APPENDIX. 351 



known to us as having been visited by this bird ; it has, however, been 

 observed there both by Mr. Crawford of the Lairg Hotel, and also by 

 Donald Gillies, for a long time a keeper with Mr. Akroyd at Altna- 

 harra. A specimen in the Dunrobin Museum was obtained on Ben 

 Clibrick on 18th June 1846. 



Ringed Plover Aegialitis hiaticula (Linn.) 

 Resident and abundant all along the east coast, and also breeds inland 

 in one or two situations, notably on the shores of the chain of lochs at 

 Badenloch. Rarer in the west, but common on the stony waste of 

 land to the south-east of Durness, where the crofters cut their peats, 

 near Loch Maidagh or Maeddie, and on the bed of a drained-out loch. 



Golden Plover Charadrius pluvialis, Linn. 

 Resident and abundant, but rarer and much more local in winter. 

 Breeds through all the moorland district, being commoner in the 

 wetter and more desolate districts. Numbers of these birds are often 

 to be seen in a flock on the green ground high up along the river 

 sides in May and early in June, probably non-breeding birds. Com- 

 mon in the west, especially above the limestone cliffs, on the moor 

 stretching back towards Loch Mulach Corry. Common between Dur- 

 ness and Cape Wrath. 



Gray Plover Squatarola helvetica (Linn. ) 



Rare visitant. Said by Sheriff Mackenzie to occur at intervals along the 

 Dornoch Firth. The only specimen seen by ourselves, and the only 

 one in the Dunrobin Museum, was shot at Kintradwell, among some 

 stones on the shore, on January 20, 1871 : a solitary bird. 



It may be worthy to remark here that Mr. Macleay of Inverness in 

 all his long bird-stuffing experience has never received but this one 

 specimen to set up. 1 



Lapwing Vanellus vulgar is, Bechst. 



Resident, and abundant ; though much scarcer in winter than at other 

 times. These birds ascend all the straths where they can find suitable 

 places to build, even going quite into the centre of the county ; the 

 great bulk depart farther south after the breeding season. More local 

 in the west, but abundant in one or two localities, and occasionally 

 ground not before frequented is taken up by a few pairs, as, for 

 instance, on the flat meadows along the course of the river Loanan, 

 near Inchnadamph. 



Turnstone Strepsilas interpres (Linn. ) 



Common the whole year round the coast, excepting during the breed- 

 ing season, from the middle of May to the middle or end of July, when 

 it is much scarcer, although stray individuals occur even then. 



Oyster-catcher Hcematopus ostralegus, Linn. 

 Resident, and common ; receiving large additions in the winter, at which 

 season the mussel-scalps at the Little Ferry are at times covered with 

 these birds. Occasionally seen inland on fresh -water lochs in the 

 west. Common on all the shore line and islands of the salt-water 

 lochs. 



1 Our observations of migration tend to show that in spring Gray Plovers 

 shoot off our coasts at Spurn Point in Yorkshire. In autumn they are 

 regular visitors to the estuary of the Forth at Grangemouth, and also to 

 that of the Tay. 



