14 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Argyll and Spey, populated the whole length of these great 

 depressions, until it swarmed by 1891 and 1892 right down 

 to the pine forests on the shores of the Moray Firth, and 

 later beginning to ascend the valleys of the tributary streams 

 and glens, reaching also far down the Great Glen to Inverness 

 by 1895 (loc. cit. p. 232). Strange it is to find the Redstart, 

 known as yet only in one district in the south-east of Ireland, 

 and so rare in the western counties of England and in Wales. 



The more complicated advances also of the Starling 1 

 claimed my attention and revealed the distinct evidences of 

 a double invasion : one from the south and south-east, and a 

 much earlier one from the north and north-west and north- 

 east. This was a most interesting study, especially if taken 

 along with the facts known as regards the former distribution 

 of now extinct animals in Ireland (Scharff, " Proc. Roy. 

 Irish Acad.," (3) iv. p. 427 (1897). 



Of other species which have passed under review I may 

 instance a few as of extreme interest, viz. the Tufted Duck, 2 

 which rapidly, of late years, has populated our lakes from 

 southern approaches : one avenue via the East Coast, and 

 another via Ireland and the West Coast ; curiously missing 

 out the Moray area (as yet) and leaping, as it were, across 

 from "Dee" to Caithness. The Goosander 3 may be instanced 

 as coming down our West Coast, leaving out the barren Outer 

 Hebrides, filling our west glens, surging over the highest 

 cols of the backbone of Scotland, flooding the great eastern 

 valleys, and still annually pursuing an easterly course along 

 the low haughs of the Laigh of Moray and penetrating to 

 most of the great forests of Spey, etc. The Red-breasted 

 Merganser 4 is another which came by similar routes, but first 

 populated the Outer Islands, finding the peat cracks and 

 crevices of the Long Island suitable to its requirements. And 

 we could instance many others not less interesting and may 

 yet do so in another place. 



Finally, interest can be given further by a study of 



1 'The Starling in Scotland,' etc., "Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist.," January 1895, 

 Plate I., pp. 2-22. 



2 'The Tufted Duck in Scotland,' etc., "Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist.," January 

 1896, map, pp. 3-22. 



3 Vide "Fauna of Moray Basin," vol. ii. pp. 117-120 (Hinxman). 



4 Loc. cit. pp. 1 20- 1 22. 



