BIRDS. 



351 



A good many years previous to 1888, as recorded by Col. 

 Drummond Hay, he himself saw a pair of Great Crested Grebes in 

 full summer plumage, which were shot at Loch Ordie ; but, so far as 

 I am aware, there were no earlier records of its actual occurrences in 

 the county. Others, however, were given as ha\'ing been shot at 

 seaward localities such as Broughty Ferry and St. Andrews Bay. 

 On 1st June 1891 a male in the second year's plumage was shot on 

 the Tay opposite Kinfauns by Roger Davidson, Kinfauns Manse. 

 The only one Col. Drummond Hay could report on the Tay was shot 

 opposite Errol by a punt-shooter in December 1885, and one other 

 in immature plumage — also a male. A fine female in full plumage 

 was shot on the Loch of Forfar in the autumn of 1887 by Sheriflf 

 Robertson, of Burnside. 



In 1896 Mr. Valentine Knight, lately taxidermist in Edinburgh, 

 received a fine specimen in full breeding plumage. This I was 

 informed of, and I was able to ascertain that it had passed through 

 the hands of Mr. Anderson — of Messrs. R. Anderson and Sons. Edin- 

 burgh — and had been forwarded from Dunkeld. 



Selby relates that " the Great Crested Grebe breeds on a few of 

 the northern Scottish lochs," but unfortunately he gives no indication 

 whatever of the county or locality otherwise. 



In 1900 Mr. James Davidson found these biixis breeding on 

 Loch Fithie, and saw one bird on Loch Rescobie (Forfarshire). Mr. 

 Da\'idson had the shootings at that time of Dunnichen, and had 

 plenty of opportunities of watching the birds with a glass. 

 Mr. Davidson is an accomplished ornithologist (in lit., July 2, 

 1900). 



Now I myself saw a single male, in perfect plumage apparently, 

 swimming close to a patch of rushes upon the Loch of Rescobie 

 when I was passing in the train, in the month of Jmie, about the 

 year 1887, but I have hunted in vain for the exact reference, and 

 cannot find it in Notes or Journals. Certainly it was previous to 

 1888. For several years after I always kept a look-out for them 

 again when passing, but it was not imtil the year 1896 that once 

 more I saw two birds evidently paired at the selfsame place, which 

 is within pistol-shot of the railway, and on the north side of the 

 line. If, as I strongly suspect, or indeed believe, they were breeding 

 there on the first occasion when I saw them, then I fancy that was 

 the earliest, or among the earliest, advents of the species at breeding 

 quarters in Scotland. 



But even so late as 1892 the Great Crested Grebe appears to 



