Professor Duns on Zoology of Mid-Lochaher. 167 



first of the recent writers to the Scotsman^ that the lark 

 thrives only where there are no starlings. I had looked for 

 the latter bird, but hitherto in vain. The next day, however, 

 I noticed a great Hock of starlings passing from Inverlochy 

 old castle away to Corpach Moss. A week later I observed 

 another and larger flock near Kilnialie church, in company 

 of a few rooks and many jackdaws. Only a few years ago 

 the starling was a rare bird in this district where it is now 

 plentiful, but no diminution of the number of larks seems to 

 have taken place. " June 18 — Starlings very numerous about 

 the ruins of the old castle, while several larks are singing 

 gaily high over a hay field adjoining it." 



Stonechat {Saxicola oenanthe). — " June 19 — A young white- 

 rumped stonechat on a wall at Claggan, with tiny tufts of 

 down still on its head. It sat for a while wdthin arm's 

 length, uttering its sharp hard tiveent, tweent, tweent, while 

 the parent birds were hopping restlessly about, as if alarmed 

 for its safety, and anxious to convince it of danger by their 

 well-known harsh notes — creJcs, creks, creks. The bird at length 

 took alarm, and flew six or eight yards to a stone half con- 

 cealed by a tuft of heather, wdiere it sat in silence, while the 

 parent bird went in a different direction, uttering now not 

 their usual note, but one so very like the tweent, tweent of the 

 nestling as might deceive even a close observer. Is this a 

 ruse to beguile an intruder away from the young ? " " July 

 12 — Met with the white-rumped stonechat on Meall an 

 t'Suidhe, at a height of 1500 feet.* Several birds which I 



* Snowflake {Plectrophanes nivalis). — When in Lochaber I was several times 

 asked what the black and white bird in Glen Nevis was ? It did not occur to 

 me that tliis might be the snowflake. Macgillivray thinks it sometimes breeds 

 in the Grampians, where he had seen several in August. After I returned 

 home, the following note reached me: — "6 Greenside Place, Edinburgh, 

 September 10, 1881. Dear Sir,— May I take the liberty of asking whether 

 you are aware of the snow bunting frequenting Glen Nevis during summer ? 

 On the 1st of August I observed a pair of birds sitting on a stone about 200 

 yards beyond the cottage where the vehicles have to stop. So far as I could 

 judge from plumage and shape, they appeared to be snow buntings, but being 

 a beginner I may be wrong. I learned from a gentleman in Fort "William 

 that j^ou were in the habit of visiting the glen, and this is my excuse for 

 troubling you with the question. An answer at your convenience wOl 

 greatly oblige your obedient servant,— Thos. "Wkigut." 



