62 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Wild-fowl in Islay are reported as unusually scarce. Scarcely 

 a tithe of the Wild Geese have put in an appearance. 



Teal. — Nettium crecca (Lin.). — Hitherto scarce in Stirlingshire, 

 this year Teal arrived on the Carron in considerable numbers — one 

 large bunch of 17 being conspicuous — on the advent of the first 

 hard frost, on or about the 4th Nov. Before this only 4 or 5 had 

 been seen, though Mallard were unusually abundant. Most of the 

 Wild Ducks were known to be birds bred in the district. Teal re- 

 mained scarce all Dec, and we had no accessions during the second 

 storm, as we had of Wild Duck. Soon they disappeared, and not a 

 single Teal was to be seen along the whole stretch of river during 

 the whole time the storm lasted, up to end of Jan. 1881. 



Widgeon. — Mareca penelope (Lin.). — On 21st Oct., 1880, I shot 

 a young male Widgeon, on the Carron, and another was along with 

 it. Widgeon do not appear here every season, and can only be con- 

 sidered as occasional visitants in this locality. 



Golden-eye. — Clangula glaucion (Lin.). Tufted Duck. — 

 Fuligula cristata (Leach). — It is always in very hard weather 

 that we are visited by these species along the Carron. Thus in 

 January, 1881, a few were usually about where they could find 

 open water. 



Pintail. — Dafila acuta (Lin.). — Two Pintail Ducks were 

 shot near Loch Boisdale "last week" — [J. Henderson in lit, 

 16. xii. 80]. 



Great Northern Diver. — Colymbus glacialis, Lin. — A Great 

 Northern Diver was captured [7. xi. 80.], off Buccleuch Square, 

 Newcastleton, by Michael Dagg, carter. The bird was apparently 

 exhausted from want of food. It measured across the wings from 

 tip to tip, 6 ft. 1 in. — [Kelso Chronicle.'] This bird came into the 

 possession of Mr. J. Edgar, Grocer, Newcastleton, and is being 

 stuffed by the Duke of Northumberland's gamekeeper. It bit the 

 man savagely who first caught it. It was offered to him by the 

 second party, but was declined with thanks — [Rev. T. Gordon in 

 lit. to Mr. Bruce]. 



Little Grebe. — Podiceps minor (6m.). — This bird arrived earlier 

 than usual, and earlier even than in autumn of 1878, in the districts 

 around Dumfries, viz.: — before the 4th Nov., 1880; but though I 

 walked pretty regularly along the Carron in Stirlingshire, I did not 

 observe any until the 22nd Nov., 1880, when I saw one. There- 

 after they were scarcely ever observed, and I cannot account for the 



