15 



called a day's wild fowl sliootiug — that is, destroying the unhappy birds 

 off their nests, and leaving their young to starve, and, as recorded by an 

 eye-witness, piling them up afterwards on the sea shore, merely for the 

 pleasure of seeing them washed away by the rising tide. Not only the 

 Kittiwake, butamong the Guillemots, Razorbills, Puffins, and every species 

 of Rockbird, did this fearful and sinful destruction go on. One instance 

 is mentioned l)y Mr Gray, in his " Birds of the "West of Scotland," of the 

 Tacksman on Ailsa Craig on one occasion undertaking for a M-ager to 

 kill SO dozen of Puffins (a little less than a thousand birds) with a pole 

 in one day, striking them down as they flew past him, and actually 

 accomplished the cruel feat. The late Captain M'Donald, then in 

 charge of the Fisheries, and who had long experience on the Northern 

 and Western Coasts of Scotland, where he was stationed, also bears 

 testimony to the enormous destruction and great decrease of sea birds 

 all along the Islands and Western Coast. It is a well-known fact that 

 sea birds are of the greatest value in pointing out the whereabouts of 

 fish, as Avithout their assistance the fishermen would often labour in 

 vain, and their catch of herring would depend chiefly on mere chance. 

 No M'onder, then, that Government interfered, and in the end 

 established a close time for sea birds, not only in England, but also for 

 Scotland, and that not a bit too soon, for had such a measure not been 

 carried out, it is not too much to say that for many of our sea birds a 

 similar fate was impending to that of the Great Auk, now extinct from 

 precisely the same cause — reckless persecution. We will now proceed 

 to the migratory birds, of which by far the larger proportion are to Ije 

 found, as previously explained, in winter, a few, however, not always 

 staying, such as the Green Shank, Water Rail, and Spotted Crake. 

 These, together with the Godwit, Knot, Jack Snij^e, and Common 

 Sandpiper or Summer Snipe, which visits us in spring, complete the 

 list of migratory waders. I may mention that the Woodcock and 

 Land-rail, both belonging to the family of waders, are not included, as, 

 though an individual or two may occasionally be found along shore, 

 they cannot be considered truly as birds of the estuary. The remaining 

 winter birds are all swimmers or web-footed, such as — • 



Wild or Grey Goose. Tufted Duck. Long-tailed Duck. 



Bean Goose. Widgeon. Goosander. 



Pink-footed Goose. Scaup Duck. Eed-breasted Mergunter. 



White-fronted Goose. Common Scoter. Great Northern Diver. 



Brent Goose. Velvet Scoter. Red-Throated Diver. 



Pochard. Golden Eye. Black-throated Diver. 



This last, however, does not always remain. Of the above, the 

 principal and most worthy of notice arc the Wild Gccsc, which, Avith 



