APPENDIX. 303 



the bare hillocks the golden plovers have their nests. 

 Gulls of different species breed here, though, owing to 

 incessant persecution, are much rarer than formerly, i.e., 

 those that are destructive to game or sheep, such as the 

 herring gull and the great and lesser black-backed gulls. 

 If, in any of these larger " brulochans " we find a particu- 

 larly boggy island, inaccessible almost, owing to deep mud 

 and shallow water, there is often a colony of black-headed 

 gulls nesting, and a pair or two of ducks, teal, widgeon, 

 or, less commonly, coots. The wet flows themselves are 

 the abode of the dunlin; and the wild-goose, though 

 much rarer now than formerly, places her nest in a dry 

 tuft of heather. 



The greatest flow district is situated in the northern 

 part of the parishes of Kildonan and Clyne, the central 

 part of the parish of Farr, and the southern part of the 

 parish of Reay, the ground getting drier by the drainage 

 of the rivers of these districts as we approach the coast. 



Having now given a general outline of the physical 

 features of the land of our eastern division, we come next 

 to speak of the rivers and lochs. 



The rivers here included present in most cases a very 

 different appearance to those of the west, being of a less 

 wild and rapid character, and also less rocky, except 

 in their middle reaches. The Shin, however, is an ex- 

 ception to this rule, being rocky throughout nearly the 

 whole of its course. All the early spring salmon rivers 

 lie in this district ; the Naver, which issues from Loch 

 Naver, drains the greater part of the parish of Farr, 

 and falls into the sea on the north side of the county ; 

 the Helmsdale, which issues from the large lochs in the 

 centre of the county, drains the parish of Kildonan, and 

 falls into the sea on the east coast ; as does also the Brora, 

 which drains the greater part of the parishes of Clyne 

 and Rogart ; and the Shin, before mentioned, issuing from 

 Loch Shin, which drains the parish of Lairg and falls into 

 the Kyle of Sutherland in the east. These four all con- 

 tain early spring salmon. The next of importance is the 

 Halladale, which drains the parish of Reay, and runs into 

 the Pentland Firth. 



