344 APPENDIX. 



In the Keay Forest in six years to 1880 112 



And by another hand in same place in seven years 1873 to 1879 224 

 In Assynt, by one keeper, besides the above .... 134 



At Dunrobin, 1873-80 202 



Assynt, by another hand 31 



Total killed in the county, so far as our returns show in a single decade, 

 662 Ravens, which, at a premium of 2s. 6d. each, represents money to 

 the amount of 82 : 15s. 



Carrion Crow Corvus corone, Linn. 



Very rare in the east. One bird paired with a hoodie in 1878, and both 

 old and young were subsequently killed in a wood near Dunrobin. 

 They are stated to breed in a wood near Melvich in considerable 

 numbers. At Tongue a brood is reported to appear usually, after the 

 young rooks have flown, amongst the rooks, and this has taken place 

 annually since 1879 inclusive. Mr. Crawford also speaks of them as 

 breeding in some numbers at Kirkton, near Melvich ; and in a letter 

 dated 17th of March 1884 he also says : "Carrion Crows are, I regret 

 to say, becoming very numerous and destructive to game of every 

 description." Unknown in the west. 



Hooded Crow Corvus comix, Linn. 



Resident, and too abundant ; no great additions arriving in autumn, as 

 is the case lower down on the east coast, the average numbers being 

 pretty well sustained the year round. The total returns we have 

 received from Assynt, Durness, Reay Forest, and Dunrobin, etc., 

 in nine years, are 3392, which, at Is. each of premium, represents 

 169 : 12s. Besides these there must be, probably, half as many more 

 killed for which no premiums are paid. Appears to be well kept 

 down in the Durness district. 



Kook Corvus frugilegus, Linn. 



Resident ; abundant ; rapidly increasing in the east. A few pairs of 

 these birds used to breed in some very low trees near Balnacoil ; these, 

 however, have lately been cut down. A solitary pair of Rooks built 

 in a birch-tree in a small wood near the same place. To the west the 

 only rookery we are aware of is at Cama Loch, in low birch-trees. In 

 corroboration of a surmise that they would spread to the wooded 

 shores of Loch Beannoch, near Loch Inver, and there endeavour to 

 displace the herons, in 1877 they did appear and began to build ; but 

 the keeper, who told us of the fact, shot them down promptly, and 

 they have not since renewed the attempt. Flocks occasionally crowd 

 the trees round the manse at Inchnadamph, but no attempts have yet 

 been made at building there. 



Rooks have established themselves at the following localities, and 

 the notes appended are the results of an inquiry we engaged in in 1879, 

 according to a circular sent out throughout Scotland : 



A very old-established rookery at Dunrobin, with a colony in 1879 

 of about 200 nests, built upon ash, elm, and Scotch fir. They have 

 been kept in moderate numbers, and have not increased or decreased 

 much. They have other roosting-places. 



A rookery, a few years old only, established at Skibo with a colony 

 in 1879 of under 100 nests, built on Scotch fir and ash, have since 

 increased. Roost elsewhere. 



At Kilmote, age of rookery unknown, about 100 nests in 1879, Scotch 

 fir and ash ; increasing. 



At Tongue, established about 1855, colony in 1879 of about 500 nests 

 in Scotch fir. Increasing, and usually roost at another wood, migrating 

 daily to Far-out Head for food during hard winters. 



At Kirkton, Rooks first appeared in 1860, the first pair breeding 

 amongst rocks at Bighouse Bay, and afterwards taking to the old fir- 

 woods at Kirkton ; they originally came from Westfield, in Caithness ; 



