THE BIRDS OF THE ISLAND OF BARRA 203 



are in any season able to nest and rear their young in com- 

 parative security ; and, further, except in unusually cold 

 summers such as that of 1888, or when, as happened in June 

 1 893, the heat is so excessive that the underground water-level 

 sinks faster than it is possible to deepen the pits, a good bag 

 of grouse may confidently be relied on ; for " disease " is, so 

 far, absolutely unknown on the moor. 



The Tentsmuir Grouse and their fortunes in the future 

 will perhaps be as much the immediate concern of the sports- 

 man as of the naturalist ; but it is from the point of view of 

 the latter only, so far as possible, that I have attempted to 

 give their history in the past : others may, I trust, be 

 interested to learn some of the details of this experiment in 

 practical ornithology which the late Admiral Maitland 

 Dougall so shrewdly undertook, and, with the able assistance 

 of his gamekeeper, Mr. John Fowlis, so successfully carried 

 out. 



THE BIRDS OF THE ISLAND OF BARRA. 

 By JOHN MACR.URY, M.B. 



( Continued from page 145). 



SPARROW-HAWK, Accipitcr nisus, L. I am very doubtful if this bird 

 occurs at all on the island, but if it does visit us occasionally, 

 it certainly is rather rare. 



GREENLAND FALCON, Falco candicans, J. F. Gmelin. A beautiful 

 specimen of this species is in the collection at Eoligary, which 

 was shot by Mr. Murdo Macgillivray about ten years ago. 

 Another specimen was got in a rabbit-trap on the farm about 

 five years ago. These are the only records of its occurrence 

 that I can trace. 



PEREGRINE FALCON, Falco peregrinus, Tunstall. A few are seen all 

 the year round, and at least 3 or 4 pairs breed in the southern 

 islands. 



MERLIN, Falco cesalon, Tunstall. Fairly common all the year. 

 Several pairs breeding. 



KESTREL, Falco tinnunailus, L. A few occasionally seen, but not 

 at all common, and I do not think it nests on the island. 



