1066 The Zoologist — February, 1868. 



Bullfinch, 8fc. — Bullfinches are by no means rare, and I saw, on one 

 occasion, a pair of these birds collecting nesting materials. I had eggs 

 of this species given me afterwards. Swifts, swallows, martins and 

 corn crakes were very abundant by the beginning of June, when I 

 found a willow wren's nest and eggs. 



Banks of the Findhom. — On the 3rd of June I visited Relugas and 

 Glen Ferness, both stations on the glorious River Findhorn. At 

 both places the high crags, forming the boundary of the stream, are of 

 fine red grtfcrile erupted through the old red sandstone. There are 

 acres of Polypodium Dryopteris and P. Phegopteris, with Trientalis 

 europsea and Goodyera repens. Noticed by the way-side large 

 quantities of Agaricus gambosus, which, when cooked, is in my 

 opinion quite as nutricious and delicate in flavour as the common 

 mushroom : I made many gatherings of this early fungus and enjoyed 

 them amazingly. 



Redstart. — I noticed this bird at Gleu Ferness, and afterwards found 

 them to be not uncommon. 



Whealear, dtc. — VVheatears, stonechats and whinchats, although 

 noticed in this district, are by no means common. 



Oyster catcher. — Early in June I took a stroll on the banks of the 

 River Findhorn, between Forres and its embouchure into the bay 

 on the Moray Firth. Here I saw numbers of oystercatchers, evidently 

 nesting among the loose shingly islands : they were very bold, flying 

 within ten yards of my face. Two days afterwards I took down my 

 gun, wishing to procure a specimen in full plumage, but found them 

 excessively wary. 



Common Sandpiper. — Among the whin-bushes and alders growing 

 on the banks of the Findhorn, I found several nests of the common 

 sandpiper, mostly with four eggs. One nest was on a brauch quite in 

 the centre of an alder-bush : the eggs were strongly incubated. 

 A young bird was captured, after a long chase, in some shallow 

 pools, where it dived and swam about quite as expertly as a water 

 vole. 



The Culbin Sandhills. — On the 8th of June I visited the Culbin 

 Sandhills, an enormous deposit of pure white sand, blown up from the 

 Moray Firth into small mountains, and covering many villages and 

 much cultivated land, it is said. The sand-hills are mostly bare, but 

 in some places they are covered with extensive tracts of broom, whin 

 or heather. Saw here a fox, evidently on the look-out for rabbits, 

 which abound here in thousands. Here, growing where the sand was 



