270 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



struck with their dexterity in overturning the shells, and scooping 

 out their contents. Sometimes a bird would run forward to a 

 limpet and bend down its head sideways, as if in a listening 

 attitude; then it passed to another and another, repeating the 

 scrutiny, apparently to see if the shell was at all raised from the 

 rock, until it found one ready for treatment, which it immediately 

 put in force, by thrusting its thin pointed bill suddenly between 

 the edge of the limpet and its point of attachment, and turning it 

 neatly over. One foot was then placed on the object, and the 

 animal taken out as cleanly as if done with a knife or other sharp 

 instrument. Another favourite feeding ground is some sheltered 

 sandy bay, where a pair or two will often station themselves for a 

 few hours, boring the wet sand for annelids, which I have seen 

 them pull out of their burrows, and carry to the water for a slight 

 rinsing before being swallowed. 



GRA LLA TORES. 



THE COMMON CRANE. 



GRUS GIN ERE A. 

 Chorra-mhonaidh. (Synonyne for Heron). 



THE Crane is one of the rarer birds of Scotland, and has been 

 met with but in two instances in any of the western counties. A 

 young bird, which I have seen and examined, was shot on Dun- 

 donnell Estate, near the head of Loch Broom, West Ross-shire, in 

 September, 1869. Another was seen in March, 1870, at Torridon, 

 in the same county, by a keeper, who shot at the bird, but it made 

 its escape. I obtained these particulars in the neighbourhood 

 personally, about a month afterwards. It has, perhaps, occurred 

 more frequently in Orkney and Shetland than elsewhere in Britain. 

 The years 1807, 1832-33, may be mentioned in connection with 

 its appearance. In Mr Dunn's copy of Baikie and Heddle's work, a 

 note in MS. by one of the authors states that a specimen was 

 killed in Shetland in 1848. I examined a very fine bird of this 

 species, which was shot near Ha wick, in May, 1863: the specimen 

 is still in the possession of Mr Forrest, gunmaker, Jedburgh. 



Dr Saxby mentions that two were shot in Shetland in 1865: 

 one in July by himself; the other at Haroldswick, a few weeks 



