902 The Zoologist — September, 1867. 



They are erroneously called "silver plover" by the people on the 

 coast, which I believe is a name for the gray plover. 



Dunlin. — Local name (in common with any other small waders 

 when gathered into flocks), the " pickerell." Assemble in great 

 numbers at the coast, and also breed in considerable numbers at Loch 

 Coulter and many other localities. 



Purple Sandpiper.— I have seen stragglers on the shell-bank near 

 Grangemouth, but our coast is not suited for them. They are very 

 abundant further down the Firth. 



Landrail.— The " corn craig " is tolerably abundant. I generally 

 hear their harsh cry between the 5th and 10th of May. I have killed 

 several by using a call, being a wheel of hard wood with pieces cut 

 out of its edge, and being supported between two pieces of wood, being 

 the arras of a fork ; against the'edge of the wheel rests a spring of hard 

 wood, which is screwed into the handle at one end and loose at the 

 other : thus when the wheel is rubbed sharply against one's leg it 

 revolves, and the spring catching in the nicks brings out the desired 

 sound. This is much more effectual than the old plan of using two 

 bones. 



Water Rail. — I procured three specimens of this bird in a marsh 

 near Larbert village, in the winter of 1864-55, and I am told, on good 

 authority, that they used to breed there : of this, however, 1 cannot 

 feel certain, for various reasons. None had been seen in these parts 

 for ten years previously. This winter (1806-67) I procured two more 

 (Zool. 9468). 



Moorhen. — The waterhen is very abundant all over the county. I 

 once observed a very curious circumstance connected with this bird : 

 I saw a waterhen, flying at an unusual height, all of a sudden, as if 

 shot or dizzy, tumble down on Black ice, and so completely stunned 

 was it that I ran and picked it up before it could recover, which, how- 

 ever, it did in course of time. I cannot satisfactorily account for the 

 circumstance, unless it really was dizzy from flying higher than it 

 generally did. 



Coot. — The bald coot is tolerably common, but not so plentiful as 

 the moorhen. 



Graying Goose. — The graylag occasionally frequents Loch Lomond 

 in severe weather, as I am informed by Sir James Colquhoun. 



Bean Goose. — In winter visits Loch Lomond : it is our commonest 

 goose on the east coast, punishing the fanners new-sown beans in early 

 spring, through the day, and, as one of that fraternity informed me, 



