BIRD LIFE IN COLONSAY 61 



after accomplishing the transit of the Channel and 

 the Alps. After a heavy gale I often picked up birds 

 of more familiar species dead, and have wondered what 

 mischance proved fatal to such strong-winged birds as 

 the solan goose, and the black-backed and herring 

 gull. I have also picked up the body of a rarer 

 visitor, the fork-tailed petrel, both here and on the 

 mainland, a proof that even the bird of storm, most 

 daring of mariners, may tempt the gale too often. 

 Among smaller birds I can recall nothing sufficiently 

 special to demand individual mention except the tree 

 sparrow and the snow-bunting. I often put up this 

 latter beautiful little bird in its bright summer plumage 

 out of the bent grass on the sandhills that fringed the 

 links and bays. The indigenous game birds were 

 black game, partridge, woodcock, full and jack, snipe ; 

 there were also plenty of pheasants and grouse, but 

 these latter had been brought over from the mainland, 

 although I see no reason to doubt that the red grouse 

 could easily traverse the narrow straits if they thought 

 fit, and cannot definitely deny its claim to be considered 

 a native. For black game a flight of twenty miles or 

 so is all in the day's work, and flocks can occasionally 

 be seen crossing even wider straits than the Sounds 

 of Jura and Islay, from shore to shore. 



A day in September after the stout hill partridges 

 which feed on the stubbles, but take refuge when 

 flushed among the heather, gorse or bracken, is 

 particularly delightful. They run like greyhounds, 

 and test the skill and endurance of men and dogs 

 to the utmost in the broken ground and thick cover. 

 The multitudes of rabbits that abound on the same 

 ground spoil the scent, and add to the difficulties of 



