APPENDIX. 343 



Far-out Head is admirably suited to their requirements. Decidedly 

 increased in number at Inehnadamph by 1882. No absolute record 

 from Tongue. 



BnW&nch—Pyrrhula europcea (Vieill.) 

 Resident ; not very common, most frequently seen in the winter ; more 

 abundant probably in the east than the west during the summer, 

 in which latter district it was first seen by us in July 1S83, in the 

 plantations around Loch Inver, on which occasion we saw a good 

 many. Mr. Crawford never saw any at Tongue except during one year, 

 about ten years ago, say 1874. 



Crossbill — Loxia atrvirostra (Linn.) 

 Resident ; breeding in the large fir- woods in the south-east of the county ; 

 in some years they are more abundant than in others ; they were plen- 

 tiful in the year 1881. As early as 1849 St. John speaks of the Cross- 

 bill as becoming numerous. At Rosehall they were only common 

 for a short time about fifty years ago, after that they entirely disap- 

 peared, as we are informed by Mr. Macleay, who was a lad at the time, 

 and saw them about that time. 



Family STURNID^. 



Starling — Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. 

 Resident and increasing ; rare previous to the year 1870. This species 

 is at present mostly confined to the coast-line ; a pair, however, bred 

 at Balnacoil, ten miles up the Brora Strath, in 1879. Abundant at 

 Scourie, Handa, and the Badcall Islands, where they nest in holes in 

 the peaty turf, and also in holes which we believe to be occupied later 

 in the season by petrels (Thalassidroma). Common also at Durness 

 and Tongue. 



Raven — Corvus corax, Linn. 

 Resident, only a few pairs breeding in certain localities throughout the 

 eastern district ; most abundant in the late spring and autumn. Near 

 Balnacoil there is a rock in which more than a hundred Ravens used 

 to roost, as late as 1S78 ; there was another rock where great numbers 

 also roosted, but this has been deserted for years, so probably they took 

 to the other locality mentioned above. i Common in the west, though 

 much persecuted, but scarcely so abundant as some eight or ten years 

 previous to 1877. Scarcer around Durness, though by no means 

 approaching extinction in 18S2. 



A pretty regular crop of Ravens is found annually, as shown in the 

 following notes : — 





In Assynt in 1870 

 1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 

 1876 

 1877 

 1878 

 1879 



And in Durness in 



10 



18 



19 



17 



24 



10 



7 



2 



1 



Total in Durness and Assynt in ten years .... 189 



1 These congregations of Ravens are not common in Scotland ; other 

 localities known to us where they occur are at certain points of the Wig- 

 tonshire coast, and the hills of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. 



