bb TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



duck sitting on her nest while we have been standing 

 round not more than a couple of yards away, but at 

 other times they left it Avhen we were some 

 considerable distance off. FIac was the largest 

 number of eggs I found in one nest, four being the 

 most usual. Two nests containing only one and t^v^o 

 eggs had no down in them, and the eggs were 

 covered up with moss ; so it ajDXDears as if the down 

 is placed in the nest only when the full number is 

 laid, and is perhaps added to as incubation goes on. 

 During the breeding season the call-note of the male 

 is frequently heard, much less so in the winter. 

 Except during the hatching and moulting time the 

 Eiders seem to keep in pairs ; and though probably 

 several pairs may be collected together, it is easy to 

 see by theii' actions that they are pairs. 



A young bird which I believe to be a male, shot 

 on 8th December, is much darker in plumage than 

 the female. The breast is more closely barred, the 

 feathers of the upj^er part of the back and shoulders 

 are edged with lighter brown, likewise the upper 

 tail-coverts, the back being dark sooty-brown. On 

 the head there is a tinge of ^vhite running from the 

 nostrils to a little behind and over the eye, and this 

 seems more conspicuous when the bird is swimming. 



Another male shot on 1st December had nearly 

 comi^leted the adult i^lumage ; but the white still 

 retained traces of black here and there, especially 

 the wing-coverts, which were quite mottled, the rest 

 of the plumage being less brilliant. An esiDecially 

 fine male shot the same day had a green instead of 

 a brown tinge on the light stripe that divides the 

 green on the back of the head. 



Velvet Scoter (Oidemia fusca). Connnon during 

 winter and spring, especially between Kirkwall and 

 Gairsay; generally in small parties of three and 

 four up to a dozen. 



Black Scoter (Oidemia nicjra). A rare winter 

 visitant. 



