290 ^Ir Selby on the Quadrupeds and Birds 



beriza miliaria. Common Bunting. Very common in the lower grounds, 

 particularly where cultivation existed, and was traced to the northern 



coast of the county. 34. E. citrinella, Yellow Bunting. Was seen at 



all our various stations. 35. E. Schoeniculus, Reed Bunting. Common 



upon the margins of all the lochs, and in the swampy districts. 86. 



Passer domesticus. House Sparrow. Was observed in all the villages, and 



many nest holes apparent in the thatch of Keoldale House, &c. 



37. Fringilla coelebs. Chaffinch. Seen about Lairg, Tongue, and Incha 



na-duriff. 38. Linaria cannabina, Common Grey Linnet. Seemingly a 



rare species in Sutherland. A single pair was seen at Keoldale. 



39. L. montium. Mountain Linnet or Twite. A plentiful species and 

 very generally distributed. It was first met with at Lairg, and afterwards 

 occurred at all the different stations we occupied. Its song is pleasing, 



though scarcely equal in compass to that of L. cannabina. 40. L. 



minor. Lesser Redpole Linnet. Was met with wherever birch copse oc- 

 curred. Several were shot, but all appeared of the common species, and 



none could be assigned to the larger variety or L. borealis. 41. Stur- 



nus vulgaris. Common Starling. Is met with upon the northern and west- 

 em coasts of Sutherland, where it breeds in the holes and caverns of the 

 limestone rock. We saw several about the Smoo Cave, and a large flock 

 at Scourie. 42. Corvus corax. Raven. This powerful bird is still plen- 

 tiful in Sutherland, although every exertion is used to destroy it, on ac- 

 count of the frequent attacks it makes upon the sick sheep and new 



dropped lambs. 43. C. cornix. Hooded Crow. This is the common 



crow of the county, the C. corone, or carrion crow, being unknown or a 

 very rare visitant. It is a great destroyer of the eggs, as well as the 

 young, of the various grous, young hares, &c. It generally makes its 

 nest about the root of some birch or mountain-ash, growing out of the face 

 of the rocks or deep ravines, or where beech- woods abound in the high- 

 est trees. 44. C. frugilegus. Rook. A small rookery exists at Aucheny, 



about four miles above the bridge of Thin, and w^e saw a small flock 

 on our return, about three miles above the bridge of Oikel. Towards 

 autumn we were told that great numbers of rooks spread themselves over 

 the county, ascending the mountains to a considerable altitude, where 



they feed upon the larvae of TipulidcB, &c., and alpine berries. 



45. Troglodytes Europseus, Common Wren. Was seen at Tongue and 



Lairg. 46. C. canorus. Common Cuckoo. The cuckoo we found very 



numerously distributed over the country, and its well known notes were 

 heard for some time after our arrival in every direction. As with us (up- 

 on the Northumberland moors) it generally makes use of the pipit's nest, 

 wherein to deposit its e^g^ and the young, as well as the eggs, are fre- 

 quently found by the shepherds. The larvae of the nocturnal Lepidop- 

 tera, particularly of the genera Lasiocampa, Odonestis, and Satumia, 



are very numerous, and afford it a constant and luxurious repast. 



47. Columba palumbus. Ring Pigeon. The ring pigeon was observed as 

 far north as Tongue, where the plantations and birch-woods about the 



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