230 Birds of Kin tail, Ross-shire. [Sess. 



they did in erratic fashion within the last few years, their 

 presence is readily detected by the immense flocks of gulls 

 following their progress, their querulous and excited cries 

 having a peculiarly eerie effect when heard at the gloaming. 

 Common terns also join issue with them, and most graceful 

 birds they are to watch during flight. 



Various kinds of ducks, mallard and teal especially, fre- 

 quent the shores of the little island in question, and in extra 

 severe weather rarer stragglers are driven inland, more 

 particularly when the wind is blowing from the west or south- 

 west, which are the "airts" from which most of the worst storms 

 visit the district. A genuine westerly gale here is something 

 worth looking at, provided the spectator has the shelter of a 

 roof over his head, but is the reverse of pleasant when it 

 catches one at sea or among the mountains. There is no 

 mockery about its intentions then : the sight is certainly im- 

 pressive, but as it is attended in the latter circumstances by 

 positive danger to life or limb, the victim may readily be 

 excused for not appreciating its efforts. Some seasons small 

 bands of wild swans fly across country at an immense height 

 in the air, never seeming to alight anywhere in the neighbour- 

 hood. Two very well-known species about the loch margins 

 are the meadow and rock pipits, as also the pied and grey 

 wagtails ; and among the lesser fauna seen at the proper times of 

 year may be instanced the skylark, common, reed, and yellow 

 buntings, chaffinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, robin, redstart, house 

 and hedge sparrows, redpole, mountain linnet, spotted fly- 

 catcher ; the three chats — stonechat, whinchat, and wheatear 

 — the first-named being found sparsely at all times. Snow- 

 buntings enliven the scene during exceptionally prolonged 

 winters, but not in such large bands as in some other parts of 

 the North, or even in the easterly regions of the lowlands. 

 Starlings, from being at one time very rare, are now, as else- 

 where, seen in fair numbers, this species having multiplied 

 more rapidly than almost any other kind that could be 

 specified. Crossbills are seldom identified about Kintail, but 

 in the adjoining parish of G-lenelg I have observed small 

 flocks. This is one of our most interesting native species, but 

 having upon a previous occasion written rather a long account 



