232 



BIRDS. 



species, will be quite able to place the true value upon such 

 records. 



But I may add that it may well be desirable to take any notes 

 made by the said Mr. Marshall with a pinch of salt ; because, as I am 

 aware, he was rather fond of springing small surprises (or big ones !) 

 upon his customers and frequenters of his premises, and I have heard 

 some rather " phunny " stories told of this idiosyncrasy ! 



Chaulelasmus streperus (L.). Gadwall. 



Very rare visitant. 



Considered quite of doubtful value in the east by Dr. Dewar. 

 But Don was aware of its presence as long ago as 1813, and had 

 seen them upon the lands of Rescobie and Balquharries. 



A male and female were obtained at Newburgh, Fife, in the begin- 

 ning of April 1859. The female had ova not very far advanced. 

 It was seen in a poulterer's shop in Edinburgh by Mr. K. A. 

 Dassouville, who also saw the invoice which accompanied the con- 

 signment of wild-fowl (Dr. J. A. Smith, Froc. Royal Phys. Soc. Edin., 

 vol. ii. p. 110, and exhibited 27th April 1859). 



There is also one in the Perth Museum, which I presented, and 

 which was found by me in the Edinburgh Market, and purchased 

 November 20, 1867; and I recorded it in the Zool, 1867, p. 562. 

 The locality given me with this bird was "shot on the Tay." 



Mr. Malloch informs me that he has not heard of any obtained 

 on Tay this season (in lit., April 1879), and he adds: "I have not 

 heard of any being obtained during the past ten years." But Millais 

 appears to consider it as "a regular autumn and winter visitor to 

 Tay and Eden." He possesses three Perthshire specimens, but he 

 had not heard of its breeding. 



Mr. Henry Kelsall, replying to inquiries made at my request, 

 writes to Mr. Frost (to whom I am indebted for much help in such 

 matters) : "The exact dates on which I shot Gadwalls on Pittenrian 

 are as follows — December 29, 1898 (one) ; January 31, 1899 (one), 

 this bird was given to the Perth Museum of Natural Sciences ; 

 February 13, 1900 (two). If I remember aright, I shot one, if not 

 two, more ; but as I made no special mention of them in my game- 

 book I cannot tell the dates " (in lit., October 26, 1905). 



