NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF LINLITHGOW LOCH. 101 



nesting season that the lake is of interest. During part of the 

 three years in which I worked this lake for birds I used a x 12 

 prism glass, but I soon found that something much more power- 

 ful was required ; so for the remainder of the time I used a 

 X 26-40 telescope. I was principally concerned with the ducks, 

 but I took records of all of the more interesting birds that I saw. 

 I have no doubt that my list of birds could be added to by any 

 naturalist who gave more prolonged study to the lake. Indeed, 

 I heard casual reports of others having been seen ; but I found 

 it difficult to get much accurate information, and so I merely give 

 the results of my own work. 



As I said before, it is only in the autumn and winter that 

 many ducks come to the lake. I tried in each case to get the 

 dates of arrival and to form as close an estimate as possible of 

 the numbers of each species. 



For the sake of accuracy these notes take the form of extracts 

 from my note-book, written at the time of observation. 



Pochard. — This is much the commonest species, about three 

 hundred spending the whole winter on the lake, though none 

 remain to breed. The earliest record that I have is for August 28th. 



" August 28th, 1913. A small party of Pochards on the lake 

 to-day." 



" September 8th. About a dozen Pochards on the lake." 



" September 14th. At least thirty Pochards on the lake." 



" September 22nd. I counted seventy-six Pochards." 



" October 13th. More than one hundred Pochards on the 

 lake." 



The majority of the Pochards, like the other diving-ducks, 

 stay constantly at the deep west end of the lake, but some are 

 always to be found at the other end with the surface- feeding ducks. 



I watched a large flock through the telescope one morning 

 in order to settle a point which seems to require to be cleared up. 

 One sees it stated, from time to time, that ducks, while resting 

 on open water during a breeze, keep their position by paddling 

 in a circle with one foot.* I cannot see how anything could be 

 gained by such action, as it is not possible to keep a boat from 

 drifting by rowing with one oar from the side. However, I give 



* See for instance Headley, ' Structure and Life of Birds,' p. 171, where 

 this idea is fully elaborated. 



