900 The Zoologist — Septemhf.r, 1867. 



Bittern. — One was killed in a small marsh in the parish of Larbert 

 in or about 1845, and is now in a dreadfully mangled state, in the 

 possession of a man in the village ; when it came into his hands it was 

 supposed to be a young heron. I was told by my informant, who shot 

 it, and who is now our gamekeeper, that the villagers, in a rough 

 romp, had pitched the bird at one another, all taking it for a young 

 heron. One was killed, as communicated to me by Mr. J. Colquhonn, 

 by his father's gamekeeper many years ago on Loch Lomond side. 



Curlew. — Local name, " whaup." Very plentiful, both in winter at 

 the coast and on the moors in summer. Though I have found dozens of 

 nests in different counties I never found more than three eggs in one nest. 



Whimbrel. — I have only twice seen whimbrels far inland, when I 

 procured two specimens, but they are abundant at the coast some 

 seasons. Mr. Thompson frequently obtains them, and he informs me, 

 from what he sees of them, that he thinks them much tamer than the 

 last-named species, and that they never by any chance associate with 

 them. Mr. Thompson also seems to think that when feeding thejf 

 keep much closer together, and this I noticed to a certain extent in 

 those I saw inland. 



Redshank. — Large flocks frequent the coast in autumn, and pairs of 

 them breed, though not numerously, all over the county, as at Loch 

 Lomond, Loch Colter, or Coulter, above Denny, Puldock Loch, Green 

 Loch, and many other localities. 



Common Sandpiper. — Local names, " sandy laverock " and in some 

 instances " the deacon." I cannot find out any reason for giving it 

 the latter name. The "summer snipe," as it is also called, arrives on 

 our streams with great punctuality. 1 have it recorded for five years 

 as follows :— In 1861 it arrived, as closely as I could make out, on the 

 29th of April ; in 1862 on the 22nd of April ; in 1863 on the 23rd of 

 April; in 1864 on the 12lh of April ; and in 1865 also on the 12th of 

 April. I have frequently seen this bird diving when wounded and 

 using both wings and feet in progressing (Zool. 8237 and 8770). This 

 bird, in common with the dipper, is senselessly tormented by the 

 ignorant class of the local anglers, on account of its supposed forages 

 amongst the trout-ova. A minute's reflection would show the folly of 

 this, but reflection is not a distinctive feature amongst colliers and 

 miners. I have frequently found the nest and eggs a long way above 

 the river-level, and I once took three eggs from a nest which was 

 placed in the middle of some broom or whins, eighty feet at least above 

 the surface of the river. 



