﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  117 
  

  

  A 
  flock 
  of 
  ninety-five 
  lived 
  all 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  1889-90 
  just 
  

   outside 
  a 
  small 
  skerry 
  close 
  to 
  Burghead, 
  and 
  were 
  very 
  constantly 
  

   observed 
  by 
  Brown 
  of 
  Forres. 
  This 
  fine 
  flock 
  kept 
  steadily 
  to 
  the 
  

   same 
  area 
  of 
  water 
  the 
  whole 
  time. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  George 
  Sim 
  informs 
  us 
  he 
  has 
  also 
  received 
  specimens 
  at 
  

   various 
  times 
  from 
  the 
  coasts 
  of 
  the 
  Moray 
  Firth. 
  

  

  Mergus 
  merganser, 
  L. 
  Goosander. 
  

  

  Local 
  Name. 
  — 
  Saw-neb. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  notes 
  of 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  the 
  Goosander 
  from 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  

   our 
  area, 
  1 
  and 
  it 
  seems 
  more 
  than 
  probable 
  that, 
  from 
  the 
  dates 
  

   given, 
  it 
  breeds 
  quite 
  commonly 
  — 
  certainly 
  more 
  so 
  than 
  formerly, 
  

   or 
  was 
  generally 
  supposed. 
  

  

  Possibly 
  in 
  the 
  north 
  central 
  district 
  this 
  bird 
  has 
  been 
  un- 
  

   noticed 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  past, 
  being 
  confounded 
  with 
  the 
  Merganser 
  ; 
  

   anyway 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  common 
  breeding 
  species 
  there 
  now. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Muirhead, 
  in 
  his 
  notes, 
  says 
  that 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  Balmacaan 
  

   keepers 
  had 
  seen 
  several 
  Goosanders 
  near 
  the 
  old 
  castle 
  of 
  Glen 
  

   Urquhart 
  of 
  late 
  (March 
  1867). 
  2 
  

  

  In 
  looking 
  over 
  an 
  old 
  ledger 
  of 
  Macleay's, 
  we 
  find 
  entries 
  of 
  

   the 
  Goosander 
  from 
  many 
  localities 
  in 
  Moray, 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Loch 
  

   Luichart. 
  The 
  dates 
  attached 
  to 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  entries 
  are 
  signi- 
  

   ficant 
  : 
  Corriemony, 
  June 
  1863; 
  Aviemore, 
  May 
  1878 
  ; 
  Cawdor, 
  

   May 
  1864, 
  etc. 
  These 
  dates 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  bird 
  occurred 
  in 
  the 
  

   breeding 
  season 
  some 
  years 
  previous 
  to 
  the 
  actual 
  discovery 
  of 
  the 
  

   first 
  nest, 
  as 
  related 
  further 
  on. 
  According 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  authority 
  

   the 
  bird 
  had 
  occurred 
  at 
  Glen 
  Aflfric 
  ; 
  and 
  by 
  1880, 
  Mr. 
  Sargeant 
  

   had 
  seen 
  them 
  often 
  at 
  Struy, 
  on 
  the 
  Beauly 
  river, 
  and 
  considered 
  

   that 
  they 
  were 
  probably 
  breeding. 
  

  

  Of 
  late 
  years 
  old 
  birds 
  have 
  been 
  seen 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Suther- 
  

   land, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  bred 
  on 
  Loch 
  Shin, 
  in 
  1875 
  

   (F. 
  S. 
  ft, 
  p. 
  196), 
  and 
  we 
  have 
  MM 
  them 
  on 
  the 
  Cassley 
  River; 
  

   on 
  the 
  Dornoch 
  Firth 
  they 
  arc 
  only 
  oceasionally 
  seen 
  in 
  pairs 
  in 
  

   winter. 
  3 
  

  

  1 
  Fauna 
  of 
  Suthn 
  land 
  and 
  Caithntu, 
  pp. 
  195-6. 
  

  

  3 
  Goosanders 
  always 
  remain 
  till 
  late 
  in 
  March, 
  and 
  even 
  into 
  April, 
  at 
  many 
  

   places. 
  

  

  * 
  Mr. 
  Haillit- 
  informs 
  ns 
  he 
  saw 
  a 
  pair 
  <>f 
  Goosander* 
  <>n 
  the 
  winds 
  at 
  Kast 
  Hrora, 
  

   May 
  12th, 
  1892. 
  

  

  