NOTES ON VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF WEST ROSS-SHIRE 71 



ARVICOLA GLAREOLUS, Bank Vole. A good many trapped at 

 Braemore, 1894-95. A specimen received from Braemore in April 

 1894 was believed to be the most northerly record of this species in 

 Britain. 



LEPUS EUROPJEUS, Brown Hare. Braemore ; " fairly numerous." 

 Supposed to be decreasing in most districts. 



LEPUS VARIABILIS, Varying Hare. " Very scarce of late years in 

 Braemore, probably not one per 1000 acres of hill. They are as 

 scarce on sheep ground as on deer forests." 



SCIURUS VULGARIS, Squirrel. Braemore. " Seen on two occa- 

 sions only, about 4 years ago" (i.e. 1893). New record. 



AVES. 



TURDUS VISCIVORUS, Missel Thrush. Rare at Braemore, and 

 apparently only first identified in 1901. Thinly distributed in 

 other wooded districts. 



SYLVIA CURRUCA, Lesser Whitethroat. A clutch of eggs now 

 in Miss Marjorie Fowler's collection at Inverbroom House, and 

 taken by the late Sir Arthur Fowler at Inverbroom in 1896, were 

 identified by us as those of the Lesser Whitethroat. See " Annals," 

 October 1901. 



This apparently authentic instance of the nesting of S. curruca 

 in West Ross is extremely interesting. The Lesser Whitethroat is 

 known as a summer visitant to S.W. Scotland in very limited 

 numbers, but has hitherto only been recorded on migration else- 

 where in Northern Britain. 



PARUS CAUDATUS, Long-tailed Titmouse. " Common at Brae- 

 more." Not seen in Torridon or Applecross. Noted as common 

 about Loch Maree by Mr. Evans. 



Picus MAJOR, Greater Spotted Woodpecker. One killed at 

 Inverlael, Lochbroom. New record. 



ALCEDO ISPIDA, Kingfisher. One seen on loth September 1898, 

 and for three weeks afterwards, on river Broom. New record. 



HIRUNDO RUSTICA, Swallow. "Nested at Braemore, 1895." 

 Hitherto only recorded as a transient visitor in various localities. 



CHELIDON URBICA, House Martin. Nesting at Strathcarron 

 Hotel, 1894. Inverlael, 1901. 



CARDUELIS SPINUS, Siskin. " Fairly common at Braemore." 

 New record. 



PLECTROPHANES NIVALIS, Snow Bunting. " Young birds seen in 

 August and September in Braemore forest." The nest has not yet 

 been recorded as taken in West Ross, although the birds have been 

 seen in summer on most of the higher mountain tops. 



