62 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



ash-tree, about twenty yards from the river. The drake did 

 not remain at the time of the nesting, but four young birds 

 were to be seen about all the summer." This I can confirm, 

 as I saw the old female and the four young birds in the end 

 of July or beginning of August of that same year. 



Mergus serrator (L.) ; Red-breast Merganser. — Much 

 rarer than the preceding. Sometimes seen on Loch Yennachar. 



PoDiCEPS MINOR (L.); Little Grebe; Spagair toin ("ungainly 

 walker"). — Tolerably common. A few pairs generally breed 

 on Loch Lubnaig. 



Larus canus (L.) ; Common Gull. — Not common. 



Larus fuscus (L.); Lesser Black-backed Gull. — Common 

 in spring, at which season it is frequently caught along with 

 the curlew, in traps that are set for hooded crows. 



Larus argentatus (Briinn.); Herring Gull. — Tolerably 

 common in spring. 



Chroicocephalus ridibundus (L.); Black-headed GulL — 

 Very common. Large flocks of adult birds assemble for the 

 evening, in wet seasons, from May to August, in the meadow 

 land. They usually arrive about six o'clock, and disappear 

 towards midnight. Their nearest breeding-station is about 

 eight miles distant. 



I am indebted to Mr Harvie-Brown for much help in the 

 Capercailzie note ; and to Mr D. Campbell, Callander, for the 

 local Gaelic names and translations. 



VI. The Influence of the Becent Storm on Bird Life. 

 By Professor Duns, D.D. 



(Read 19th March 1879.) 



In this communication I wish to submit to the Society 

 some facts to illustrate the effects of the recent very severe 

 weather on a considerable number of our resident and also of 

 our migratory birds. The period embraced in the following 

 notes is chiefly so much of December 1878 and of January 

 1879 as was marked by exceptional severity. 



With the view of obtaining information, I drew up a set of 

 queries, varying according to the physical conditions of the 

 districts to which they were sent. The gentlemen from 



