156 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



en Ecosse," 1821, describing a visit, under the guidance of 

 Dr Patrick Neil, to the sand dunes between Aberlady and 

 Dirleton, where the nests of the eider duck seem to have 

 been common among the marrun, or shore grass {Arunclo 

 arenaria). He describes the composition of the nests, the 

 colour of the down and the eggs, and the remarkable tameness 

 of the females. It was pointed out that this passage is 

 valuable as showing that, at a comparatively recent date, the 

 eider duck has nested on the shores of the Firth of Forth as 

 well as in the Isle of May. An interesting note from Mr 

 Agnew, of the May Lighthouse, was read with reference to 

 the nest with five eggs ; and it was pointed out that not only 

 have grass and fragments of sea weeds been employed to form 

 the foundation of the nest, and been partially mixed with the 

 down, but also, that amongst the foundation matter of the 

 Norway specimen, a number of small bones occur. 



Yll. Zoology of Mid-Lochaber. By Professor DuNS. 

 (Read 21st December 1881.) 



Lochaber embraces the part of Inverness-shire which 

 touches Argyll on the south and west, and Perth on the 

 east. Dividing it for convenience into Upper, Middle, and 

 Nether, the following notes were made within the second. 

 The area is thus comparatively small and compact, and is 

 bounded on the N by the Spean, on the S by the Nevis, on 

 the W by the Locliy, and on the E by the Nevis range of 

 mountains. Its physical features are exceedingly varied. 

 There are lakes, rivers, and mountain torrents ; a good deal 

 of plantation in the low ground ; the white birch, the alder, 

 the rowan, and the sandwillow (Salix arenaria) in the torrent 

 courses and on the lower slopes of the hills ; patches here and 

 there of cultivated soil ; great peat mosses, and much rank 

 heather- clad surface. The game of the district is carefully 

 preserved, and, as is ever the case in such circumstances, 

 other wild forms are little, if at all, disturbed. My first 

 acquaintance with the locality was made sixteen years ago. 

 Since that time I have visited it on several occasions. Last 



