Notes on Pallas s Sand-r/rouse in Scotland. 121 



and southwards over the greater part of Europe. A flock 

 of thirty, it will be remembered, had reached the south of 

 Norway by the 12th of May. 



Some of the birds seem to have made but the briefest halt 

 on the coast, and then proceeded inland in continuation of 

 their westward fliglit. Thus one was obtained at Stow in 

 the south-east corner of Midlothian on 18th May, and on 

 the same day another was killed at Gobernuisgach in the 

 centre of Sutherland. Other records from inland localities 

 soon follow. As early as the 22d May a solitary example 

 had reached Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, where more 

 made their appearance on the 2oth. On the 28th a flock 

 was observed in Skye, and in the course of the next few 

 days their presence was noted in many other localities on 

 the west coast. I cannot help thinking that a few at least, 

 both at this time and later on, must have found a watery 

 grave in attempting to cross the Atlantic. 



Wherever ground suitable to their habits and of sufficient 

 extent could be found, there concentration soon took place ; 

 consequently in the course of the first fortnight of June, we 

 find them settled in large numbers, and with more or less 

 persistency, in such districts as Tentsmuir, near the mouth of 

 the Tay ; the Links of St Fergus, on the coast of Aberdeen- 

 shire ; the Pitgaveny Warrens, near Elgin ; the Culbin 

 Sands, on the shores of the Moray Firth ; and on the Scottish 

 side of the Sol way. In many, however, the restless spirit 

 seems never to have subsided even for a day, and consequently 

 all through the summer wandering parties, generally small, 

 were met with in almost every district. In some of the 

 settlements above mentioned, hopeful signs of true colonisa- 

 tion were soon visible ; a breaking-up of the flocks into 

 pairs became more or less general, and several persons 

 confidently expected that, in the course of the next few days. 

 Sand- grouse eggs uould be freely laid on Scottish soil. But 

 these hopes were doomed to speedy disappointment by the 

 sudden repacking of most of the birds. Although there may 

 be strong presumption that a few pairs did breed, I have not 

 yet seen any positive proof of the fact. The supposed eggs 

 obtained by Captain Dunbar Brandt-r in Elginshire are, in 



