366 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



of the water, I got quite close to them, and waited to get the birds 

 in a line, but they were either too far apart, or not on the surface 

 at the same time. I killed one of the males with my first barrel, 

 and wounded the female with my second, but she managed to 

 escape seawards. The other male rose within ten yards; his 

 flight was much slower than that of the mallard, and he did not 

 rise to the same height. Though killed fourteen days later than 

 the specimen shot in 1866, the male I secured on this occasion was 

 not so far advanced in its breeding plumage. Its stomach contained 

 sand, mud, and fresh water molluscs. The irides of both birds 

 were bright yellow. On the morning of the 23d I again visited 

 the dam in company with my friend, Mr Proctor, and fired two 

 unsuccessful shots at the other male, which I was informed had 

 regularly frequented the place, arriving at night ; but after this he 

 did not return. Mr John Wilson, Methlic, who is an enthusiastic 

 ornithologist, and who possesses a very select and neatly mounted 

 collection of our local birds, informs me that he once observed this 

 species on the lake at Haddo House; and I may add that an 

 Aberdeenshire male Shoveler, formerly in the collection of the 

 Eev. Mr Leslie of Coul, is now in the University Museum here." 

 Messrs Baikie and Heddle mention that a Shoveler was killed 

 in Orkney by Mr Strang in 1833; but there appears to be no 

 other trace of its appearance there, or in any of the Shetland 

 islands. 



THE GADWALL. 



ANAS STREP ERA. 



ALTHOUGH but a few instances of the occurrence of this species in 

 Scotland have been recorded in the writings of British authors, 

 the Gad wall has been frequently met with both on the east and west 

 coasts. It is included in Mr Don's list of the Birds of Forfarshire, 

 where it had been seen by that accurate observer on the lakes of 

 Rescobie and Balgavies, showing that for nearly half a century it 

 must have been greatly overlooked; and the species was also 

 recorded by the late Mr Sinclair of Wick, in his list of Caithness 

 birds published upwards of thirty years ago. In the West of 

 Scotland, the Gadwall is probably not unfrequent, as it is occa- 

 sionally sent, among other wild fowl, to the poulterers' shops in 



