8o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



dozens. Passing over occurrences within a mile or two of 

 the east coast, which were numerous, the following inland 

 records (of single birds) due to the gale may be mentioned — 

 they are, it will be observed, largely in the line of the Forth 

 and Clyde connection; — Dalmuir, Dumbartonshire (17th 

 January); Haddington, Ratho, and Kirkliston (18th); Hawick, 

 Roxburghshire (18th); Johnstone, Renfrewshire (20th, on 

 which day one was seen on the sea near Port William, Luce 

 Bay, VVigtonshire) ; parish of Banchory, Kincardineshire (20th) ; 

 River Leven, Dumbartonshire (about 21st); Dunipace and 

 Milngavie, Stirlingshire (22nd); Mount Teviot, Roxburgh- 

 shire (about 22nd); Murthly, Pitlochrie, and Blair Athol, 

 Perthshire (all about 23rd) ; Dunfermline, W. Fife (24th) ; 

 Lasswade, Midlothian (25th) ; Whauphill, Wigtownshire 

 (27th) ; Loch Lomond (about same date) ; Motherwell, 

 Lanarkshire {Glas. Nat. t iv., 63) ; and railway line between 

 Edinburgh and Glasgow. 



By February, which began it will be remembered during 

 a short but severe spell of frost and snow, the majority of 

 the birds had disappeared. Numbers, however, w r ere flying 

 about the Isle of May on the 2nd, and two days later many 

 were seen in Largo Bay, while at Auskerry, Orkney, some 

 were still passing on the 15th. Few recently dead birds 

 were now met with, one of the latest being found on the 25th, 

 on the shore west of Dysart, Fife. Three, nevertheless, were 

 recorded from the West — from Muirkirk, Ayrshire, and 

 Inversnaid, Loch Lomond (6th) ; and Cathcart, near Glasgow 

 (8th), respectively. 



The present visitation, though a notable one, does not 

 appear to have been on quite so large a scale as that of 

 1894-95. Fewer records have come from the districts north 

 of Forth and Clyde, south of which, however, they have 

 extended further south-west in the direction of the Solway. 

 As usual, all the birds examined, with the exception of one or 

 two procured in December, were in a very emaciated con- 

 dition, and in no case is food reported to have been found in 

 the stomach. As regards plumage, there was little individual 

 variation, but some birds, probably old males, had noticeably 

 heavier bills than others. 



