ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM ST. ANDREWS, N. B. 161 
eventually settling some thirty yards off. One which I shot proved 
to be a Little Stint. This small Tringa seems to be somewhat 
rare on this coast; I have not noticed it before, and the gunners 
do not seem to know it. Probably it is a regular autumnal visitor, 
but from its small size is apt to be overlooked. Mr. Harvie Brown 
informs me he has procured specimens upon the Forth on several 
occasions. 
On the 19th October I shot a Curlew Sandpiper out of a flock 
of Dunlins: as they flew past me a third at least of the birds 
appeared to be white-rumped, but although I dropped six of the 
number I only procured one Curlew Sandpiper. When snipe 
shooting on Tent’s Muir on the 27th IT saw a Marsh Harrier on 
the wing. The Snow Bunting was first seen on the 30th, when a 
single bird was procured. 
During the first week of November about a dozen Turnstones 
were observed on the rocks below the town. These birds seem 
to be local on this part of the coast: I generally find them 
about the same spot, feeding on the rocks uncovered at low 
tide. The first fall of snow of any consequence was on the 9th, 
on which day a few Bramblings were seen amongst a flock of 
Chaffinches and Linnets; large flocks of Larks, Fieldfares and 
Redwings were flying south in continued succession all day. 
A flock of about two hundred wild geese passed over the town on 
the 29th ; they have been very scarce in this neighbourhood during 
the past autumn and winter. 
On the 3rd December I noticed several Skuas chasing the Gulls 
that were fishing on the Eden bar. Amongst the latter was a 
Kittiwake: this species, although it is numerous enough during 
the summer, and breeds in some numbers on the Island of May— 
a few miles distant, is rarely seen here in the winter. 
When shooting along the coast with Mr. Harvie Brown on the 
6th December, we noticed flying towards us over the bay at a 
great height an immense number of Wood Pigeons. The flock 
must have been about five miles in length, and was preceded by a 
closely compact advanced guard, which in itself must have con- 
sisted of some hundreds of birds, the remainder following in a 
long straggling line. We watched them for some time after they 
had passed us as they flew in a north-westerly direction, until lost 
to sight over the Forfarshire hills. When just seen they were 
some miles out at sea, the coast of Norway lying behind them, and 
Y 
