NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 69 



PAPER READ. 



On the Birds found breeding in Sutherlandshire* 



By Mr John A. Harvie Brown, Corresponding Member. 



Before entering upon my more immediate subject it may be 

 well to lay before you a list of the various works by previous 

 authors, as well as separate papers, treating more or less of the 

 natural history of the County of Sutherland. 



Of these the first that recommends itself to your notice is — 



1. '' A History of the Earldom of Sutherland," to the 

 year 1630, by Sir Robert Gordon, Bart., first published in - 1813 



As a certain passage in it serves ir some measure to describe 

 the general aspect of the then existing ferae naturae, I ofi'er no 

 apology for transcribing it, the more particularly as the work in 

 question is not easy of access. After speaking of certain forked- 

 tailed deer, said to inhabit the mountain ' called Arkill,' he goes 

 on to say — 



" All these forrests and schases are verie profitable for feiding 

 of bestiall, and delectable for hunting. They are full of reid 

 deir and roes, woulffs, foxes, wyld catts, brocks, skuyrrells, whit- 

 trets, weasels, otters, martrixes, hares, and fumarts. In these 

 forrests and in all this province, ther is great store of partriges, 

 pluivers, capercalegs, blackwaks, murefowls, heth-hens, swanes, 

 bewters, turtle-doves, herons, dowes, steares or stirlings, lair- 

 igigh or knag, (which is a fouU lyk vnto a paroket, or parret, 

 which maks place for her nest with her beck, in the oak trie), 

 duke, draig, widgeon, teale, wildgouse, ringouse, routs, whaips, 

 shot-whaips, woodcok, larkes, sparrowes, snyps, blakburds or 

 osills, meweis, thrushes, and all other kinds of wildfoule and 

 birds, which ar to be had in any pairt of this kingdome." 



*When the greater part of this paper was written and read, some years 

 ago, at a meeting of the Society, several of the rarer species were, if anything, 

 not qiiite so rare as they are at the present time. On the other hand, many 

 of our woodland species have increased in the county, and one or two have 

 been added to the number found during the nesting season. That the latter 

 are likely still further to increase, is extremely probable, owing to the exten- 

 sive improvements being now carried on by the proprietor, who is annually 

 bringing large areas of ground under wood and cultivation, and is reclaiming a 

 considerable acreage from the barren moors, by converting them into flourishing 

 turnip fields. Those who are specially interested in the subject of agricultural 

 improvements would do well to read the account given in the Inverness Courier 

 for August 6, 1874. 



