94 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



and I found another nest in a field in which potatoes were just 

 appearing above ground. It was under grass growing from a small 

 sod turned on its side, which gave the only cover available within 

 half an acre or so. 



I saw or heard birds almost every day, and the four nests which 

 were located formed a fraction of the number we could have found 

 had we had unlimited time at our disposal. — G. G. Blackwood, 

 Dundee. 



[This Wagtail was a common summer visitant to Ayrshire 

 according to Gray, and it is interesting to find that it still returns 

 in numbers. — Eds.] 



Greenland Falcon in N. Uist. — On the 21st March I 

 saw a Greenland Falcon. It passed by me quite close, so there 

 could be no mistake. This is the third year in succession that 

 I have observed this bird in the Island of Vallay. — George 

 Beveridge, Vallay. 



Geese on the East Coast. — I was recently writing to my 

 friend, Mr C. Heron Watson, who lives in the Carse of Gowrie, and 

 who has, I think, killed more geese than anyone in this district ; for 

 he has them under his very eyes, so to speak, and is also a first-class 

 sportsman and a brilliant shot. 



He hasn't kept such accurate records as I have, but I should 

 think his totals are, if anything, under stated. He tells me that he 

 has killed altogether from 250 to 275 Pink-footed Geese, including 

 one of the three albino birds that I pursued many a time without 

 success when they came over to feed on my side of the river; 

 from 15 to 20 Grey-lags, 3 White-fronted, i Barnacle, shot opposite 

 St Andrews Links on the sands about thirty-five years ago (where 

 mine also was killed, a cripple no doubt, on the ist of August 1890), 

 and 3 Bean Geese. 



The percentages are rather interesting. I have killed i White- 

 fronted and I Bean in about 100 Geese; he has 3 White-fronted 

 and 3 Bean in about 300. He has killed rather more Grey-lags 

 than I have, but these birds do not come to the flats in my country 

 so much as the Pink-footed Goose does. 



None of them come to me very much now — the air-ships and 

 aeroplanes at the Leuchars Aerodrome scare them too much. The 

 airmen used to pursue the flocks, shooting them in the air; and 

 though this is, I think, not now permitted, the geese have never 

 recovered from the scaring they got during the War. — William 

 Berry, Tayfield. 



