CH. VIII. BIRDS. 131 



as it does round the spire of a village church in 

 England. 



81. The Sand Martin is numerous wherever the 

 ground suits its habits ; and the Common House 

 Martin is also everywhere : it breeds, too, in many 

 of the rocky cliffs and caves of the coast. I par- 

 ticularly observed it in the cave of Smoo, near 

 Durness. 1 



82. The Wood-Pigeon is numerous wherever 

 woods and cultivation united afford it food and 

 shelter. In my opinion the good it does the 

 farmer, in feeding for many months of the year on 

 the seeds of the wild mustard, ragweed, etc. etc., 

 is a fair equivalent for all the grain it consumes. 

 As far north as Tongue I heard and saw this bird. 



83. The Rock Dove, a beautiful and interest- 

 ing little bird, frequents most of the rocky shores 

 of the north coast. Inhabiting the crevices and 

 caverns formed by the constant beating of the 

 waves, and fearless of the surf and swell dashing 

 constantly into its dwelling-places, this bird lives 

 and multiplies ; seldom killed by man, but prob- 

 ably affording a great source of food to the pere- 

 grine falcons who build in its neighbourhood. 



I never saw any kind of woodpecker in Suther- 

 landshire, though it is most probable that the 

 spotted woodpecker does exist in the old woods near 



1 See Appendix, page 345. 



