110 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



VII. Ornithological Notes. (Specimens were exhibited ) 



(1.) The Gadwall, Anas strepera, Linn. By P. A. Dassauville, Esq. 



This species being of rare occurrence in Scotland, Mr 

 Dassauville thought it might be of interest to show the two 

 specimens now before the Society. They were shot on the Tay, 

 near Newburgh, in the beginning of April, and are a male and 

 female, as was proved by dissection, the ova of the female being 

 numerous, but not far advanced. Mr Dassauville was aware 

 of the danger that specimens obtained, as these were, in the 

 poulterers' shops, might not be actually procured in this 

 country, since importing wild fowl from the continent was 

 so general ; but the specimens under notice were evidently 

 so recently shot — the feet and webs being quite soft and 

 flexible — that he had no hesitation in believing they were 

 killed in this country, without other evidence ; however, he 

 had been obliged with a sight of the invoice which accom- 

 panied them, dated from Perth, and felt satisfied there was no 

 room to doubt that they were procured from the locality men- 

 tioned. One or two sessions ago Dr J. A. Smith exhibited 

 to the Society specimens of the gadwall, and these were the 

 only others he had seen that were kilted in Scotland. 



(2.) The Shoveller, Anas clypeata, Linn. ; the Great Grey Shrike, 

 Lanius excubitor, Linn. ; the Shore Lark, Alauda alpestris, Linn. 

 By John Alexander Smith, M.D. 



Dr Smith said, he was disappointed in not being able to 

 exhibit a very fine pair of Shovellers (Anas clypeata), male 

 and female, which he had examined ; they were shot near 

 Kincardine, on the Forth, about the 1st of April, The birds 

 were now the property of Robert Chambers, jun., Esq., and 

 as they were rare in this neighbourhood, their capture was 

 worth putting on record. He exhibited an adult male Cine- 

 rious Shrike, Lanius excubitor, which was one of our occa- 

 sional visitors, and far from common ; it was noticed to occur 

 generally in the beginning of winter. This bird was got on 

 the 30th of March at Tulliallan, near Kincardine, on the 

 Forth. Mr James Miller, the gamekeeper who shot it, had 



