152 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



The same year Dunbar made his first harrying of the nest on 

 the ruined lodge at Loch Morlich. In this year died the 

 first Sir John Peter Grant of Rothiemurchus. 



1849. In May of this year Dunbar took three eggs from 

 a nest in an old fir-tree at Loch Morlich. According to a 

 statement to Harvie-Brown by the custodian of the Natural 

 History Museum at Newcastle, there were also two young 

 birds just hatched in the same nest. It seems unlikely that 

 five eggs would be in the one clutch, but Harvie-Brown, 

 while reporting these two statements in different parts of his 

 book, makes no remark as to the improbability, apparently 

 not recognising that the two statements refer to the same 

 year. The eggs were sent to St John, in Sutherland, and he 

 sent one to Hancock of Newcastle, from whom it passed to 

 the Newcastle Museum. Dunbar says that the Ospreys 

 moved their young to the nest on the ruined lodge, though 

 he does not definitely say that he is referring to this same 

 year. He climbed up to the nest, though he does not say 

 why, and then the birds removed their young to some place 

 unknown. 



In the same month Dunbar made his second harrying of 

 the Loch an Eilein nest, getting three eggs, and sending them 

 to Hancock. He also visited an old breeding site, apparently 

 near Loch Gamhna, in a tree that Harvie-Brown says has 

 since been cut down. 



1850. Dunbar with Mr Hancock and Dunbar's brother 

 or cousin visited old breeding sites near the Nethy, and then 

 went on to the Loch Morlich Lodge. Here they shot the 

 female bird, and took two eggs from the nest, and apparently 

 carried off the nest also. On dissection, the bird was found 

 to contain another egg, Dunbar says " beautifully marked," 

 but Hancock says " not shelled." 



In this year also Dunbar made his third harrying of the 

 Loch an Eilein nest, getting three eggs, which were sent to 

 Hancock. 



1851. Dunbar made his fourth harrying of the Loch an 

 Eilein nest, getting two eggs, which were given to Mr 

 Wolley, who apparently was staying in the neighbourhood, 

 but declined to accompany Dunbar in his visit to the 



