168 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



ever, at some eastern and inland localities, as in Aberdeen [Geo. 

 Sim] and elsewhere. The wet weather, which deluged the eastern 

 — and most — parts of Scotland, killed many young Grouse after 

 hatching time, but on the whole sportsmen had no reason to com- 

 plain. In W. Sutherland Grouse are more abundant this year 

 than they have been for six or eight years back, but there it has 

 been comparatively fine weather during all the nesting season, 

 while the summer was, as in the Western Islands, unusually dry. 

 Generally, Grouse have been plentiful and healthy. 



Some appearance of disease was visible towards the end of 

 September and October, 1879. Tn one district of Perthshire, 

 where I shot Grouse in October, every day several birds were 

 obtained showing signs of disease. There is almost an entire 

 absence of fresh young heather, and there was scarcely any bloom 

 this year at all. 



A local reappearance of Grouse, on a moor some time denuded of 

 them, is recorded by Mr. Geo. Muirhead — LambertonMuir, Berwick. 



Grouse were scarce in some parts of the west coast owing to the 

 very wet season. Though fairly plentiful early in the summer, 

 and unaffected by the severe winter and spring, the wet summer 

 banished them or killed them outright. 



In this connection may be read an interesting paper, entitled 

 " A Gossip about the Grouse Family," in Bailey's Monthly Maga- 

 zine for November, 1879. 



PTARMIGAN. 



Lagopus mutus, Leach. 



Even this bird of the snows and mists yielded in some instances 

 to the severity of the season so far as to descend to the low grounds. 

 One was seen sitting on the roof of a house in the Fannich Forest, 

 Ross-shire, as related by Mr. John Maclennan [Inverness Courier, 

 April 24, 1879]. In Assynt, Sutherlandshire, Ptarmigan came 

 down to the range of cliffs called the Stronchrubie rocks, just above 

 Inchnadamph, quite 1000 feet below their usual range. 



QUAIL. 



Coturnix communis, Bonn. 



Quails are reported to have vanished from the counties of 

 Dublin and Wicklow since the severe winter [Rev. Charles W. 

 Benson, in lit.\ 



