294 Mr Selby on the Quadrupeds and Birds 



reappeared at nearly a quarter of a mile's distance from the spot where 

 they had gone down. In no instance have I ever seen them attempt to 

 escape by taking wing* I may observe that a visible track from the wa- 

 ter to the eggs was made by the female, whose progress upon land is 

 effected by shuffling along upon her belly, propelled by her legs behind. 

 On the day following (Saturday the 31st of May), Mr J. Wilson was for- 

 tunate enough to find two newly hatched young ones in a small creek of 

 Loch Craggie, about two and a half miles from Lairg. After handling 

 and examining them, during which the old birds approached very near 

 to him, he left them in the same spot, knowing that we were anxious to 

 obtain the old birds. Accordingly, on the Monday morning we had the 

 boat conveyed to the loch, and, on our arrival, soon descried the two old 

 birds, attended by their young, and apparently moving to a different part 

 of the loch. Contrary to their usual habit at other times, they did not 

 attempt to dive upon our approach, but kept swimming around their 

 young, which, from their tender age, were unable to make much way in 

 the water, and we got sufficiently near to shoot both of them through the 

 neck and head, the only parts accessible to shot, as they swim with the 

 whole body nearly submerged. The female could only be distinguished 

 from the male by a slight inferiority of size, and both were in the finest 

 adult or summer plumage. We afterwards saw several pairs, upon va- 

 rious lochs, and upon Loch Kay a pair, attended by two young ones, 

 nearly half grown. When swimming, they are in the constant habit of 

 dipping their bill in the water, with a graceful motion of the head and 



neck. 77. C. septentrionalis. Red-throated Diver. Also breeds upon 



many of the lochs. We obtained no eggs or young, but it was evident 



from the conduct of the birds, that they were breeding. ^78. Uria 



Troile, Foolish Guillemot, Is common upon the northern and western 

 coasts of Sutherland, and breeds in great numbers upon the precipices 



of an island, about six miles from Scourie. 79. U. Grylle, Black 



Guillemot. Is also frequently seen. Mr J. Jardine noticed it about the 



caves near the mouth of the Durness Frith. 80. Alca Torda, Razor 



Bill. Also common. 81. Fratercula arctica, jPw^w. Common upon 



the coast and salt water inlets. 82. Phalacrocorax Carbo, Cormorant. 



Numerous in all the friths. 83. P. cristatus, Crested or Green Cormo- 

 rant. Is equally plentiful, and breeds upon the rocky precipices of Loch 



EriboU, and the western coast. 84. Sula Bassana, Solan Goose. Many 



were seen hovering over the sea, off Far-out-head and other parts of the 



northern coast. 85. Sterna Boysii, Sandwich Tern. Was seen upon 



the Friths of Tongue and Eriboll. 86. St. arctica, Arctic Tern. Abun- 

 dant upon all the friths, breeds upon the flat coast of Tongue, &c. 



87. Lams ridibundus. Black-headed Gull. Plentiful. Breeds among the 



reeds of lochs Doulich, &c. 88. L. Canus, Common Gull or Mew. Has 



various breeding stations, viz. upon Loch Shin, Loch Laighal, and various 



smaller lochs. 89. L. Rissa, Kittiwake. Common upon the rocky 



coasts. L. argentatus. Herring Gull. Was seen upon most of the salt 



