272 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



companies like the Common Snipe. As a nesting species, the 

 *DuNLiN is generally distributed in the uplands, particularly in 

 Mearns and Eaglesham parishes. By the shore it is common from 

 autumn to spring. Small flocks on passage are noticed by some of 

 the inland waters, chiefly in autumn, at which season they sometimes 

 occur at Balgray as late as the second week of November. The 

 Little Stint, a miniature Dunlin without the black breast, was 

 observed in 1905 at Balgray, where Robertson saw two birds on 

 2nd September and four next day. Another Dunlin-like wader, 

 the CuRLKW-sANDPiPER, occurs in autumn at Waulkmill Glen and 

 Balgray reservoirs, usually in small numbers, but in ign flocks 

 numbering up to twenty birds were several times seen. We are not 

 yet able to record it from the shore. Four Purple Sandpipers 

 were observed near the mouth of the Kip Burn by Mr David Boyd, 

 Greenock. The Knot occurs occasionally on the Langbank 

 foreshore. Inland, at Balgray, on 17th August 1911, Mr Robert 

 Wilson saw a flock of twenty-four birds, which remained intact 

 for at least three days. On 22nd August only two birds were to 

 be seen, on 27th three; but it was not observed again till 24th 

 September, when ten were present. Again, on 29th August 1914, 

 Robertson saw two birds at Balgray. The Sanderling has been 

 seen on several occasions near the mouth of the Kip Burn by Mr 

 David Boyd. Only some four examples of the Ruff have been 

 obtained within our limits, although the bird is an annual autumn 

 visitor to Balgray in small numbers, eight being the most seen in 

 one day. The *Common Sandpiper deserves its name. A Wood- 

 s.\ndpiper was shot on the banks of the Clyde opposite Bowling, 

 in the autumn of 1853 (Gray). In the autumn of 1913 one 

 frequented Balgray and Waulkmill Glen reservoirs for about three 

 weeks. The Green Sandpiper is a more frequent visitor. One 

 was shot and another seen at Nether Pollok in 1868 ; one was seen 

 at Hangingshaw, Glasgow, in 1904, and one in Rouken Glen in 

 1905. On 6th August 191 1, one was observed at Ryat Linn 

 Reservoir, and the same or another at Balgray, where a week later 

 there were two birds. Balgray was again favoured in August and 

 September 1914, when two birds were seen, one of which remained 

 for a fortnight before the second arrived. All these visits happened 

 in autumn or in winter, except the Rouken Glen one, which was in 

 April. As a nesting species, the *Common Redshank is numerous 

 on the uplands and by the banks of the Clyde between Erskine and 

 Langbank. Though mostly confined to the shore in winter, small 

 parties of passing birds frequently alight for a short time, by inland 

 waters and flooded meadows. All our Renfrewshire records of the 



