62 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



their time of laying. The last nest we got was on 

 the 17th of July. Of all the nests we found, on only 

 one occasion did ^ve see a bird fly off it. When near 

 their young the old birds were very anxious, running 

 and calling close to our feet ; at other times they 

 might be seen ^vatching our approach from any little 

 eminence. They have a very pretty trilling note, 

 uttered ]Drobably by the cock when the hen is sitting, 

 sometimes uttered on the Tring, at other times 

 when on the ground ; indeed, in every respect they 

 are most engaging little birds. The nest is a slight 

 hollow, generally in a small tuft of grass, and not 

 very easy to find. Each i)air of birds seems to make 

 several nests before deciding on the one in which to 

 lay. It is lined with a little fine grass. 



Purple Sandpiper (Trincja maritima). The most 

 abundant of all the small evaders ; remaining until 

 late in the spring and returning early in October. 

 At high water these birds are fond of sitting on a 

 stone, huddled closely together, and ^vhen disturbed 

 often merely take a short flight out to sea and 

 return to the same place. 



Common Sandpipp:r (Totaniis hifpoleucos). Fairly 

 common about the " Muckle " and " Little Waters,"^ 

 where they breed. These lochs are well adapted to 

 their habits, being edged witli stones and gravel. 

 I caught a young one about half grown. 



Redshank (Totanus calidris). Resident, but more 

 numerous during the breeding season, almost every 

 small island being abundantl}^ supplied with them. 

 While they have eggs the birds are quiet enough, 

 but when the young are hatched they deafen an 

 intruder with their noisy clamour. They are very 

 regular in their time of laying, and being absent 

 then I never came across a late nest of eggs. They 

 are fond of haunting the grass fields and damp 

 meadows, the young ones in these places lying almost 

 as close as snipe. When flushed they show much 

 more white, and that of a clearer colour, than do 



