94 



Wester Ross. This bird always places its nest, if 

 such it can be called, close down to the water's edge, 

 so that the parent bird can slide off the nest into the 

 water. 



In the far north and north-west may be met the 

 Grey Lag Goose, breeding amongst the heather by a 

 loch side and, like the Black-throated Diver, only 

 found in remote places. 



Where forest ground comes down to the sea, as it 

 often does on the West Coast, Grey Crows and Herons 

 may be seen in considerable numbers, both frequenting 

 the rocks and the foreshore in search of their food ; 

 the former taking toll of such eggs as they can find on 

 the lower slopes of the mountains, the latter supple- 

 menting their meals on the foreshore by such fish as 

 they can catch in the innumerable "burns" of the 

 forest. 



Many years ago, when the Sea Eagle was the 

 commonest eagle we had in Britain, individuals would 

 be found far away from their native precipices, forag- 

 ing for themselves on ground more naturally the 

 home of the Golden Eagle ; but now this fine species, 

 like its relative the Osprey, is on the verge of 

 extinction, and as matters ornithological now look, 

 will soon not be seen in deer forests or anywhere else 

 in Britain. There are probably not six pairs left in 

 Britain now, though I doubt not that ground which is 

 now forest land, was formerly the scene of the depre- 

 dations of the Erne or White-tailed Eagle, as it is also 

 called. 



The last and smallest of the birds characteristic in 

 any way of forest land, is the Snow Bunting. This 

 bird, although so well known as a winter visitor to 

 Britain, is very little known as a resident, despite the 

 fact of its having been seen in the Highlands in summer 

 time long before the nest was discovered. The actual 



