132 TOUR IX SUTHERLAND. CII. VIII. 



Diinrobin and elsewhere. Indeed I have heard that 

 it has been seen there ; but I would rather run the 

 chance of leaving out birds that do occur than insert 

 the name of any bird as being indigenous, unless I 

 had seen it myself, or had heard of its being seen 

 by persons whose authority I could not doubt, either 

 as to their truthfulness or their skill. 



I write these pages wholly for the amusement and 

 information of my reader, and take down the 

 names of birds out of my note-book, in which I 

 have inserted them in almost every instance after 

 having seen them myself; and the very few which 

 I have not seen living in Sutherlandshire, Mr. Dun- 

 bar has procured in that county, and has them now 

 preserved in his collection. 



I must apologise to the scientific ornithologist for 

 any mistakes I may have made in naming the seve- 

 ral birds, as I am more of an out-door than an 

 in-door naturalist ; and if my notes are of any value, 

 it will be for their truth, and because they are the 

 result of personal observation and acquaintance with 

 the birds. I will only request, in the words of 

 Horace — 



Si quid novisti rectius istis, 

 Candidus imperti : si non, bis utere mecum. 



