io8 BIRD-LIFE IN WEST-HIGHLAND PARISH 



its requirements ; the swallow, martin and 

 sand martin are all common, flocks of the latter 

 being often to be seen hawking for insects far 

 out in the centre of the loch. 



Perhaps the commonest of all our birds is the 

 chaffinch, especially in winter, when large flocks 

 of strangers come to stay with us. The alleged 

 separation of the sexes of these birds in winter 

 is a vexed question. First named coelebs or 

 ' bachelor ' by Linnaeus, 1 that great authority 

 must surely have have had good warrant for so 

 doing, at least so far as Sweden is concerned ; 

 but here with us there is no such division. Any 

 day in winter flocks of sixty or more can be seen 

 feeding under the windows, and at all times the 

 sexes seem to be practically equally represented. 



The greenfinch is a rare bird here, preferring 

 more cultivated country ; but each winter has of 

 late brought us flocks of bramblings, many of 

 which pass on, but some remain all winter, 

 chiefly on a large well-wooded island. The 

 sparrow, like the poor, we have always with us, 

 but, up to now, careful search has failed to dis- 

 tinguish the tree-sparrow. The pretty little 

 lesser redpoll is a common visitor in spring and 

 autumn, and almost certainly nests with us, 

 although it must be admitted that the nest has 



1 Syst. Nat. 1766. 



