Zoological Notes, by Andrew Brotherston. 521 



Tufted Duck {Fuligula cristata Leach), Nesting at Yetholm 

 Loch. — At p. 180 of this volume, I mentioned that it was pro- 

 bable that a pair of Tufted Ducks had nested at Yetholm Loch, 

 in 1876. I am now certain that three — perhaps four — pairs re- 

 mained and bred there in 1877. On the 26th of May there were 

 eight pairs on the Loch. I was not there again until July 4th, 

 when I saw four old birds — all males. Wishing to be certain if 

 they were breeding, I applied to Mr Oliver, of Lochside, for the 

 use of his boat, which he kindly granted, and in company with 

 Mr J. Clark approached as near as possible to the most likely 

 nesting place, which is at the S.W. end of the Loch. We found 

 it impracticable to examine it thoroughly, as there is a large 

 space that cannot be reached either by land or water. The Loch 

 is slowly but surely filling up from this end, the plants gradually 

 advancing and encroaching on its bounds. On approaching it 

 by water, we came first to a large bed— varying from ten to 

 thirty yards or more in breadth— of Equisetum limosum (L.) with 

 its variety (or rather state) E. fluviatile (L.) intermixed. After 

 forcing the boat through these tall Horsetails, there is a narrow 

 strip of open water, extending almost the whole width of the 

 Loch, beyond which is a large extent of impassable swamp, 

 mainly composed of Ranunculus Lingua, huge plants of Cicuta 

 virosa, with abundance of Typha latifolia, Carex paludosa, and 

 ampullacea, Scirpus lacustris, &c, most of which are growing in a 

 semi-floating state amongst mud and water, which becomes 

 gradually firmer as it recedes from the Loch. It is amongst 

 these plants that the Tufted Ducks have chosen their nesting 

 places. When moving the boat slowly round the margin, a 

 female rose within twenty yards of us, and the cry of young was 

 frequently heard, different from the sounds made by young Coots, 

 Waterhens, or Wild Ducks. On the following Saturday, Mr 

 Clark saw, on the open water, near this place, four old Tufted 

 Ducks, accompanied by between twenty and thirty young ones. 

 I had not another opportunity of seeing them until after the fresh 

 arrivals from the north had come. So far as I can learn none of 

 them nested there in 1878. I have seen notices of two nests 

 having been found in Perthshire, in 1878 — one of them is re- 

 corded in "Land and Water/' vol. xxv., p. 516, and the other 

 in the "Zoologist," 3rd series, vol. iii., p. 180. Although the 

 exact locality is not given in either case, they appear, from the 



