BIRD-ASSOCIATIONS IN SCOTLAND 19 
shores, has a rather poor avifauna, especially in Ducks, none 
of which can be called abundant. Mallard and Teal occur 
sparingly, and locally the Goosander, Coot, Waterhen, and 
Little Grebe are members of the list, but are scarcely 
characteristic: _ No bird is' more typical here than the 
Sandpiper, and locally the Ringed Plover hasa place. The 
Divers, Red-throated and Black-throated, are found both in 
lochs of this type, in which they both nest and feed, and in 
small peaty lochans, used merely for nesting purposes and 
as nurseries for the chicks. The distinction is an important 
one, because, while in the one case any loch of a suitable 
character is available for settlement, in the other only those 
lochans lying within reach of the sea can be colonised by 
the birds. Such lochans, containing Divers of one or other 
species, and frequently also the Little Grebe—the absence 
of the Coot is a feature—are characteristic of many parts of 
the Shetlands, Hebrides, and North-West Highlands. Ofthe 
moorland peat-lochs one hears contradictory accounts. They 
are usually, in my experience, exceedingly destitute of bird- 
life, except for the frequent occurrence of a Black-headed 
Gull colony, but according to some writers, such as the author 
of The Lird-Life of the Borders, some lochs of this description 
have a fauna notably rich in Ducks, such as Wigeon, Pochard, 
Tufted-duck, and Shoveler. The sea-loch of the West Coast, 
similar in geological origin to that of the Highland valley, 
has, amongst other representative species, the Merganser, 
Oyster-catcher, Common Gull, Tern. 
The last type of loch, which is usually somewhat shallow, 
with a humus soil and luxuriant short and sub-aquatic 
vegetation of a fenland character, has undoubtedly the 
richest fauna of all. Such lochs as Loch Leven and Loch 
Gelly are well known, the former especially, for their re- 
markable wealth of bird-life, including, amongst others, such 
species as Mallard, Tufted-duck, Pochard, Shoveler, Pintail, 
Wigeon, Gadwall, Great-crested Grebe. The great faunal 
richness of Loch Leven, it should be noted, is in great part 
due to the secure and suitable nesting-ground afforded by 
its islands. In such an example as Loch Gelly, less well 
supplied in this respect, the birds are dependent upon the 
