The Zoologist — April, 1867. 675 



think he was wounded, as I knocked him over, and he then got into the 

 water between two pieces of ice, and diving came up outside the 

 " pack," requiring then a considerable amount of hitting before I 

 secured him. 



Oi/slercalcher. — Large flights of these birds, flying in strings like 

 wild fowl, used to enter the Firth at sunset, and betake themselves to 

 the flats in Nigg Bay. I found them also, always in single examples, 

 on the rocks of the Suters at low water. They were miserably thin ; 

 one I shot had the breast-bone almost cutting through the skin. They 

 feed on the small winkles from the rocks. 



Curlew. — Curlews were driven to dire necessity by the snow and 

 frost, one or two having been taken in fields by the hand, hardly able 

 to fly ; one of these that died and came afterwards into my possession 

 was so thin that it could be held up by taking the breast-bone between 

 the finger and thumb. I am sorry I did not take the dimensions of 

 this bird ; he was the finest curlew I ever saw, his bill measuring one 

 inch and a half longer (from measurement) than that of any specimen 

 1 had shot, and when in good condition must have been a magnificent 

 bird. Contrary to their wary habits they often flew right down upon 

 the boat, and in this manner I shot several : those, however, that were 

 found feeding on the flats were as watchful and wild as ever, getting 

 up at the least sound of the paddles, in the twilight of the morning, 

 piercing the air with their shrill, clear note — a sound musical to him 

 who loves Nature, and thoroughly belonging to, and ever in harmony 

 with, the wildest and loveliest scenes of our shores. 



Utile Auk. — One bird shot on the 23rd, in the Firth, by a friend. 

 The little auk is rare, I should say, in the neighbourhood. 



Great Northern Dicer. — Immature birds tolerably numerous in the 

 Firth, and frequenting the shallow water on the sand-banks, as well 

 as the deep off* the rocks and outside the entrance. I saw one of these 

 fine birds vainly endeavouring to get a " dab" down its throat. The 

 little fish, however, proving altogether of the wrong shape for his 

 dinner, he was obliged to give up the attempt. I shot a young specimen 

 one day, which I wounded in the act of diving, rather a rare piece of 

 luck I imagine : he weighed eight pounds and three quarters, 

 remarkably heavy for his size. They are easily got near by keeping 

 quite still in the boat, and then, by the old plan of putting on the 

 "spurt" when they dive, a tolerable shot may often be got at 

 them. 



Red-throttled Diver. — More numerous than the great northern diver, 



