REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 197 



The Pink-footed Goose, Anser brachyrhvfichus. — On 12th 

 February two of these Geese were on the Castle Loch, Wigtown- 

 shire, and five on the Beauly Firth on iSth April. 



The Barnacle Goose, Branta leucopsis. — A male is recorded 

 at Fair Isle on gth February, and several at Dalgowan on iSth 

 February, and Luce Sands on 23rd February. Barnacle Geese had 

 all left Barra Head by the end of April, and two visited Hoy High 

 on 3rd, 5th, and 9th May. About i8th September a few reappeared 

 at Barra Head, one was shot inland at Hule Moss, Greenlaw, on 3rd 

 November (r. 1916, 69), and one was on Pentland Skerries on 29th 

 October. 



The Brent Goose, Branta bemicla. — One is reported from 

 Fair Isle on 12th February, eighteen from Little Ross on 27th 

 November, and two large flocks from Ueerness on 4th December. 



The Sheldrake, Tadorna tadorna. — Great numbers were seen 

 in Wigtown Bay on 24th February, and small arrivals are recorded 

 from Tarbatness on 2nd ]\Iarch, Pentland Skerries and Lerwick on 

 9th April, and Holy Island on 12th and 13th April; a male 

 on Soulseat Loch, Inch, on 12th May. On 24th September one 

 was on Morton Loch (N. Fife), "a late date," and forty to fifty on 

 the Dornoch Firth on 27th October: "we do not usually see 

 so many so late as this." 



The Ma\a.av.ti, Anas platyrhyncha platy7-hyncha. — Up to 14th 

 May there are notes of small numbers of ^Mallard from stations in 

 our Northern Isles and Outer Hebrides. By nth March the 

 numbers in Largo Bay had greatly decreased, and the "dispersal of 

 local flocks" is noted from the Tay Estuary from r4th March 

 to 25th April. 



A female is noted from Pentland Skerries on 8th June and 2nd 

 July; two had returned to Largo Bay by i6th July, and much 

 movement is reported from Orkney and Shetland from loth 

 September to nth November. Flocks were arriving in the Tay 

 Estuary on r6th October, and in the Firth of Forth on 25th and 

 27th October. 



The Gadwall, Anas strepera. — Two drakes were shot, flighting 

 at Dunbog (N. Fife), on i6th January, "one in fairly full plumage, 

 the other not much differentiated from female plumage." Several 

 were on Morton Loch (N. Fife) on 24th September, and two 

 on Soulseat Loch, Inch, on 2nd December. 



