226 A FEW RAR.E AVES AND PISCES AT FRASERBROUGH. 



A male specimen of the Little Rotche, or Auk, [Mergulus alle,') was 

 obtained on the 4th. of February, 1854. The black on the neck and higher 

 portion of the breast is beginning to appear very conspicuously. 



A very fine male Tufted Duck, (Fuligula cristata,) in full summer dress, 

 was procured in the bay on the 6th. of June, last. It was alone, and after 

 a hot pursuit, suffered itself to be killed with an oar, 



A most beautiful male specimen of the Little Black-headed Gull, or Maw, 

 (Larus minutus,) was shot on the sands on the 28th. of June. There 

 were two, supposed to be male and female, but only the one mentioned was 

 obtained. They were fishing in company with other Gulls and Terns. It 

 is an adult bird, and being arrayed in its summer dress, has all its colours 

 of the most vivid description imaginable. The head and neck is of the deepest 

 black, which contrasts beautifully with the pure white and pearly gray of the 

 other parts; and add to this the bright carmine of its bill and walking members. 

 I have seen the bird, and should suppose that it is but seldom indeed that 

 any ornithologist, even in the south of Britain, far less in the north, claps 

 his hand on such a perfect specimen of this little active and rare Gull. 



Near to the same spot where the Little Gull, above alluded to, fell, and 

 only nine days after, a male specimen of the Sandwich Tern, {Sterna cantiaca,) 

 was procured. It is also an adult bird, and in good plumage. It was feeding 

 when shot in company with the Arctic Tern, [Sterna Arctica,) Kittiwake, 

 (Larus rissa,) Black-headed Gull, {Larus ridihundus,) and a few immature 

 Herring Gulls, {Larus argentatus.) 



All the foregoing birds have been preseved by a gentleman in Fraserbrough, 

 and are still in his possession, or, perhaps I should rather say, his collection, 

 as he is now forming one; and I am sure I wish him God-speed, and not 

 only him, but I should feel much gratified indeed if there were more gentlemen 

 like him in other localities that would do so to. There is plenty of room, 

 and much yet to be learned regarding the various branches of the natural 

 sciences; and it appears to me that there is nothing better calculated for that 

 purpose than attentive and accurate local observers. 



But the Pisces: — 



An entire and very good specimen of the Lesser Weever, {Trachinus vipera,) 

 was caught in the bay about the middle of last month. It was brought to 

 the gentleman whom I have already alluded to, and who very kindly forwarded 

 it to" me; and the individual, the captor, a fisherman, who brought it, said 

 that he never took, nor ever saw any of the same kind of fish before. I 

 have seen specimens from the Firth, but I must add that these occurrences 

 are certainly few and very far between. 



Being down at Fraserbrough last week on a zoological tour with one of my 

 girls, Maggy, already alluded to in ^'The Naturalist," and whilst she, and a 

 boy and a girl belonging to my friend there, were rummaging about amongst 

 the sands, which are pretty extensive, Maggy, having observed something 

 Bticking up out of the sand, which she at first thought was a piece of tangle, 



