94 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



having dark tips. Feathers of the hack greyish brown, becoming 

 darker from the hind-neck downwards ; the feathers have light tips 

 with an ochreous tinge. On the entire back many new feathers 

 are appearing which are much darker than the older ones, being 

 blackish with a greenish gloss. A few white feathers form a very 

 indistinct and much broken collar round the neck. Crop and sides 

 of the neck cinereous grey, the tips being slightly ochreous; some 

 new feathers of the same colour are making their appearance. 

 Under-surface white, with many new feathers coming ; flanks and 

 vent ashy grey with an ochreous tinge; new feathers showing 

 on the flanks. The tail consists of one old feather, brown and 

 exceedingly worn ; all the new tail-feathers appearing are dark, and 

 almost wholly in quill. The primaries, secondaries, tertiaries, the 

 primary and greater wing-coverts, are all in quill and just beginning 

 to sprout ; the wing-feathers being practically non-existent. The 

 right wing is rather more developed than the left. The lesser wing- 

 coverts are greyish brown with light ochreous tips, the median 

 coverts very worn, a mixture of whitish and dusky grey, with new 

 white feathers showing; under wing-coverts greyish brown. Scapulars 

 brownish grey with hoary grey tips ; several old feathers remain, in 

 which one web is white, the other greyish brown with an indication 

 of greenish gloss ; a good many new scapulars seem to be coming 

 in the same, while several darker scapulars are also appearing. 



Our best thanks are due to the authorities at the Royal Scottish 

 Museum for allowing us to examine and describe this specimen. — 

 Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul, Largo. 



Swimming of yoving Lapwings. — A very pretty little 

 incident of last nesting-season may be worthy of record in your 

 interesting pages. A pair of Lapwings had nested on an island 

 in the Knapps Loch near here. They were undisturbed, and in 

 due course hatched out. One evening thereafter, as some of us 

 were sitting watching the bird-life, the mother of these four chicks 

 flew over to the shore and at once started calling her family. 

 Three of the young birds immediately responded by entering the 

 water and swimming across. The fourth remained behind. The 

 mother then returned to the island, but what she said to the little 

 trembler will ever remain a secret. She then rejoined the three, 

 and there repeated her call. This time she was successful, for the 

 solitary little chap at once entered the water and swam bravely 

 across. The distance will be about 30 to 40 yards. I never saw 

 young Lapwings in the water before. — T. Thornton Mackeith, 

 Kilmacolm. 



