HOODED MERGANSER. 399 



reprinted with remarks by Mr Shearer and the late Mr H. 

 Osborne, in the proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of 

 Edinburgh. The specimen obtained is still in the collection, which 

 I believe has not yet been dispersed. Mr Shearer, in his joint 

 contribution, which was read at a meeting held on 22d January, 

 1862, merely observes, in connection with the species, that it is 

 "very rare."* 



In the Ibis for 1867 (vol. iii., N. S., p. 239) the editor, Professor 

 Newton, in noticing a little work entitled " Sporting Days/' by 

 John Colquhoun, states that he had been informed by the author 

 that he had seen three Hooded Mergansers in the Firth of Forth 

 on the 5th May, 1853. On referring to the book itself, I find that 

 Mr Colquhoun, after telling of his triumph in having secured four 

 Eider ducks, gives the following particulars: "Could I have 

 foreseen that ere the day closed another of these much admired 

 Eiders would have deprived me of a shot at the rarest sea bird I 

 ever detected in the Firth, I might not ha^ve regarded them so 

 complacently. Having landed to search one of the homeward 

 islands, a male Eider was asleep on a promontory which flanked a 

 tiny bay. A ledge of rocks parallel to both made the stalk after 

 fowl, either in this creek or on the promontory, very easy. 

 Neglecting (contrary to my wont) to examine the bay, I gave my 

 whole notice to the unsuspecting drake, struck him badly at the 

 sitting shot, and brought him down dead with the other. Before 

 I could rise from my hiding, three little sea-fowl swam rapidly 

 into view from the bay. They never saw me, and seeming more 

 surprised than frightened, never attempted to fly. The leader had 

 a hood like a hoopoe, and in the centre of the hood a white star, 

 the Hooded Merganser! It was a tempting and mortifying 

 moment to watch the little trio, within such fair distance at 

 first, quickly paddle out of reach long before I was "shotted/' 

 Leaving the Eider where he fell, we were soon in full chase; 

 but the American strangers had, on second thoughts, betaken 

 themselves to their wings when I ran to warn the men to 

 bring the boat, and I have never fallen in with this rare 

 mergus before or since. When we returned to pick up the 

 dead drake, the fishermen, far from sympathising with my 

 chagrin at losing such a prize, were firmly convinced that the 



* Proc. Royal Phys. Soc. of Ed., vol. ii., 1863, p. 340. 



