THE BEE-EATER, 203 



Strathbeg, and that another, a female, was obtained at Boyndie, 

 near Banff, in September, 1848, by J. Ker Fraser, Esq. I have 

 likewise been informed by Mr Angus that a fine specimen of this 

 beautiful bird was shot in April, 1847, in the enclosure at 

 Seaton House, Aberdeenshire, by Mr Davidson, gamekeeper there. 



In addition to these instances, Mr M'Leay, taxidermist, Inver- 

 ness, has sent me notice through Mr Harvie Brown that he 

 preserved a female specimen of the Roller which was killed near 

 Dornoch on 25th September, 1868; and I have also been informed 

 by the Rev. Dr George Gordon of Birnie, that a remarkably fine 

 specimen, which he saw, was shot about a month afterwards at 

 Oakwood, near Elgin, by Mr Nicholson, gamekeeper.* 



OBS. Dr Bree announced in his "Birds of Europe," etc., vol. i., 

 p. 157, published in 1859, that a male specimen of the Abyssinian 

 Roller (Coracias Alyssinica, Latham) was killed at Crookston, near 

 Glasgow, a year or two previously, and sent to Mr Small, bird- 

 stuffer, Edinburgh, and that a second bird, a female, was also shot 

 a short time afterwards. Dr Bree justly concludes that these birds 

 had escaped from confinement, and cannot therefore be regarded 

 as even European stragglers. The male specimen is now, I believe, 

 in the collection of the Paisley Museum, Mr Small having presented 

 it to that institution. 



THE BEE-EATER. 



MEROPS A PI ASTER. 



I HAVE seen specimens of this bird which were killed in Forfar- 

 shire and Aberdeenshire. A fine specimen was exhibited at a 

 meeting of the Natural History Society of Glasgow in 1852 by 

 my friend Mr Thomas Ferguson; it had been shot a short time 

 previously on his brother's estate, near Peterhead. The Bee-Eater 

 has likewise been observed in Wigtownshire, a specimen having 

 been procured in Logan Garden, parish of Kirkmaiden, in the 

 summer of 1832; but the species, in Scotland, can only be ranked 

 as a rare and accidental straggler. 



Mr Edward has informed me that a specimen was obtained 

 some years ago in Banffshire. 



* I have since visited Elgin and seen this bird. 



