228 Birds of Kintail, Ross-shire. [Sess. 



snatch occasional snoozes between their meals, one wonders if 

 they ever sleep at all, as during the night as well as the day their 

 peculiar and unmelodious " squaak " may be heard all around 

 in close proximity to the water. Many must breed in the 

 neighbourhood, but apparently nesting operations are not con- 

 ducted in large colonies, as is their wont in many places. 

 More than likely they build in desultory fashion, among the 

 trees that here and there cover the rock faces — spots well- 

 nigh uncomeatable to human beings. At the far end of Loch 

 Long there is a very high and almost unclimbable rock where 

 they used to nest, and that they do so still I am informed 

 on credible authority. Here also is the home of the ravens. 

 Another site is at Lochnabeast, near Kyleakin, in the island 

 of Skye. Another very prevalent species in winter is the 

 curlew, or whaup, to give it its Scottish cognomen. A most 

 wideawake bird is this : not much chance of getting within 

 shooting range of him, and, what is more, he seems to act in 

 the role of sentinel to all the others, as the moment he detects 

 the least danger his long quivering signal-note puts the rest 

 on the alert, and gives timely warning of the approach of an 

 aggressor. The peewit also tenants the shores, not, however, 

 in any very great numbers, but its confrere the golden plover 

 seems unknown. Two beautiful species interesting to watch 

 are the oyster-catcher and redshank, the former laying its eggs 

 on the shingle above high-water mark, while the latter retires 

 inland to boggy ground for the purpose of rearing its brood. 

 The local name for the first-mentioned is mussel-sucker, which 

 seems a much more sensible name than oyster- catcher, as even 

 if these bivalves were plentiful, it strikes one as being impos- 

 sible that this bird could open the shells, and I must confess 

 to being rather sceptical of their ability to easily gaining 

 access to the mussel itself. The pretty little ringed plover 

 also makes this part its abiding - place, and their eggs may 

 frequently be noted in the same locality as the sea-pyets. 

 Purple sandpipers are by no means strangers, and a pretty 

 sight it is to watch them running in little bands among the 

 stones fringing the sea, following the receding waves, in colour 

 so similar to the ground as to render it no easy task at times 

 to distinguish them, were it not for the guidance of their 

 melancholy " peepy " note. One is almost inclined to think 



