NOTES AND QUERIES. 151 



and Dunlins, the last-named sometimes in hundreds, it might almost be 

 said in thousands, for their number was incalculable. On the spring 

 migration the male Ruffs passed before they had completely assumed the 

 curious frill and striking plumage which characterize them in the breeding 

 season. There was then merely an indication of the colour which the frill 

 would ultimately assume ; black or yellow or reddish brown feathers, as the 

 case might be, cropping out here and there about the sides of the neck 

 and breast. In autumn, on their return journey, all traces of this had 

 disappeared ; the male birds, but for their larger size, were scarcely 

 distinguishable from the females, or Reeves, and they arrived in what might 

 be termed little family parties rather than in flocks like other waders. By 

 the end of September they were gone, and it was very unusual to meet 

 with any of these birds in winter, though occasionally a solitary Ruff might 

 be detected with the field-glass feeding amongst Knots or Redshanks. But, 

 as a rule, they consorted only with those of their own species. In February 

 last, however, as I learn from my old friend the Rev. Prebendary Gordon, 

 Vicar of Harting, a Ruff was shot in Chichester Harbour, by Mr. Edward 

 Johnson, of Chichester, and was identified for him at the Natural History 

 Museum at South Kensington. — J. E. Harting. 



The Little Auk on the West and East Coasts of Scotland.— At a 

 meeting of the Natural History Society of Glasgow, held on March 26th, 

 Mr. John Paterson read a paper entitled " Notes on the irruption of Little 

 Auks, Mergulus alle, L., in the winter of 1894-5, on the West of Scotland, 

 Oban to Ayr," in which he had carefully gathered up all the known facts in 

 connection with the recent presence of these birds on this side of Scotland. 

 The circumstances specially drawn attention to were (1) that none of the 

 birds had been reported as seen in the Outer Hebrides or on the north-west 

 coast of Scotland ; (2) that, so far as known, there had been none seen in 

 Ayrshire; (3) that the occurrence throughout the Clyde faunal area had 

 been of a very scattered character; and (4) that the birds had been in 

 greatest abundance between Oban and Islay — that is in line of the great 

 glen from Inverness south-westwards, by which route, in Mr. Paterson 's 

 opinion, the birds had arrived from the east coast. 



It would seem from a more elaborate paper by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, 

 " On the Recent Visitation of the Little Auk to Scotland," published in 

 the ' Annals of Scottish Natural History ' for April (pp. 97-108), with a 

 map, that these conclusions require some modification. Thus (1) in the 

 Outer Hebrides this bird was observed in Lewis and Barra; (2) several 

 were noted in Ayrshire ; and (3) many on the east side of the Firth of 

 Clyde. On the other hand, Mr. Clarke's map does not illustrate Mr. 

 Paterson's statement (4) that the birds were found in greatest abundance 

 between Oban and Islay. 



