NOTES 45 



Bullfinches in the Orcades in 1809 and 1865. This was followed 

 by a further note in the number for 13th December on the 

 appearance of three in a garden at Kirkwall in March 1910. When 

 at Strom ness, on 1st September, I saw in the museum of that town 

 an adult male of the Northern Bullfinch {Pyrrhula pyrrhula), 

 which had been captured in the neighbourhood in October 19 12. 

 This race has not hitherto been recorded from the Orkneys, but 

 to it most probably belong all the birds mentioned in this com- 

 munication. W. Eagle Clarke. 



Woodchat Shrike in Orkney. An adult male Woodchat 

 Shrike (Lauius pomeranus) was captured on the Island of Auskerry 

 on the 6th of June 1913, and is now in the collection of British 

 birds in the Royal Scottish Museum at Edinburgh. Mr Eagle 

 Clarke informs me that this species is new to the list of birds 

 known to have occurred in the Orkney Islands, and that it is the 

 third recorded Scottish specimen. H. Laidlaw, Auskerry. 



Nesting of the Pintail in Moray Area. In June 1913, a 

 Pintail's (Dafi/a acuta) nest was located in the vicinity of a small 

 loch in the above area. I believe this to be the first fully 

 authenticated instance of the Pintail breeding in the Highlands, 

 though there are records of its nesting in the Orkneys and 

 Shetlands and the Outer Hebrides. Annie C. Jackson, Swordale, 

 Ross-shire. 



[There is a clutch of eggs from Cromlit, Inverness-shire 

 (E. Hargitt), in the British Museum. Eds.] 



Probable Breeding of Tufted Duck in North Uist A 

 Tufted Duck {Fuligula cristata) was obtained on a fresh-water loch 

 at Scolpaig, North Uist, as late as 22nd September 1913; this bird, 

 which was a young $ flapper, was quite unable to fly, and this fact 

 is an especially interesting one, as, to my knowledge, there has as yet 

 been no occurrence of this duck as a breeding species in these 

 islands. The preceding spring two pairs of Tufted Duck were 

 observed on another loch quite close to the above-mentioned ; 

 taking these two facts into consideration, it seems highly probable 

 that at least a pair remained in this portion of the Long Island for 

 breeding purposes. F. S. Beveridge, Vallay, North Uist. 



[The nesting of the Tufted Duck in the southern Outer Hebrides 

 in 1903 and 1906 was recorded in the Annals of Scottish Natural 

 History for 1903 and 1907. Mr Beveridge's note is a valuable 

 addition to our information relating to this species in the Outer 

 Hebrides. Eds.] 



