BIRDS CLAIMING TO BE ACCOUNTED BRITISH. 265 



likely to have been the specimen in Mr. Bullock's sale 

 (15th day, lot 59), which, according to a MS. note in 

 Professor Newton's copy of the catalogue, was killed in the 

 Orkneys and bought by Dr. Adams for a guinea ; though 

 this latter may be one of the three or four incidentally 

 mentioned by Selby and Donovan. 



In 1858, Major W. R. King shot a fowl which he is con- 

 vinced was a Harlequin — and a drake in good plumage — at 

 Buchan in Aberdeenshire (The Sportsman and Naturalist 

 in Canada, p. 231). He has been so obliging as to inform 

 me that he shot it after several days' storm from the north- 

 east, that 'it was swimming a short distance only from the 

 shore, and that it appeared to be either wounded or much 

 exhausted. It was stuffed, but during a temporary absence 

 from home was unfortunately so injured by damp and moth 

 that it had to be thrown away. 



Mr. Gray says, "The Harlequin Duck has since been in- 

 cluded in a catalogue of the Birds of Caithness, prepared 

 by Mr. E. S. Sinclair (B. of W. Scotland, p. 394). No 

 doubt on the same authority it finds a place in Osborne 

 and Shearer's " Birds of Caithness," (R. Phys. Soc, Edin., 

 II., p. 340) but as Mr. Sinclair has been found to be wrong 

 in the case of the Spotted Sandpiper, there seems to me a 

 probability of his having been mistaken here as well. His 

 collection has been sold to the Thurso Museum, as Mr. Reid 

 informs me. 



In the "Naturalist" for 1854, p. 242, Mr. Edward relates 

 the death of a Harlequin at the hands of a rabbit-catcher 

 of Loch Strathbeg, who — abandoned wretch that he was — 

 for the sake of a "paltry sum" sent it "away south," to the 

 great indignation of the local magnates ; and by doing so 

 effectually closed the door against incredulous people like 

 myself, who would have made further enquiries. 



Having now done with North Britain, I will begin again 

 with Norfolk. Nobody knows what has become of the 



