506 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
and threes along the shore of South Morar; they were very shy 
and difficult to get at: only one was secured by chance. About 
Loch Morar and other lochs on Craig Muir the Common Sandpiper 
was plentiful, but had not left its summer haunts in September. 
On September 3rd a Curlew Sandpiper, Tringa subarquata, was 
shot out of a small flock on the shore at the mouth of the River 
Morar, where on the same date there were large flocks of Dunlins, 
Tringa alpina. 
The Woodcock was plentiful, breeding freely in all the woods 
round Arasaig and Traigh House. Those killed in August and 
September are mostly young ones. Fresh immigrants arrive in 
large numbers in this neighbourhood about the beginning of 
November and afford excellent sport. The Common Snipe breeds 
on all the moors in this neighbourhood: the migratory flights do 
not come in till November. When Snipe shooting in a marsh, 
the water half-way up to my knees, in patches of high grass and 
reeds, a Landrail was flushed and killed; and on a small loch in 
the same marsh I observed a Moorhen. 
A small flock of Red-necked Phalaropes were met with on the 
sea-shore. I shot one (a male). They were very tame, and the 
other birds in the flock, after a short flight, came fluttering round 
the dead bird. 
On an island in front of Traigh House a Canada Goose was 
reared with some domesticated Geese. Although well able to fly 
and take care of himself he never leaves them, and regularly at 
nightfall he wends his way with them across the bay to roost. 
On all the lochs and various marshes in the neighbourhood I saw 
the Common Wild Duck. Very few had come down to the sea 
on the 27th September. The Teal, too, was plentiful. The Eider 
Duck breeds all along the coast, particularly about Loch-na-Nuagh, 
and on Arasaig from four to five young ones with the old females 
were usually observed; very few males were seen. Some young 
ones were shot on August 27th, at which date they were still 
without their quill-feathers; their crops were full of shells, 
mollusks, and young crabs. Their colour was brownish black, 
with a streak of grey over the eye. They were seen in numbers 
on this coast at the date mentioned, and are increasing every 
year. The young are capital eating. A few Tufted Ducks had 
arrived on the coast at the end of September. I did not see them 
myself, but was told of the fact by the river-keeper. 
