352 APPENDIX. 



UMICOL/E. 



Family SCOLOPACIDjE. 



Gray Phalarope — Pkalaropus fulicarius, Linn. 

 Very rare winter visitant. The only specimen known to us, and now in 

 the County Museum, was shot at a pool of water on the Kintradwell 

 links by Mr. Houstoun on December 3, 1S69. 



Rednecked Phalarope — Phalaropus hypcrboreus (Linn.) 



St. John's record is the only one we can find of this bird as a Sutherland 

 species ; a pair were seen by him at Altnaharra, at the head of Loch 

 Naver, on June 10, 184S. 



"Woodcock — Scolopax rusticola (Linn. ) 



Resident, and common ; as a breeding species has much increased of late 

 years ; rare in the central and north-east districts. Woodcocks seem 

 to be least common about August and September ; after the young 

 can fly well, possibly they go south, thus accounting for " early 

 arrivals " there. The numbers of those shot on the east coast varies 

 with the season, as, unless driven in by frost, or, still more, deep snow, 

 Woodcocks remain on the hills. 



Common in the birch-woods of Assynt in summer, and flights occur 

 in winter. Breeds regularly also around Tongue. 



Common Snipe — Gallinago ccelestis (Frenzel.) 



Resident, common, and generally distributed ; more abundant in the 

 lowlands in the winter, as the Snipes then leave the higher grounds. 

 Much scarcer since the two late severe winters ; and even before then 

 these birds were getting much rarer in the central districts during 

 the summer and autumn. 

 Common ; but less so of late years in the west. 



Jack Snipe — Gallinago gallinula (Linn.) 



Autumn visitant, scarcer in winter. Much as has been said of the 

 breeding of this species in Scotland there is no evidence of sufficient 

 reliability, either in this county or elsewhere in Scotland. 



Dunlin — Tringa alpina, Linn. 



Resident ; most numerous in the breeding season, rare in the winter. 

 The Dunlin is sparsely scattered all through the moorland district in 

 the breeding season, being most numerous in the wet flow lands of 

 the centre, but nowhere very abundant. From its unobtrusive 

 habits and extreme tameness it does not appear even as common as 

 it is. The only place we have observed it in winter is on the large 

 mud-flats on the north-east side of the Little Ferry, and Sheriff Mac- 

 kenzie records it as common on the Dornoch Firth, near where it 

 breeds in one locality. Annual breeder also at Lairg, and on the flows 

 westward to Loch Shin, above Oykel Bridge, and at Loch TJrigill, and 

 again near Loch Inver at one locality. Very common near Cape Wrath 

 and near Tongue. 



Purple Sandpiper — Tringa striata, Linn. 



Winter visitant, abundant along the coast wherever there are rocks and 

 stones suitable for it ; rarer on the sandy shores. We have noted 

 this species as late as the 26th May 1808 on the Badeall Islands, and 

 it is frequently seen late in spring and beginning of summer on the 

 shores and islands of the west coast. 



