296 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Divers on Fresh Warer.—Divers, both Black-throated and Red- 
throated, are far from uncommon in Scotland, their general range in the 
breeding season being sufticiently accurately defined for present purposes 
as ‘in the north and west.” But they are not, I think, so plentiful as to 
be considered inhabitants of all or nearly all the larger lochs in these parts 
of the country (p. 258). Nor is it the case that Divers of either species 
always prefer the larger lochs for breeding purposes. Even the Black- 
throated species will be found quite as frequently breeding upon smaller 
lakes, provided there be a suitable green and grassy shelving island upon it. 
Sometimes, it is true, they will choose a large loch to breed upon, but their 
reason for doing so is not, I think, so much for its size as on account of the 
green, shelving island, upon the edge or rim of which they can make their 
nest close to the water. Where green and grassy islands do not occur, the 
general rule holds that upon such lochs no Divers will be found, although 
exceptions to the rule occur, and have come under my own observation, so 
rarely, however, as to be noted as quite exceptional by the native gamekeepers 
and shepherds. Again, two pairs of Divers nesting on one loch is the 
exception, although it is well known that they sometimes do so. Lastly, 
Red-throated Divers, according to my experience, rarely, if ever, breed upon 
the larger lochs, but prefer the quiet, moorland, marshy-edged tarns and 
“lochans,” often nesting on the shores, and frequenting the larger lochs 
only in quest of food. Although also found in the West, their distribution 
would perhaps be more accurately described as northerly and north-easterly 
on the mainland—rarer in the West, and insular. See my notes on these 
two species in my “ Birds found Nesting in Sutherland” (Proc. Glasg. Nat. 
Hist. Soc. 1875, pp. 122—124). I may take this opportunity of stating 
that Divers, and several other of our rarer British breeding species, are 
still holding their ground well here, being carefully preserved from ruthless 
and general persecution ; whilst some others, especially certain Raptorial 
birds, as Merlins, Harriers and Buzzards, are decidedly scarcer than they 
were eight or nine years ago. Others, again of the migratory species, 
notably the House Martin, are rarer, and have almost deserted the west of 
the county, whilst a few others, such as the Starling and Song Thrush, 
have appeared of late years at localities where they were not previously 
known, and the Chaffinch has become almost common in one locality where 
it was quite rare before. I hope, at some future opportunity, to put 
together a few notes on the changes observable in the Avi-fauna of Suther- 
land during the past eight or ten years. Meanwhile the above rough notes 
may be acceptable to British ornithologists—Joun A. Harvie Brown 
(Dunipace House, Larbert, N. B.). 
OccuRRENCE OF THE Lirrte OwL 1x Sussex.—In ‘ The Zoologist’ for 
May, at page 228, I recorded the capture of a Little Owl near Shoreham 
on the 15th March last. On the 21st of the following month another was 
