46 



THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



The Great Skua in danger of extermination as a native 

 of the British Islands. We are informed that the Shetland County 

 Council have passed a resolution that the Great Skua should be 

 excluded from the list of protected birds. A similar attempt was 

 made two years ago, on the allegation that goslings had been killed. 

 The resolution is based on the old allegation. Under the new 

 Grazing Regulations no geese are to be allowed on common 

 pasture, so even supposing guilt had been proved against the Skua 

 (and there was no proof), it could not happen again. It would be 

 nothing short of a tragedy if protection were removed, as the Skua 

 would be killed out in a year or two. We do not believe that the 

 Great Skua is by any means the chief culprit, and we trust that those 

 who are interested in Scottish ornithology will do all in their power 

 to frustrate the attempt to deprive this bird of protection. 



Nesting of Great Crested Grebe in Moray Area. In 



19 1 2 a pair of Great Crested Grebes appeared on a certain loch 

 and remained there during the summer months, but though search 

 was made no nest was found, nor were young ones seen. Last May 

 a pair (probably the identical pair) were again seen on the loch, and 

 towards the end of the month a nest was found with one egg, which, 

 most unfortunately, had been sucked. However, the Grebes nested 

 again, and in July one young one was successfully hatched off and 

 might be seen swimming about with its parents. This appears to 

 be the first record of the Great Crested Grebes breeding north of 

 the Grampians. Annie C. Jackson, Swordale, Ross-shire. 



Scottish Records of Insects. In the January number of 

 the Etitomologisfs Monthly Magazine we note the following : 

 Coleoptera : Amara alfii?ia, F., three specimens at Braemar, 

 June 1913 (T. Hudson Beare, p. 14). Trypodendron domesticum, 

 L., galleries in dead beach trees near Careston, Forfarshire ; 

 Phlxophthorus rhododactylus, Marsh., near Brechin, Forfarshire, and 

 near Bieldside, Aberdeenshire ; Cryptorrhynduis lapathi, L., near 

 Stracathro, Forfarshire (J. W. Munro, p. 15). Lepidoptera : Tinea 

 tedelia, CI., noted as harmful to young spruce trees near Aberdeen 

 (J. W. Munro, p. 15). 



Thanasimus rufipes, Erahm, at Nethy Bridge. When 

 examining some of my 191 1 captures at Nethy Bridge, I found 

 three examples of this species. In 1913 I took other three at the 

 same locality. James J. F. X. King, Glasgow. 



Leptura sanguinolenta, L., at Nethy Bridge. I was 



