460 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



have premonitions of sharp weather which will cause a lack of food, how is 

 it that many winter migrants to this country do not move on further south 

 or west previously to severe weather here? It would seem that more 

 northern forms are not necessarily more hardy, since Redwings and Field- 

 fares succumb to protracted frost before Blackbirds and Thrushes do, 

 although at such times all four seem to frequent the same spots and to seek 

 the same subsistence. — Maurice C. H. Bird (Brunstead Rectory, Stalham, 

 Norwich). 



The Sea-Lochs of Inverness-shire. — There are few places on the 

 West Coast of Scotland which in their attractions for the naturalist surpass 

 the wild Sea-Lochs of Inverness-shire. The rugged beauty of their 

 mountain sides has its own peculiar fascination, where Falcons seek an 

 eyrie and the Buzzard a home. The wail of the Curlew echoes up and 

 down the silent water, and on every rock of vantage sits a Heron. The 

 Red-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator, may be seen there to advantage 

 in August, with its brood of ten or twelve young ones already half as big 

 as their parent, whom they follow in a compact little flock, taking wing 

 when she does, and splashing with much unnecessary bustle with her 

 along the surface of the water. With a boat it is easy for an expert rower 

 to hem them in at the head of the Loch, as they imitate their mother in 

 every movement, and she apparently never thinks of escaping from a boat 

 by diving. At another time, when they are not watched, or at least not 

 aware that they are within the range of our binoculars, half the party will 

 perhaps be beneath the surface at one time ; and the little white-bellied 

 Sea Trout have a bad time of it, and doubtless the Brown Trout as well, 

 when these rapacious fishers get into a " broon." Mergansers will also eat 

 long fronds of sea-weed (as we proved by dissection), in which there cannot 

 be much nourishment one would think. The keepers find their nests on 

 the rocky islands, placed there for security. One which we landed to see 

 was at some height, ensconced beneath the heather ; eight young ones had 

 left it, and one egg remained, which clearly told its own species, for the 

 duckling inside had a distinctly visible saw-like bill. Eight of course was 

 not a full complement to be hatched off, but duckling Mergansers have 

 Gulls for enemies ; and in another case the keeper saw a Merganser 

 followed by a single young bird, the only one left to it, and that, strange to 

 say, on August 14th was only about one-fourth grown. When three- 

 quarters grown the irides of a young Merganser rare yellowish, with an 

 inner circle of hazel, and the legs may be best described as brownish 

 yellow, with darker webs. Foolish Guillemots, Uria troile, are not of much 

 interest to a Southerner ; but young Black Guillemots, Uria grylle, bred, 

 it may be, on Skye, come up Loch Hourn in August, and, from indifference 

 or ignorance of the cruelties practised by their mortal enemy man, or from 

 inability to fly, are not hard to catch alive. The muscles and bones of the 



