ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 185 



Black Tern on the Tweed. — While walking down Tweedside on 

 30th May I saw a Black Tern i^Hydrochelidon nigra) flying backwards 

 and forwards over the river just above Peebles. The bird was an 

 adult in full summer plumage, and was, as far as I could see, alone. 

 It frequented a quiet and smooth part of the river, and made 

 frequent swoops towards the surface of the water, appearing to take 

 flies on the wing. — R. Preston Donaldson, Edinburgh. 



Little Auk in the Firth of Forth in March. — On 9th March 

 last a female Little Auk {Mergulus alle), evidently newly dead, was 

 picked up on the shore at Gullane Point, Haddingtonshire, and 

 taken to Mr. J. Lamb, who kindly forwarded it to me the same day. 

 Though thin in the body its plumage was in excellent condition, 

 and showed some approach towards the summer dress. — William 

 Evans, Edinburgh. 



Large Assemblage of Great Northern Divers and a Moulting 

 Bird. — On 6th March a flock of over forty Great Northern Divers 

 {Colymbus glacialis) was observed in Hoy Sound, Orkney, such a 

 large assembly being somewhat unusual, as they are generally seen 

 singly or in pairs, eight being the largest number I had previously 

 seen together, namely, during the same week in March three years 

 ago. Possibly as the time for their departure draws near they 

 collect thus into flocks. On Sunday 5th April there was a specimen 

 in Stromness harbour almost in full summer plumage, the head 

 alone being not quite perfect. On the following day, the 6th, I saw 

 large numbers of them off the south end of Graemsay, considerably 

 over a hundred altogether. The largest lot was a flock of twenty- 

 four or twenty-five, but these I could not get near enough to see the 

 colour of their heads properly. I saw another flock of thirteen, 

 another of eleven, another of eight, two of six, four of five, and 

 a number of lots of three, a few pairs, and several single birds. 

 With the exception of the large flock, I was near enough to see the 

 colour of the plumage of all the others with the glasses, and only 

 one bird was in full summer plumage, one of the flock of eight, 

 none of the others seen having the head changed at all. The 

 large assemblage seen on 6th April seemed to almost melt away, so 

 mysteriously did they disappear, as after sailing among them for 

 about half an hour the last had vanished, and during the rest of the 

 day we only saw one other, and that four or five hours later. All 

 the birds seen were within half a mile of one another, and their 

 disappearance was all the more remarkable as the sea was compara- 

 tively calm at the time, with only a ruffle on its surface, thus 

 allowing birds to be seen at a great distance. — H. W. Robinson, 

 Lancaster. 



Four-bearded Reckling in the Sound of Mull. — A fine speci- 

 men of Enchelyopus cimbrius was captured on the 25th of March 



