22 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiv. 



Whoopers in Scotland in Summer. — In connection 

 with Dr. W. Eagle Clarke's note on this subject referred to 

 in Vol. XIII. (p. 299), Mr. George Beveridge writes {Scot. Nat., 

 1920, p. 54) that he saw a single Whooper {Cygntis cygnus) on 

 May 24th, two on August 24th, 1918, and a pair on May ist 

 1919, in North Uist, adding that he has also seen examples 

 in Benbecula in summer and has been told " on good 

 authority " that some remain all the year round on Loch 

 Bee in South Uist. 



Reported Nesting of the Whooper in Perthshire. — 

 The occurrences of the Whooper in summer in Ross-shire, 

 western Inverness-shire, and the Outer Hebrides referred to 

 above, lend a certain amount of support to the report by 

 Mr. E. H. Place {Field, April 17th, 1920) of the nesting of a 

 pair of these birds " on a hill loch in West Perthshire " in May 

 1919. The nest was placed on a small island surrounded 

 by shallow water, covering deep, soft, peaty mud, and 

 consisted of a large heap of moss, with a fairly deep cup at 

 the top lined with feathers. The reporter did not see the 

 eggs, but states that he has been informed since that four 

 were laid and safely hatched, also that the birds had nested 

 in the same place in 1918. A photograph of the birds and 

 site is reproduced, but is on too small a scale and too indistinct 

 to be of much value, but the erect carriage of the neck that 

 is referred to by the recorder as characteristic of the species 

 as opposed to the Mute Swan (C. olor) is just visible in one 

 of the birds. This is the only indication given in the account 

 of the correct identification of the species ; there are 

 many more details, therefore, that it would be desirable to 

 possess before accepting it as a definite record of the 

 breeding of the Whooper in Britain. It is to be hoped that 

 some of our Scottish co-workers may yet be able to fill up 

 the gaps. 



Velvet Scoter in co. Galway. — Mr. W. Ruttledge states 

 {Irish Nat., XXIX., p. 26) that a Velvet Scoter {Oidemia 

 f. fusca) was seen by Mr. J. Glanville off Mutton Island, 

 on August 2nd, 1919. It is a rare visitor to Ireland and 

 particularly to the west coast. 



Spotted Redshank in East Renfrewshire. — Mr. John 

 Robertson states {Scot. Nat., 1920, p. 48) that he saw a single 

 Tringa erythropus at Balgray Reservoir on September 6th 

 and 7th, 1919, and remarks that this is the sixth autumn 

 in which the species has occurred there. 



