34 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



the river Balvaig, which issues from Loch Voil, about a mile 

 from the loch. It was in company with other mallards, 

 and was seen occasionally about the loch and river for some 

 weeks previously. It has been suggested that the bird 

 might have been simply a " decoy duck ; " but Mr Carnegie 

 states that George Morison, foreman on his farm of TuUoch, on 

 Loch Voil, says that in the spring of 1877 he saw on several 

 occasions a brood of six wild ducks when still small and 

 unable to fly, two of which were quite white. The one 

 exhibited is the only one seen this year. I may mention 

 that the bill is of the usual greenish colour, and the size of 

 the duck exactly corresponds to that of the wild duck, and 

 the eyes being of the natural colour, it cannot be called an 

 albino, but is simply a white variety of the wild duck. 



5. Puffinus cinereus, Greater Shearwater. — This bird, a young 

 male of the greater shearwater, was shot on the 29th of 

 August, off North Berwick, by Eobert Chambers, Esq., pub- 

 lisher, Edinburgh. Only a few examples of its occurrence in 

 Ireland and England have been noticed, and I am not aware 

 of its having been previously recorded in Scotland. Mr Gray, 

 however, informed us last session he had seen it with flocks 

 of the P. anglorum near the Bass Eock. 



6. Puffinus anglorum, Manx Shearwater. — Is a better known 

 bird, as it occurs occasionally in Orkney and Shetland, and 

 especially in the Hebrides. On the east coast of Scotland 

 it is rare. Five specimens, two males and three females, 

 were also shot at North Berwick by different individuals 

 about the 19th or 20th of August. It, like the other, gene- 

 rally keeps out to sea, and so may be less frequently noticed. 

 Mr Gray considers it is now a regular autumn visitor to the 

 Firth of Forth. 



I am indebted to Mr Small, bird-stuffer, George Street, for 

 sending me these birds, as well as many others, for exhibition 

 to the Society. 



7. Alca alle, the Little Auk. — A specimen of this bird, an 

 occasional visitor, was driven ashore by stress of weather, and 

 taken alive about two miles inland, near Coldingham, on the 

 3d of October. Another exhibited was killed yesterday at 

 Portobello. 



