Volume 9 - Electric Scotland

ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 51
[the italics are ours].
As the autumn draws to a close it becomes
gray, and in the winter it is perfectly white. It never appears in
the lower region, but almost always inhabits the tops." I add no
remarks to the quotations given, preferring that they should stand
as given. J. A. HARVIE-BROWN.
Capercailzie in Strathnairn. I
may shortly state that, since
the winter of 1894, I have introduced a considerable number of
Capercailzie (Tetrao urogattus) from Norway and Austria. Thirtyone
were turned down that year, and some every year since. A
good many died on their first arrival, from insufficient pen room : but
most of them have been turned out, and have remained in the
woods round. I heard of three broods in 1897, and I knew of one
in :
1898 one, consisting of five young birds, was lately seen by a
keeper near this house. A cock and a hen have this year strayed
as far as Daviot. One of the broods (1897) was at Brin, where
also a fine cock was shot by a keen young sportsman. Another,
I believe, was killed at Aldourie, also a bird at Foyers. A hen,
too, was unfortunately shot here last year by the subscriber. If the
proprietors, shooting tenants, and keepers will kindly refrain from
shooting them for some years to come, I feel sure that the large fir
woods in this district will eventually form a most suitable home for
them. W. DALZIEL MACKENZIE, Farr, Inverness.
Spotted Crake in Inverness-shire. A Spotted Crake (Porzana
maruetta) was shot near Culloden about 3oth September. Probably
these birds are much commoner here than is generally supposed,
but without a good dog they are not easily found. T. E. BUCKLEY,
Inverness.
Pratincole near Montrose. I received for identification a
young Pratincole (Glareola pratincola), a bird of the year, which had
been shot on the Mill Burn, Rocksands, Montrose, by Mr. Stormond,
Henry Street, on the 4th of November 1899. It is a rare visitor
to Britain, and has only been recorded for Scotland on one occasion,
namely at Unst, Shetland, in August 1812. J.
A. HARVIE-BROWN.
Albino Lapwing in Inverness-shire. Considering the enormous
numbers of these birds, albinisms are not very common amongst
them. Mr. Mackay showed me one that he had received from
Mr. J. Carver, Crubenmore, near Dalwhinnie, on the 3oth of
September. T. E. BUCKLEY, Inverness.
Spotted Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit in East Renfrewshire.
As the Spotted Redshank (Totanus fuscus) has been recorded
only once from " Clyde " (" Annals," 1899, p. 5 it
1), will doubtless be
worth while to record its
reappearance at Balgray Dam, East
Renfrewshire, in the present autumn (1899). On i6thand iyth
September a pair of birds has come under our observation. In a
small creek on the west side of the dam a Common Redshank, a