BIKDS. 



251 



Luydon, Loch Baa, and Loch Ericht, and doubtless many others 

 besides. 



The rapidity of the increase is the dominant interest in this 

 veritable outburst and " invasion " — as Mr. Gray intuitively seemed 

 to designate their sudden appearance in great numbers in the winter 

 of 1875-6, as above related. Thus again, the Kev. H. A. Macpherson 

 informed me that in 1891 there was only one nest found at Tay- 

 mouth, and it was taken by Mr. J. J. Bakhvin Brown — to whom the 

 "Society for the Protection of Birds " awarded their prize of £10 for 

 his essay on that subject. As I was myself guilty of the heinous 

 crime of taking the first I could get, I cannot afford to throw stones, 

 and indeed the Goosander is not now a bird deserving of any 

 grandmotherly legislation. 



Even in the east of our area, this bird has become commoner, and 

 examples are usually to be seen between Johnshaven and Gourdon in 

 winter, and several specimens are got every now and then at places 

 inland also. It can, however, only be looked upon as a winter visitant 

 to East Forfar and Kincardine to date of going to press. 



I may now refer to my first nest taken in Tay, because, though it 

 was taken note of by Dresser in his great work on the Birds of 

 Europe, and he was also witness to their having nested there again in 

 1873, there has been no detailed account of it, and I may be 

 pardoned for giving it — thus late in the day — as it should prove of 

 some interest to Scottish naturalists generally, as well as to Perth- 

 shire naturalists. Previous to doing so, I desire to refer to my 

 former notices of this bird and its dispersal in both Argyll and in 

 Moray, as noticed by Buckley and myself in the volumes treating of 

 these faunal areas, which I, however, merely direct attention to in 

 this place. 



I do not think I can give any better account than by quoting, 

 literatim, from my egg-book, which I proceed to do : — 



1871. ima.^Mergus merganser. —S eggs, particles of down, and flank feather 

 from bird. Taken on Loch Ericht-side, Perthshke, May 20 (?), 1871, by John 

 Macgregor ; forwarded to Dunipace, unblown, during my absence in Norway. 

 Blown by E. Finlayson at Dunipace. Eggs contained full-grown chicks. 

 One egg destroyed. The down arrived at Dunipace 12th December 1871. 



The history connected with these eggs is as follows : — 

 On the 29th July 1870, John Macgregor gave J. A. H.-B. the 

 following piece of information, viva voce, at Dalwhinnie : "I got a 

 nest too, for the first time this year, of the Dun Diver. It was in a 



