of the Island of Raasay. 509 



eggs in the middle of June and young in down on the 

 12th of August. 



In the breeding-season I have seen the birds, after 

 wheeling and drumming for some time in the air, descend 

 almost perpendicularly and settle on the top of a birch-tree 

 or a post, at the same time emitting a hoarse double note 

 four or five times in succession. This peculiarity I noticed 

 more especially with one pair of birds. 



Jack Snipe. Limnocryptes gallinula. 



A few are found in two or three favourite boggy places. 

 They manage to keep in good condition in the hardest 

 weather, when the Common Snipes arc quite thin. An 

 individual has remained as late as the 3rd of June. 



Dunlin. Tringa alpina. 



Breeds sparingly in marshy places on the open moorland 

 from about the 20th to the 25th of May. 



Purple Sandpiper. Tringa striata. 



Common on the rocky parts of the coast during the winter 

 and spring. On January 24th, 1899, there were about fifty 

 running about the rocks at the water-line, the greatest 

 number that I have ever seen together. 



Knot. Tringa canutus. 



Occurs sparsely during the winter. One bird in imma- 

 ture plumage was shot in January 1899 for purposes of 

 identification. 



Common Sandpiper. Tringoides hypoleucus. 



Extremely abundant, arriving at the end of April or the 

 beginning of May, and breeding on the coast-line and on all 

 the fresh-water lochs. The highest lochs, where four pairs 

 breed, are above 1200 feet. I have found the nests at some; 

 distance from the water (150 yards) and a considerable 

 height above it (from 40 to 100 feet). The birds return 

 year after year to the same places. One pair nested four 

 years out of five in a very unusual site, namely, in a rabbit- 

 hole which had been tunnelled through the apex of a small 

 bank; the length of the hole was 12 or 13 inches. In the 



