Il6 AXNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



possibly have been shot at about the Tay Estuary, and have flown 

 inshore to this Loch after being wounded. It was recently dead 

 when found. — William Berry Tay field, Newport, Fife. 



Gadwalls in Fifeshire. — Since I wrote my note on this species 

 for the January number of the " Annals," I have two more occur- 

 rences of the Gadwall {A?ias streperd) to record for this district. 

 On 25th January a pair were seen at "flight time" on the Morton 

 Loch, near Tayport, on the Tay Estuary, one of which, a drake, 

 was secured and sent to the Royal Scottish Museum. On the 

 29th a flock of between 29 and 30 appeared at the same loch, 

 three of which, as it happened, fell to one shot. From this I 

 think it may be assumed that the whole flock was made up of 

 Gadwalls, but it was too dark at the time to allow of species being 

 otherwise identified with any certainty. Of the birds secured, two, 

 a drake and a duck, were in full adult plumage, and these were 

 also sent to the National Museum. — William Berry, Tayfield, 

 Newport, Fife. 



The Oceurrenee of the Gadwall in Orkney. — The occurrence 

 of the Gadwall {A?ias strepera) in Orkney may be of interest, as 

 the species is described as being only an occasional visitant to the 

 islands. On 8th March 1904 I got an adult drake on Loch 

 Stenness, knocked out of a large pack of Wigeon. Two days after- 

 wards I saw a female sitting on the loch about 150 yards from the 

 shore. The second occurrence was on 14th December 1906, when 

 I saw an adult male paired with a female AVigeon. I could have 

 shot him tw^o or three times as he passed close to me in his 

 endeavours to get the Wigeon away, which he eventually did in 

 safety for the time being ; but about half an hour later I again saw 

 them fly into this particular bay, and with a long high shot dropped 

 the female bird, which I naturally thought was a female Gadwall. 

 There is no doubt as to his being a Gadwall, as he twice passed well 

 within shot on our first meeting, showing all his beautiful markings 

 distinctly. — H. W. Robinson, Lancaster. 



Heronries in Forth. — The list of " Forth " Heronries given in 

 Mr. Boyd Watt's paper in the " Annals " for October last needs a 

 good deal of " starring " and other explanation. According to 

 my information there are now only four Heronries in the Forth 

 area, namely, Tyninghame (not, how^ever, Binning Wood, which was 

 abandoned some fifty years ago), about 20 pairs (I remember when 

 there w^ere twice that number); Donibristle, about 10 pairs; Blair- 

 Drummond, 4 or 5 pairs; and Brucefield, adjoining Tulliallan, 15 

 to 20 pairs. The other localities mentioned have either been entirely 

 or practically abandoned, or never could boast of more than one 

 or perhaps two nests now and again. The Dalkeith heronry 

 ceased to exist over forty years ago. — William Evans, Edinburgh, 

 December 1908. 



