530 Miscellanea — Zoological, by James Hardy. 



Berwick that night, I was rather surprised to see a Swan hanging 

 up in one of the game shops, and on examining it, I found that, 

 as near as I could tell, it was exactly the same as the one at 

 Weetwood. This bird was killed near the village of Lowick." 

 Mr Bolam thought that both might be young Hoopers. With 

 regard to the Swans on Fenham Slakes, Mr Bolam procured from 

 the Eev. W. W. F. Keeling, of the vicarage, Holy Island, the 

 information that " Thomas Bowey, over at the Beacons, shot on 

 the slakes a young one, rather small for a Swan [perhaps a 

 Bewick's Swan] colour dark grey. Mr Hardy, on Fenham Flats, 

 shot two larger birds — but of the same colour, I am told, viz., 

 dark grey ; older birds." Subsequently, Mr Bolam had a talk 

 with an old shore-shooter, who told him that a "lot" of Swans 

 have been shot on the slakes during the past winter. One man 

 got six, and two other men one each. He had heard of several 

 others being shot, but of these eight he was sure. Mr J. A. 

 Harvie-Brown kindly informs me that " a flock of 60 Wild Swans 

 wintered in the island of Tyree. In most seasons from five to a 

 dozen winter there." A great many are recorded in the " Field," 

 from different parts of England. 



Grebes. — Mr Bolam also notifies that he heard of a Grebe, 

 probably a Red-necked one (Podiceps rubricollis), having been 

 taken alive near Boulmer, the measurements of which are from 

 tip to tip of wings, 30 inches ; length from tip of bill to tip of 

 tail, 17 inches, or thereabouts ; which are nearly the dimensions 

 of that species. It is now preserved and in the possession of Mr 

 Grey, of Longhoughton. We shall probably be able to verify 

 the species. He also saw at "Tweedmouth, a Grebe which had 

 been killed in the Berwick dock with a stone, in February. This 

 appeared to be a Sclavonic Grebe {Podiceps cornutus). In a letter, 

 dated 15th March, Mr Robert Gray remarks that the Crested 

 Grebe (P. cristatus) has been the commonest of the Grebes during 

 the present winter on the east coast of Scotland. Mr J. A. 

 Harvie-Brown has proved by dissection that Little Grebes (P. 

 minor) feed on minnows. 



Little Atjk (Mergulus Alle). — Four Little Auks or Eotches 

 were found in Berwick and close neighbourhood in January. In 

 the same month, after the subsidence of the storm, a Little Auk 

 was found on the turnpike road near to Detchant farm, Belford. 

 It was unable to fly. About the same period another was found 



