8 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



New Heronry in Forfarshire. — In 1920 several Herons 

 nested in the West Woods of Ethie, near Arbroath. Last spring 

 five nests were built, all on the tops of beech trees and somewhat 

 scattered. On 4th August 1921 three or four young birds beginning 

 to fly were perched on the branches beside one of the nests, and one 

 of them took a short circular flight. The other nests were screened 

 from view by the thick foliage. The only other heronries in the 

 district are at Lawton House and Montreathmont Moor, 4 and 



9 miles respectively from Ethie Woods, each of which comprises 

 only a few nests. — Douglas G. Hunter, Arbroath. 



Heronries in Dee Area. — Some years ago the Scottish 

 Naturalist published a complete list of our Scottish heronries, to 

 which I sent some notes about a nest or two at Wood of Coy, near 

 Crathes Castle. For about fifteen years a nest or two has been 

 occupied in the spring, but in 192 1 there were seven or eight nests 

 with eggs and young. This was doubtless a result of some felling 

 in the Aberdeen or Kincardine areas. I have seen five eggs, and 

 fancy that there may have been more laid, as the gale blew down 

 some of the nests. I used to wonder whether there had not been a 

 heronry in the neighbourhood of Crathes from a very early day, as 

 the whole district behind the Castle and along beyond the Loch o' 

 Leys would have been an ideal place for a home of these interesting 

 birds, especially as there are, and have no doubt been for ages, great 

 Scots pines on the higher and drier grounds. Of course there is a 

 rookery near the Castle, and there are a few Jackdaws about the 

 building itself. — Alex. Macdonald, Aberdeen. 



Leach's Petrels at North Uist. — On 1 6th October I found two 

 Leach's Fork-tailed Petrels lying a little above high-water mark in 

 a small bay at Lochmaddy, North Uist, and the remains of another. 

 The two were dead, but quite warm and in good condition. It is a 

 mystery how they got there and how they met their doom. The 

 two were untouched, but of the third only feathers remained. — 

 George Beveridge, Lochmaddy. 



Large Skate off Harris. — Amongst a number of records 

 of large skate obtained on the long lines of fishermen at Harris, 

 Mr Samuel Scott mentions an individual of enormous dimensions. 

 It was caught while he was present at the lifting of the lines, on 

 17th August 1888, at Loch Seaforth ; its length was 7 ft. 8 in., and 

 it weighed 220 lb. {Fields November 192 i, p. 673). 



