302 PRACTICAL ORNITHOLOGY. 



Cormorants or Ducks. A flight of Sandpipers is a beautiful 

 sight : there they wheel around the distant point, and advance 

 over the margin of the water ; swiftly and silently they glide 

 along ; now^, all inclining their bodies to one side, present to 

 view their under surface, glistening in the sunshine ; again, 

 bending to the other side, they have changed their colour to 

 dusky grey ; a shot is fired, and they plunge with an abrupt 

 turn, curve aside, ascend wdth a gliding flight, and all utter- 

 ing shrill cries, fly over the stream to settle on the shoal that 

 stretches out towards Barnbogle Ruins. I have seen the sand- 

 fords of the Hebrides, in autumn, when these birds descend 

 with their broods from the moors, almost completely covered 

 with them and the Golden Plovers. 



What interest one could find in merely describing the skins 

 of these birds in his closet, it is somewhat difiicult to imagine ; 

 nor is it obvious that the examination of their structure, with- 

 out any reference to their habits, is a much more rational oc- 

 cupation. The mere closet-naturalist, and the mere anatomist, 

 find little to interest them in such a sight as this ; and the 

 mere field-naturalist, however delighted with it, cannot enjoy 

 that true pleasure which results from a knowledge of the adap- 

 tation of means to ends, by which all these species have their 

 peculiar spheres of action determined. 



The birds to be found around Edinburgh, on the Pentland 

 Hills, and in the neighbouring plains of Corstorphine and Dal- 

 keith, with the valley of the North Esk, in the winter season, 

 are rather numerous : 



In the gardens, shrubberies, and plantations : 



1. The Blackbird. Turdus Merula. Common. 



2. Common Thrush. Turdus musicus. Plentiful. 



3. Redbreast. Rubecula familiaris. Common. 



4. Hedge Chanter. Accentor modularis. Common. 



5. Greater Tit. Parus major. Rather common. 



6. Blue Tit. Parus coeruleus. Common. 



7. Black Tit. Parus ater. Common. 



8. Gold-crest. Regulus auricapillus. Not uncommon. 



9. Marsh Tit. Parus palustris. Rather rare. 



