On Mountain and Loch. 99 



from water, in the open parts of Sherwood Forest, 

 we have taken it from the rushes near a stagnant 

 lowland pool, as well as from the knee-deep ling, the 

 bare ground on the hillsides, and the bramble-covered 

 banks of river and stream. Some nests are made of 

 little else than down from the female's body, others 

 are much more elaborately constructed of almost 

 any kind of vegetation growing near. We may also 

 mention that this Duck breeds in some numbers near 

 most of the tarns and pools of the moorlands from 

 the Peak district northwards. Here and there in the 

 more remote Highlands Caithness, Sutherlandshire, 

 and Ross-shire a few pairs of Scoters frequent the 

 mountain lochs. The Teal, on the other hand, is a 

 much commoner species in these localities, whilst the 

 Red-breasted Merganser is even of wider distribu- 

 tion still throughout the Highlands. We cannot well 

 leave these fresh-water lochs without a passing glance 

 at the Red-necked Phalarope. This again is a mi- 

 gratory species which arrives at the mountain pools in 

 May. Its favourite haunts are the clear tarns sur- 

 rounded with rushes and sphagnum on the moors, at 

 no great distance from the sea. So far as we know, 

 this Phalarope nests on no part of the British main- 

 land now; its summer resorts are in the Outer Heb- 

 rides, in Orkney and Shetland. To these pools the 

 birds return each summer with unfailing regularity. 

 Their gregarious habits very largely increase their 



