﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  147 
  

  

  Genus 
  ANAS, 
  Brisson. 
  

  

  Anas 
  boscas, 
  Linn. 
  Wild 
  Duck. 
  "Mallard." 
  

   "Moss 
  Duck." 
  

  

  A 
  common 
  resident 
  species 
  ; 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  numbers 
  on 
  all 
  

   our 
  lochs 
  and 
  streams. 
  Around 
  these, 
  and 
  indeed 
  in 
  every 
  

   marsh 
  or 
  peat 
  moss 
  where 
  rushes 
  grow, 
  the 
  wild 
  duck 
  may 
  be 
  

   observed 
  or 
  its 
  nest 
  found. 
  The 
  nesting 
  habits 
  of 
  this 
  bird 
  

   are 
  curious. 
  It 
  may 
  build 
  on 
  a 
  tuft 
  of 
  rushes 
  near 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  

   stream 
  or 
  loch, 
  in 
  a 
  tree, 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  a 
  rocky 
  cliff, 
  or 
  high 
  

   up 
  on 
  some 
  hill- 
  side 
  where 
  no 
  water 
  is 
  near. 
  A 
  favourite 
  

   place 
  for 
  the 
  Wild 
  Duck's 
  nest 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  was 
  Craig 
  Horror 
  

   on 
  the 
  Ythan, 
  near 
  the 
  Old 
  Castle 
  of 
  Gight. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  bold 
  

   rock 
  of 
  considerable 
  height, 
  but 
  now 
  so 
  much 
  changed 
  that 
  

   the 
  "Moss 
  Duck" 
  would 
  not 
  now 
  have 
  the 
  security 
  she 
  once 
  

   had 
  in 
  this 
  secluded 
  spot. 
  

  

  Genus 
  CHAULELASMUS, 
  Gray. 
  

  

  Chaulelasmus 
  streperus, 
  Linn. 
  Gadwall. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  had 
  the 
  pleasure 
  of 
  seeing 
  in 
  

   " 
  Dee." 
  Gray 
  says 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  killed 
  " 
  in 
  Aberdeenshire," 
  but 
  

   mentions 
  no 
  authority 
  nor 
  in 
  what 
  district 
  of 
  that 
  county 
  the 
  

   occurrence 
  took 
  place, 
  nor 
  when. 
  Mention 
  is 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  

   Zoologist 
  of 
  one 
  having 
  been 
  killed 
  " 
  on 
  the 
  Deveron 
  by 
  Dr. 
  

   Leslie 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  1837-38," 
  and 
  to 
  this 
  statement 
  it 
  is 
  

   possible 
  Gray 
  refers. 
  Four 
  were 
  killed 
  at 
  the 
  lakes 
  of 
  Pitfour, 
  

   October 
  22nd, 
  1898, 
  as 
  I 
  am 
  informed 
  by 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  Mutch, 
  

   gamekeeper. 
  

  

  Genus 
  QUERQUEDULA, 
  Stephens. 
  

  

  Querquedula 
  circia, 
  Linn. 
  Garganey. 
  

  

  To 
  my 
  knowledge, 
  there 
  is 
  but 
  one 
  record 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  

   having 
  ever 
  been 
  seen 
  in 
  " 
  Dee," 
  except 
  what 
  is 
  said 
  by 
  

   Edward 
  in 
  the 
  Naturalist, 
  vol. 
  iv., 
  p. 
  242, 
  where 
  he 
  remarks 
  : 
  

   " 
  On 
  a 
  boating 
  excursion 
  in 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1850 
  (Loch 
  of 
  

   Strathbeg) 
  .... 
  we 
  met 
  with 
  a 
  party 
  of 
  three, 
  which 
  

   we 
  pursued," 
  but 
  they 
  would 
  "not 
  allow 
  us 
  to 
  approach 
  near 
  

   within 
  gunshot." 
  Seeing 
  that 
  he 
  was 
  not 
  " 
  near 
  within 
  

  

  