The Zoologist — August, 1867. 855 



one gillie worked very hard to get them, but nevertheless we had to 

 leave Sutherland without them this season. The bird resembles the 

 godvvit, and is noticeable by the large patch of white above the tail. 

 Some notes of its cry much resemble those of the redshank, but are 

 louder and not so harsh. While one bird kept circling round us, the 

 other, probably the male, was wilder : it sat on a boulder of stone on 

 the hill-side, about two hundred yards off, uttering unceasingly a mono- 

 tonous single note, and jerking up its head and neck. When alighting 

 on the ground the wings are raised after the manner of the curlew, and 

 the bird keeps calling quickly at the same time. They seemed to have 

 particular spots along the loch-side which they constantly alighted 

 upon. On our first approach to the loch the male bird rose from a 

 mound of heather, and before we could run forward had succeeded in 

 drawing the female from the nest. The best way, we were informed 

 by the shepherds and gillies (who are mostly well acquainted with the 

 bird), to obtain the eggs, is to stalk up to the loch and fire off a gun : 

 the female will then spring straight from her nest. The nest is seldom 

 placed far from water. There are generally two pairs breeding at this 

 loch, but to-day we only saw one pair. 



Monday, June 3. — To-day received two widgeon's eggs from a 

 gentleman who had taken them on a loch near Lairg this season. 

 They are generally quite an unmistakable egg, being creamy white, 

 intermediate in size between a teal's egg and a wild duck's. After 

 blowing, peculiar lines in the shell resembling cracks may often be 

 observed. 



Wednesday, June 5. — Here we are leaving the shepherd's house at 

 Loch Skennaskink (properly in Cromarty), at five o'clock in the 

 morning, to visit the islands. On the islands we take any quantity of 

 lesser blackbacked gulls, sandpipers and a nest of eight widgeons, 

 concerning which more anon. We arrived at the islands about half- 

 past five. We had no oars for the boat, only two bits of birch wood 

 to paddle us over. When on the third island the wind rose, and we 

 were compelled to remain on it about four hours. It was on this island 

 Mr. Jesse found the nest of widgeons (?). Whenever I saw them in 

 the nest I unhesitatingly pronounced them to be widgeoW eggs. They 

 were beautifully creamy, quite unlike any wild duck's eggs. The nest 

 was almost circular, was placed in a bunch of heather, and was formed 

 of wiry white grass, lined with down. The edge of the nest stood up 

 perpendicularly from the basement to the height of about two inches. 

 We left the eggs, and returned to the nest at intervals of from half an 



