1899-1900. | The Birds of Bute and Arran. 81 
sight to watch them running along the shore in small flocks, 
keeping, as a rule, near the water’s edge, and sounding the 
while their melancholy notes. In the Kyles of Bute one 
evening I counted sixteen, all clustered on the top of a small 
boulder, not in the least shy, as they permitted me to approach 
within a few yards,—so much so that it would have been 
possible to knock several of them over with a stone, if one had 
been cruelly-minded enough to make the attempt. This little 
bird lays its eggs in a small hollow either on the grass or 
among the shingle, and, in common with the peewit, has the 
knack of pretending to have a broken wing or leg, so that one 
is induced to follow it up, which is just what it wants, in order 
to draw the trespasser away from its eggs or young, as the case 
may be. Herons, although not nearly so plentiful as in some 
other west-coast localities, are to be seen pretty well all along 
the shores; and among other seafaring and seashore haunting 
“species may be noted the common guillemot, the common 
sandpiper, or, as it is called in some parts of Scotland, the 
sandy laverock (also found in large numbers by the sides of 
burns and rivers), and that ever-watchful species, the curlew 
or whaup. As you are aware, this last bird retires to the 
muirs to nest; but in small islands such as are being treated of, 
it does a good deal of its feeding among the tangle, mud, and 
sand left bare by the receding tide. Peewits are fairly dis- 
tributed; but in my opinion this species is decreasing, save 
perhaps in very outlying and unfrequented districts. The 
cause of this diminution in numbers can, no doubt, to a certain 
extent be traced to the Syne ae demand for what are 
known as “plovers’ eggs,” and it is perfectly amazing the 
quantities that find ‘ein way to the markets of large cities, 
not excluding our own town of Edinburgh. This habit of 
collecting eggs is much to be deplored, as it would be hard 
to find a prettier or more useful bird than what we are wont 
to designate in this country the “ peaseweep.” 
Before taking up the smaller fauna, there are a few odd 
species that may be briefly commented upon. 
Of birds that come under the heading of game might be 
instanced black and red grouse, pheasant, and partridge, and 
under this section can be included woodcock and snipe. The 
only duck noted was the mallard or common wild duck, 
