunted the fens of Lincolnshire, and the moor- 

 land bogs of our own country in prodigious flocks, but had gradu- 

 ally retired, through the wide-spread improvements by drainage, 

 etc., and fallen back upon countries yet undisturbed by these influ- 

 ences. In the Hebrides, however, as now found out, there is a safe 

 asylum for this interesting species, as well as for other aboriginal 

 water fowl. Throvigh the courtesy of Mr Dugald M'Donald, of 

 Nunton, he was enabled to state that on one of the Hebridean 

 islands at least, it had the exclusive occupancy of the breeding 

 places. He then read some interesting remarks on the habits of 

 the bird, as observed by Mr M'Donald, to whom he (Mr Gray) 

 acknowledged his obligations for assistance, by means of specimens 

 and otherwise, in drawing up his account of the species. 



Dr Dewar then stated to the meeting that he could bear testi- 

 mony to the fact of the grey lag-goose being still a native bird in 

 Britain, having found both birds and eggs during an ornithological 

 tour he made to the Hebrides in 1858; after which the chairman 

 declared the session of the society to be closed. 



