NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF WEST ROSS-SHIRE 97 



by the Goosander elsewhere is to a great extent a 



secondary habit. 

 COLUMBA PALUMBUS. Ring Dove. - - Not very plentiful. 



The nest maybe occasionally found on the ledge of a rock. 

 TURTUR COMMUNIS. Turtle Dove. Recorded for 1880 by 



Mr. J. H. Dixon, " Gairloch," p. 248. 

 TETRAO TETRIX. Black Game. Fairly abundant in the 



district. 



GALLINULA CHLOROPUS. Moor-hen. Not uncommon. 

 yEGlALiTis HIATICULA. Ring Plover. - - Breeds on Loch 



Maree, as well as on the sea coast. 



NUMENIUS ARQUATA. Curlew. Common on the moors. 

 NUMENIUS PH^OPUS. Whimbrel. - - Not so common a 



visitor as formerly. 



LARUS RIDIBUNDUS. Black-headed Gull. Nests on fresh- 

 water lochs in several places in Gairloch parish, though 



not so plentifully as the Common Gull. 

 LARUS ARGENTATUS. Herring Gull. A few pairs breed on 



the islands of Loch Maree, accompanied by large 



numbers of the Lesser Black-back ; on the sea coast 



they are, of course, the most common. 

 LARUS MARINUS. Greater Black-backed Gull. The same 



may be said of this species as the last, but it is decidedly 



less abundant. 

 PROCELLARIA PELAGICA. Storm Petrel. - - Reported to 



breed, or have bred, on the islands of Foura and Longa. 



URIA GRYLLE. Black Guillemot. - - Not uncommon at 



suitable places on the coast. 

 COLYMBUS GLACIALIS. Great Northern Diver. Probably 



as common in this district as anywhere else in Britain ; 



it is nearly always to be seen on Gairloch or Loch 



Ewe, while not unfrequently two or three may be 



observed in company. 



COLYMBUS ARCTICUS j Apparently becoming more 



COLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS j scarce, and certainly absent 



from some places tenanted a few years ago in summer. 



This is one of the cases where further protection may 



alter the state of affairs. 



