132 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. VIII. 



Dunrobin and elsewhere. Indeed I have heard that 

 it has been seen there ; but I would rather run the 

 chance of leaving out birds that do occur than insert 

 the name of any bird as being indigenous, unless I 

 had seen it myself, or had heard of its being seen 

 by persons whose authority I could not doubt, either 

 as to their truthfulness or their skill. 



I write these pages wholly for the amusement 

 and information of my reader, and take down the 

 names of birds out of my note-book, in which I 

 have inserted them in almost every instance after 

 having seen them myself ; and the very few which 

 I have not seen living in Sutherlandshire, Mr. 

 Dunbar has procured in that county, and has 

 them now preserved in his collection. 



I must apologise to the scientific ornithologist 

 for any mistakes I may have made in naming the 

 several birds, as I am more of an out-door than an 

 in-door naturalist ; and if my notes are of any 

 value, it will be for their truth, and because they 

 are the result of personal observation and acquaint- 

 ance with the birds. I will only request, in the 

 words of Horace — 



Si quid novisti rectius istis, 

 Candidus imperti : si non, his utere mecum. 



