396 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



by a shepherd. Macgillivray states that he has seen pairs on fresh 

 water lochs in Harris in the beginning of May, and stray specimens 

 sometimes linger in Benbecula and North Uist till about the same 

 time. 



This duck, in some districts of Scandinavia and elsewhere, in- 

 variably breeds in holes of trees, and has probably done so since it 

 became a duck. Persistence in this habit does not appear to have 

 altered its aquatic tastes, for although the nests are often placed 

 at a distance of twelve or fifteen feet from the ground the young 

 ones are no sooner hatched than they are carried to the nearest 

 water parent and offspring rejoicing alike, no doubt, that they 

 were free to descend from their exalted station. Most persons, 

 indeed, would think them right in leaving the perch above and 

 turning their thoughts to the perch below. 



For many years I have carefully watched for the appearance 

 of an allied species Clangula islandica, (Grmel.) in the Outer 

 Hebrides, but without success. It may probably yet reach our 

 shores in some winters, especially during the prevalence of north- 

 westerly gales, and collectors would do well to turn their atten- 

 tion to the subject. 



BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. 



FULIGULA ALBEOLA. 



THE late Mr Yarrell in his 'History of British Birds' mentions 

 that Mr Mummery, curator of the Museum of Natural History 

 at Margate, sent him word of a specimen of this duck having been 

 obtained in Orkney by himself in 1841. I had long looked 

 upon this record as the only instance of the bird's occurrence 

 north of the Tweed, until Mr Angus showed me a beautiful male 

 which was shot on the Loch of Loriston, Aberdeenshire, in 

 January, 1865. A few days later, Mr Edwards of Banff showed 

 me a specimen also a male which had been shot many years 

 ago in the Loch of Strathbeg, and placed in the Banff Museum 

 by the late Mr Smith, minister of Monquhitter. This hand- 

 some little duck, which is called in some parts of America 

 the Spirit Duck and Conjuror, from the quickness of its move- 

 ments when diving, is very shy in its habits and difficult to 

 procure : it may therefore be much more common in our rivers, 



