168 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



had counted on finding in Locliaber were not met with, as 

 the merlin, kestrel, kingfisher, dipper, and especially the 

 ring-ousel. The last named I have seen in other parts of 

 Inverness-shire, and plentifully in Eoss-shire. 



I conclude these somewhat hasty and rambling jottings 

 with a general extract from my note-book: ''June 18 — 

 Temperature at 8 a.m. 62° Fahr. Unusually high. Very 

 heavy shower between 7 and 8 a.m. Wind still strong and 

 gusty. Walked about two miles up the west bank of the 

 Lochy. Huge masses of cumuhts resting like mountains of 

 unsunned snow on the horizon. The zenith, deep, deep 

 sapphire. Showers came with strange suddenness. Wild 

 flowers in wondrous wealth on the low banks of the river — 

 milk worts, euphrasy, wild hyacinths, large purple cranesbills, 

 etc. When sheltering from a shower in a small clump of 

 alders, goat willows, and wild roses, a small bird struck up a 

 note new to me, in the heart of an alder bush near at hand. 

 My presence evidently disturbed it, for it ceased to sing. 

 Examining the bush with my glass, I noticed a bird about 

 the size of a sparrow, head black, wings and tail uncertain 

 brown, back greyish, with tints of yellow. I got only one 

 good look at it when it left the bush. Tried hard, but in vain, 

 to see the breast and under parts. What was it ? Not the 

 cole tit, with which I am very familiar. What ? " 



On my return to Edinburgh, I sought for an answer. And 

 now I have the very strongest impression that the bird was 

 the black-capped warbler {Sylvia atricapilla). It is set down 

 as such in the foregoing list, with a (?). The Society will 

 remember that in June last many letters found their way to 

 the Scotsman, calling attention to the presence of this bird in 

 different parts of the Lowlands, as the so-called nightingale. 

 If the form now referred was, what I came to believe, this 

 warbler, then we have here another instance of the much 

 wider distribution of some birds than was assigned to them 

 even a year or two ago. 



I resume the extract : " While waiting in this shelter, a 

 sandpiper {Totanus liypolcucos) discovered my whereabouts, 

 and made a great noise, piping lustily as it circled the 

 bushes, occasionally uttering a scream liker the cry of an 



