Ornithological Notes. 



347 



ing every movement. Not a moment was to be lost, and 

 the three, ranged in line, left their hiding-place and ad- 

 vanced rapidly on the nest. If the female still remains, 

 her chance of escape is a poor one, for she is now within 

 range of six barrels ! She sits so close, however, that doubts 

 are beginning to arise, when up she springs and dashes 

 rapidly off, brushing the heather in her flight. She has not 

 flown far when a single shot is fired, and poor falco drops 

 among the heath with a broken wing. The male escaped 

 on this occasion and was not seen again, although diligent 

 search was made for some days afterwards. The nest con- 

 tained four eggs, and was situated where one would rather 

 expect to find the nest of the red grouse. 



Dr J. A. Smith said, naturalists were indebted to Mr 

 Shearer and Mr Osborne for their valuable list, with its 

 accompanying details, of the birds of Caithness. He had 

 requested Mr Osborne to add some notes on the nesting of 

 the birds, and was sure the Society would agree with him 

 in the great interest of these communications ; he only 

 wished a similar careful list of the appearance and nesting 

 of the birds, could be got from all the counties of Scotland. 

 The capture of the ivory gull, referred to by Mr Shearer as 

 new (page 341), had been brought under the notice of the 

 Society by Sir W. Jardine (see Proc, vol. i. p. 4 ; and vol. ii. 

 p. 57). The specimen was described by him as being the 

 Pagopliila bracliytarsus (Halboll), and the first time it had 

 been observed as occurring in this country. 



IV. Ornithological Notes. — Larus glaucus (Glaucous gull), Mergulus 

 alle, (Little Auk), &c. (specimens exhibited). By J. A. Smith, M.D. 



A fine specimen of the Larus glaucus, the great white- 

 winged or glaucous gull, was sent for exhibition by Mr 

 Edward Hargitt. It is a bird of this year, and was shot on 

 Holy Island, near Berwick, in the third week of November. 

 Dr Smith also exhibited a specimen of the Little Auk, re- 

 cently shot in the Firth of Forth. This bird is an occa- 

 sional winter visitor, generally after severe storms. It occurs 

 abundantly in the Arctic regions ; and he might mention in 

 regard to it, that the late Professor J ameson used to exhibit 



