BIRDS OF THE COUNTY. 79 



50. The Sky Lark is seen everywhere, having few enemies 

 excepting the merlin and other small hawks. 



51. The variety of Sky-lark called the Crested Lark is also 

 found about Assynt. 



52. The Snow Buntings arrive in great numbers in October. 

 As the frost and snow increase, the male birds daily become 

 whiter. They appear to be never at rest, flitting to and fro 

 along the sea-shore, or other places where they rind their 

 minute food. 



53. The Corn Bunting haunts the cultivated regions : he is 

 never far from the corn-fields. 



54. The Yellow Bunting, on the contrary, seems far more 

 independent of grain ; and I saw it throughout the county 

 wherever there were any bushes or trees. 



55. The Reed Bunting is common also near rushy and 

 reedy pools. 



56. The Chaffinch; 57. The Greenfinch; 58. The Bullfinch; 

 59. The Goldfinch; 60. The Linnet all common and daily- 

 seen English birds, are everywhere to be found, excepting 

 indeed the goldfinch, which bird is far more rare than the 

 others, being seen only about some of the gardens and 

 orchards in the south of the county. 



61. The Mountain-finch, a bird not unlike the female snow- 

 bunting in general appearance, is a frequent visitor. 



62. The common House Sparrow, as usual, frequents the 

 habitations of men everywhere as far as Tongue. 



63. The Sisken is in almost every wood during the spring 

 and summer ; nevertheless its nest is but rarely found. 



64. The Eedpole is also common : it breeds in the little 

 thickets of birch, &c., by the sides of many of the wild 

 mountain lakes ; and in winter may be seen in large flocks 

 feeding on the seeds of the alder and other trees. 



65. The Cross Bill has of late years become numerous in 

 the fir-woods ; and will probably become far more so when 

 the magnificent plantations of the Duke of Sutherland grow 

 to a height suited to these amusing birds. 



66. The Common Starling is widely distributed. The 

 greatest number that I saw in any one place was on the 

 island of Handa. 



67. The Goatsucker, an insectivorous bird, although not 

 very frequently seen, is easily recognized by the humming 

 noise it utters, which resembles somewhat the low buzzing 

 .of a gpinning-wheel. 



