132 Proceedings of the Roijal Physical Society. 



the TJig fishermen robbed the nests. [Thirty years ago 

 the Eider was confined to the west coast of Uist. It has 

 now made its way to the Sound of Harris, and all along the 

 east or Minch side of the same island, and has been spread- 

 ing and increasing steadily of late years, both on salt-water 

 and fresh-water islands. — J. A. H. B.] 



Mergus merganser. — Winter visitant, the stories of its nest- 

 ing being unsatisfactory. Captain Macdonald has a fine 

 adult Drake, shot by a keeper on Loch Bracadale some years 

 ago.^ Mr Dumville Lees has also met with it. 



Mergus serrator. — Eesident ; and having afforded me many 

 opportunities of close study, I venture to forego my rule of 

 brevity, and to give lengthened details of its habits. 



It is on islands in Dunvegan Loch, off Waternish, and on 

 Loch Greshornish, that the Merganser chiefly nestles, though 

 a pair generally tenant a cairn at Leinish, on the " mainland " 

 of Skye, and another pair nested on the "mainland" at 

 Greshornish in 1885. I have found the nest placed in a 

 slight cavity surrounded by tall heather, and also placed in a 

 rabbit-hole ; but the usual situation is the interior of a cairn 

 among the rocks, screened from view by large tufts of lady- 

 fern. The centre of a patch of bracken is sometimes preferred. 



The nest lining is scanty, and consists of a few pieces of 

 dried bracken, straws, and some feathers, the grey down 

 being added as laying proceeds. Tlie eggs are laid in May ; 

 and, if undisturbed, the^7's^ clutches deposited are completed 

 in the last week of May. Individuals vary considerably in 

 the time of laying; and in 1883 a cairn which was evidently 

 chosen for a nesting- site on May 19, did not contain a clutch 

 of eggs until June 17. The eggs vary in this locality from 

 seven to nine in number — at least, in my own experience.^ 



When incubation has only recently commenced, the female 

 is shy and wary, flying restlessly round and round the island 

 on which her nest is placed, and deserting her charge if much 

 harassed ; but when the eggs are far advanced in develop- 



^ Two Goosanders were shot near Struan in the winter of 1885-86, one that 

 I examined being an immature male. 



^ But in July 1886 an old Merganser hatched off fourteen chicks on Loch 

 Greshornisli. Possibly two birds bad laid together. 



