1 66 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Scolopax rustieola, L. — Woodcock. — Immense numbers of Wood- 

 cocks came to Sutherland in the season of 1 890-1. — Badenloch 

 shooting produced twenty-seven, whereas the twelve previous 

 years would scarcely have given seven all put together. 

 Another small shooting gave 125 : and two days' shooting by 

 two guns and the keeper gave forty. Snipe were by no means 

 so numerous in proportion, indeed they never are very abundant 

 on the east coast of Sutherland. 



Machetes pugnax, L. — Ruff. — From Glencassly, Mr. Flower, the 

 proprietor, writes us under date 15th September 1890 : — "On 

 the little marshy loch between Lochs Rossal and Skerrach, my 

 nephew A. D. Flower shot a Ruff, one of a pair which he took 

 for plovers. I have sent it to Quartermain to preserve, and he 

 says it is a fine specimen, though of course without the distinc- 

 tive plumage. I thought you would like to know, as you do not 

 record one in the Fauna." We have also received a notice that 

 one was shot on the Sutherland side of the Dornoch Firth by a 

 son of Sheriff Mackenzie, though, unfortunately, no date is given. 

 This is a new bird to the Sutherland Fauna, though not 

 to Caithness, from which county we have to record another 

 specimen shot at Achavarasdal by the keeper on 20th Sep- 

 tember 1887. 



Sterna minuta, L. — Little Tern. — A Little Tern was shot at the 

 mouth of the river Brora, in October 1890, by Mr. G. Suther- 

 land, innkeeper, and sent to his brother-in-law Mr. W. Gordon, 

 Embo. It was apparently feeding on flies and moths. (W. 

 Baillie ex ore). 



Sterna cantiaea, Gmel. — Sandwich Tern. — A nest of the Sandwich 

 Tern containing one egg was found by Mr. Swailes of Beverley, 

 Yorkshire, at the Little Ferry, near Golspie, on 3rd June 1878. 

 There was only one pair of birds, and the nest contained only 

 the one egg. It was placed on a point to which he had to 

 wade, and on which was some seaweed, etc. This point has 

 since been washed away, the strong tides there often making 

 changes at the mouth of the Little Ferry estuary, and the birds 

 have not been noticed there since. 



Larus fuscus. L. — Lesser Black -backed Gull. — A male of this 

 species was shot at Thurso by Mr. Schofield on 4th November 

 1885. We notice this as the late date is unusual. 



Larus marinus, L. — Great Black-backed Gull. — The Handa 

 colony of this species has been exterminated, or rather perhaps 

 driven out, since the raid made by the Stornoway smacksmen. 

 (See under Guillemot.) 



Larus glaueus, Fabr. — Glaucous Gull. — An immature specimen 

 of this bird was killed at Wick on 2nd December 1872, and 



