1/3 Notes on Wild-Fowl in the [Sess. 



arriving generally in October and leaving in March. I have 

 already referred to one remaining all summer, and Mr Morris 

 records one shot in Orkney in the month of June. When a 

 boy I shot one in a pond in Berwickshire. I was sitting in a 

 clump of weeds by the side of the pond on a bright moonlight 

 night, when it settled on the water within twenty yards of me, 

 and I secured it. 



The scaup duck is also a winter visitor to the sea coast, but 

 is not so often seen on inland waters. I have, however, 

 frequently seen it on Duddingston Loch, especially at the 

 period of migration. It is not a palatable bird for the table. 



The widgeon is seen in flocks arriving from the north in 

 October, and returning in March. They are beautiful birds, 

 and I have watched them with interest on grass at the side of 

 a loch. Large numbers of them have been taken by decoys, 

 and shot with punt guns. This bird is much esteemed for 

 the table. 



The shoveller derives its name from the broad expansion of 

 its bill towards the tip, not unlike a spoon ; hence it some- 

 times gets the name of spoon-bill. It is a winter visitor to 

 Scotland, but is occasionally known to breed. Like most 

 other migratory birds, they arrive in October and leave in 

 March. 



The teal is the smallest of the duck tribe. They come south 

 in autumn, and stay with us all through the winter. Though 

 they mainly migrate, still a good many remain and breed. 



The mallard, teal, pintail, widgeon, and shoveller are, in my 

 opinion, excellent birds for the table. They are all surface 

 feeders, and, it may be noted, have soft tails. The golden-eye, 

 tufted duck, pochard, and the scaup have hard, stiff tails and 

 are bottom feeders. These do not make pleasant eating. The 

 long-tailed duck rarely comes inland. 



Though somewhat of a digression from the subject in hand, 

 I should like briefly to refer to two birds protected by the 

 Midlothian County Council, namely, the peregrine and the 

 merlin. Many will remember about the appointment of a 

 Select Committee in 1873 to inquire into the advisability of 

 extending the protection of a close season to certain wild 

 birds not included in the Wild Birds' Preservation Act of 

 the previous year. The contradictory mass of evidence was 



