The Zoologist — August, 18G8. 1309 



June 1. Having observed a pochard drake some days previously on 

 a certain loch, I went up to it to-day, accompanied by an assistant, to 

 endeavour to gel him. Saw him whenever we arrived at the loch, and 

 without much trouble secured him, by lying hidden and getting the 

 gillie to drive him towards me. Two men searched with dogs nearly 

 a whole day and part of a secoud for the female and the nest, both on 

 the loch sides and along the burn, but were not successful. The eggs 

 which Mr. Jesse and I obtained last year at Loch Skennaskink on the 

 5th of June (Zool. S. S. 856), and which we at first thought were 

 widgeon's, 1 now believe to be pochard's, as they more closely 

 resemble identified eggs of that bird than of any other duck's: the 

 cream-colour has now faded and a greenish tinge is discernible. 

 Mr. J. E. Halting, to whom I sent specimens of that nest, first drew 

 my attention to the fact of their resembling pohcard's eggs, he having 

 compared them : 1 have since had opportunities of comparing with 

 identified specimens of pochard's eggs, and certainly am of opinion 

 that our eggs are identical with them. 



June 2. Received merlin's eggs from the same locality whence the 

 dark sepia-coloured egg was obtained last year on the 6th of June 

 (Zool. S. S. 856) : two of this nest were very light coloured. Also 

 received one merlin's egg from the same pair of birds, probably, whose 

 eggs I took last year on the 23rd of May (Zool. S. S. 853). The 

 shepherd who took these this year broke three of the nest in bringing 

 them to the inn. This pair of birds "shifted" twice before the eggs 

 were discovered. 



June 5. To-day discovered the great northern diver breeding on a 

 wild lonely loch of Assynt: I quite satisfied myself as to their identity ; 

 I have already given Mr. R. Gray minute particulars, and shall only 

 mention here the most striking peculiarities which I observed in the be- 

 haviour of the birds. First, the cry was only of two syllables, pitched 

 in a high key, and could be heard a long way off, and seemed to be a 

 cry of warning to the female which was on the nest: he was not heard 

 to cry until we appeared at the side of the loch ; 1 can imitate the cry 

 very perfectly, though I cannot easily describe it: he also uttered, but 

 not so frequently, the " gruck, gruck," which the blackthroated diver 

 generally gives utterance to when alarmed. Secondly, the bird flew a 

 long distance up the loch and returned to the same spot, I fancy, 

 trying to decoy the female from the nest : he seemed when flying to 

 be as large as a cormorant. Thirdly, no divers of any kind were ever 

 known to breed at this loch before by either the keeper or by a gillie, 



