118 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



VIII. The Birds of Shye, with special reference to the Parish 

 of Duirinish. Part I., 1886. By the Eev. H. A. 

 Macpherson, M.A., Member British Ornithologists' 

 Union. 



(Read February 1886.) 



The field notes, which constitute the basis of the present 

 report, have been written during various visits paid to Skye 

 since April 1882, and relate chiefly to that western portion 

 of the Island which consists of the promontories of Duirinish 

 and Waternish, including an area of about a hundred square 

 miles. This elevated region possesses many and varied 

 features, long undulating spurs of bleak moorland alternating 

 with sheltered glens and considerable stretches of arable 

 land, whilst a few small fresh water lochs are interspersed. 

 The precipitous coast-line, worn by the waters of the Minch, 

 includes the magnificent headlands of Waterstein and 

 Galtrigill ; but in the neighbourhood of Dunvegan, the hills 

 sink by graduated terraces to the sea-level. Natural wood 

 is scarce in this wild district, alder, hazel, and willow being 

 only local in distribution ; but a large extent of ground at 

 Dunvegan, Lynedale, Waternish, and Greshornish has been 

 planted with larch,. Scots fir, plane, and other varieties of 

 timber during the present century. 



The literature of the subject chiefly consists of notes 

 scattered through the following works : — Martin's " Descrip- 

 tion of the Western Islands of Scotland " (of which I have 

 consulted the second edition, 1716); James Wilson's "Voyage 

 round the Coasts of Scotland" (1842) ; "The New Statistical 

 Account," vol. xiv. ; Mr E. Gray's " Birds of the West of 

 Scotland" (1871); Seebohm's "British Birds" (1885). 



Mr E. Gray's references were chiefly furnished by the 

 late Dr Dewar and Captain Cameron; while Mr Charles 

 Dixon contributed to Seebohm's work several items, which 

 are valuable, as corroborating, so far as they go, the con- 

 clusions arrived at by the present writer. 



The present report is of an imperfect character; but it 

 may be fairly assumed that the greater number of the species 

 which breed in Skye are contained in the accompanying 



