ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 185 



lost almost all their winter plumage. A male and female which I 

 shot on 6th April were very dark in colour ; but a male sent to a 

 friend of mine much later, shot on 12th May 1908, was not nearly 

 as dark, although birds shot on 25th and 29th April that year were 

 €ven darker than my specimens. During that spring (1908) they 

 were very late in departing owing chiefly to adverse winds, and 

 there were a fair number on the sea as late as 12th May and for 

 several days after that date. — H. W. Robinson, Lancaster. 



Little Crake in Ayrshire. — On the 29th of March a fisherman 

 saw a bird moving about in his boat, which was lying in Girvan 

 Harbour. On stepping into the boat he found that the bird could not 

 fly, being in an exhausted condition, and he picked it up and brought 

 it to me. I gave it water, slugs, chopped worms, and scraped beef, 

 and left it for a few hours. On my return I found it had fed freely, 

 principally on scraped beef, and was quite lively. On examining it 

 carefully, with the aid of a friend interested in natural history, we 

 came to the conclusion that it was a Little Crake {Forza?ia parva), 

 an identification which was afterwards confirmed by Mr. Charles 

 Kirk, taxidermist, Glasgow. — James Aird, Girvan. 



Green Sandpiper in Solway. — A good specimen of this species 

 was shot on the banks of the Ae, parish of Kirkmichael, Dumfries- 

 shire, and brought to me for identification on 20th January. Of 

 late years this species has put in so few appearances that this one is 

 worth a record. — Robert Service, Maxwelltown. 



Great Crested Grebe at Duddingston Loch, Edinburgh. — For 



the first time since I came here six years ago I have detected the 

 Great Crested Grebe on Duddingston Loch yesterday, 14.3.09. 

 I was scanning a flock of Pochards and Tufted Ducks that were 

 sunning themselves on the water below the Manse, when my 

 binoculars rested on a fine specimen of this Grebe busily preening 

 its feathers. I was within fifty yards of it, so did not go nearer to 

 disturb it. I did not catch a sight of it this morning, but it may 

 easily be at the far end of the loch. — William Serle, Duddingston. 



The Red-necked Grebe in Orkney. — As the Red-necked Grebe 

 {Fodiceps griseige?ia) is said to be rare in Orkney, perhaps the follow- 

 ing notes may be of interest. On 2nd March 1904 I saw several 

 on the Loch of Harry, all but one being in full winter plumage as 

 far as I could see, the exception showing himself, through my glasses, 

 to be just commencing to change into his summer plumage. So 

 rough was it on the loch and so wild w^re the birds that I was 

 unable to get within shot of them. They were all single birds 

 with the exception of two, which appeared to be paired. On 28th 

 February 1905 I again saw a pair on this same loch in winter 

 plumage, and again failed to get nearer than 150 yards. I fully 

 believe, from what my boatman told me, that they are there every 



