162 RARE VISITANTS. 
One, Loch of Strathbeg, “ many years ago:” R. Gray, /.c. 
In the Banff Museum. 
Obs. The Buffel-headed Duck is included by Dono- 
van in his work on British Birds (vol. x. pl. 226); but 
no authority is given for such insertion, nor is any 
locality named. 
SURF SCOTER. Mdemia perspicillata (Linneus). 
Hab. Coasts of North America. 
One, Musselburgh Bay, Firth of Forth, 1852: Martin, Natu- 
ralist, 1853, p. 83; Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, vol. i. 
p- 3824; Turnbull, Birds of East Lothian, p. 45. 
One seen, Rona’s Voe, Shetland*, June 1847: Dunn, 
Zoologist, 1848, p. 2067 ; Gray, Birds of West of Scotland, 
p-. 383. 
One near Weymouth, Dorset, winter 1851: Yarrell, op. cit. 
One between Weymouth and Purton, Dec. 1853: Thompson, 
Zoologist, 1854, p. 4.255. 
One, Aberdeen coast, Nov. 1855: Sir W. Jardine, MS. In 
the collection of Mr. Hargitt, of Edinburgh. 
* Tt is generally stated, on the authority of Fleming and Selby, 
that this Duck frequents the islands of Orkney and Shetland ; 
but, with the exception of the instances above quoted, there is 
no evidence to support this statement. Selby apparently copied 
from Fleming; and the latter merely observes (Hist. Brit. An. 
p- 119), ‘it is stated by Temminck to have occurred in Orkney.” 
Temminck’s words are, “rare et accidentellement dans les Orcades”’ 
(Man. d’Orn. p. 854). Messrs, Baikie and Heddle, in their ‘ Hist. 
Nat. Orcadensis’ (1848), p. 79, state that ‘Surf Scoters appear in 
small flocks in our sounds during winter. They generally arrive in 
October, and have been observed till the end of March.” Mr. R. 
Gray says this is an obvious mistake. Their remarks, no doubt, 
apply to the Velvet Scoter. 
