20 AUTUMNS IN ARGYLESHIRE 



Harvie Brown's " Fauna of Argyll and the Inner 

 Hebrides," as the second and third specimen 

 procured in Scotland. I note for the benefit of 

 that very accurate observer, in case he should 

 publish another edition of his book, that the 

 bird " shot near Crinan, and exhibited by Dr. 

 Edward Hamilton at a meeting of the Zoological 

 Society," was the same bird " shot at Poltalloch 

 by a son of Colonel Malcolm, on the 2nd of 

 September 1891." 



Two instances of curious " freaks " must con- 

 clude this prefatory chapter. A pure white 

 woodcock was shot at Poltalloch, but the keeper 

 who shot it and had it stuffed was allowed 

 to take it away. I have always regretted that 

 so rare and beautiful a specimen of albinism did 

 not find its proper place in the interesting case 

 in the hall of the Natural History Museum. The 

 other was a rook, with the upper mandible of 

 its beak prolonged to a length of some three 

 inches, and curved and shaped like that of a 

 curlew. The curious may see this singular mal- 

 formation in the index case to the left of the 

 central gallery, in company with the head of an 

 equally remarkable pheasant presented by Lord 

 Walsingham. It would have seemed almost im- 

 possible for any rook to feed with such a 

 protuberance, but the bird had been observed 

 for nearly three years, and was in quite good 

 condition when killed. 



