270 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



coast outline indicates a variety of locality sufficient to attract, 

 and in many instances retain, species of a wandering habit 

 elsewhere.* Luce Bay, and the Bay of Wigto^vn, with their far- 

 stretching sands, and Loch Eyan, with its sheltered nooks and 

 shores, draw large numl^ers of waders and waterfowl. Burrow 

 Head and the Mull of Galloway furnish haunts for cliff-building 

 birds, and for the peregrine and lively chough; while the many 

 caves which intersect the precipitous rocks from Ballantrae to the 

 enti'ance to Glen App, afford shelter to the rock-dove and cormo- 

 rant. In inland quarters, on the other hand, the numerous lochs 

 scattered over both counties draw flocks of fresh water species, 

 and. not a few rarities, as the black tern, garganey, osprey, -and 

 wild swan; the high rocky cliffs harbour the raven and eagle; 

 the moors the merlin and hen harrier, dipper and ring ouzel; 

 while the glens and valleys, from their extremely inviting aspect, 

 give encouragement to a number of soft-billed birds, among which 

 may be noticed the grasshopper warbler and lesser whitethroat. 



In addition to its many other attractions, this district possesses 

 two isolated breeding places for gulls and guillemots — viz., Ailsa 

 Craig in the Firth of Clyde, and the Scaur Eocks in the Bay of 

 Luce. The former, being one of the most extensive nurseries for 

 sea-fowl in Great Britain, is in some respects peculiarly inter- 

 esting — the Iceland gull and little auk having been seen there 

 in summer; while among land birds it can still rank as occasional 

 visitants both the golden and white-tailed eagles, the deserted 

 eyries of which are yet shown to the inquiring visitor. The Great 

 and Little Scaur, a small group of rocks situated near the 

 entrance to Luce Bay, and about midway between the ]\Iull of 

 Galloway and Burrow Head (the former headland itself being an 

 extensive breeding place), are frequented by numbers of guille- 

 mots, razor-bills, and j^uffins, etc., which incubate there as at 

 Ailsa. These two breeding places, Avith many of the inland lochs, 

 which are occupied by the black-headed and lesser black-backed 

 gulls, enable us to include a number of resident birds which 

 other districts do not possess; and as a fair proportion of the rarer 

 stragglers have appeared from time to time within our limits, the 



* We may here recommend to the notice of ornithologists, in consulting this 

 or any future catalogues that may be published, " Philips' Travelling Map of 

 Scotland," in which the various headlands, lochs, and islets are very correctly 

 named and indicated. 



