460 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
Mr. William Henderson of Lochmaben, as I am informed by 
Mr. W. J. Halliday, states that it was not till 1903 or 1904 
that he personally noticed the Great Crested Grebes together 
with their young on the Castle Loch. In the spring of 
1905 a brood is recorded in Miss Wallace's MS. diary as having 
been successfully reared on the Mill Loch ; while the same 
observer noted that one bird was seen at Lochmaben Loch 
on March 23rd and four on May 21st, 1906. In 1907 two 
fine specimens, now to be seen stuffed at the King's Arms 
Hotel (Lochmaben), were shot on Hightae Loch. I am 
further indebted to Mr. HaUiday for the information that 
in August, 1908, Mr. William Henderson counted fifteen 
Great Crested Grebes on the Castle Loch, and saw three 
birds with respectively one, three, and five young ones ; 
while a pair also frequented the Mill Loch. Mr. Halliday 
adds that the species has increased summer by summer 
since 1903 or 1904, and is now (1910) comparatively 
numerous. 
The Rev. Hugh Parry tells me that he is almost certain 
he saw a Great Crested Grebe swimming in Dalswinton 
Loch (Kirkmahoe) in September, 1909. In confirmation of 
this, a bird of the grebe kind, unknown to Mr. T. Ranken 
who knows the Little Grebe well, was seen by him early in 
October, 1909, in the same loch. 
On May 17th, 1910, Mr. H. F. Witherby and I identified 
three Great Crested Grebes on Loch Urr (Glencairn). They 
swam together in the centre of the lake, seldom diving, 
and showing no signs of being anything more than migrants 
resting. Our opinion was confirmed when I visited the 
locality ten days later, and could see no trace of the birds. 
This record of the species from the extreme north-west 
of Dumfriesshire is interesting, as being the first that I know 
of from that part of the county. 
It will be noticed that all records of the breeding of the 
Great Crested Grebe hail from the vicinity of Lochmaben. 
The species nests in suitable locaHties throughout England 
and Ireland, in Scotland as far north as Aberdeenshire, and 
