1306 The Zoologist — August, 18(58. 



April 9. Dipper's nest, but no eggs yet. Jackdaws have taken 

 possession of the chimneys in the garden-wall, where starlings built 

 before. Kingfishers going to breed at the same place where I took 

 their eggs some years ago. Partridges seem tolerably plentiful as 

 compared with former years. 



April 20. Second visit to peregrines, with ropes, &c. ; unsuccessful. 

 ******** 



After returning from Sutherlandshire I received from a correspondent 

 a very fine blacklhroated diver, which will be a mother to the poor 

 little young one which I procured last year (Zool. S. S. 857). 



During my absence Mr. F., of Arngibbon, about ten miles west of 

 Stirling, found an albino starling dead, and sent it to my birdstuffer in 

 Edinburgh for me : it was quite warm when he picked it up, and 

 I regret that I did not hear of it soon enough to give the birdstuffer 

 directions as regarded examining the cause of death : it is of a pale ashy 

 white, and the eyes were black, not red. T also obtained a white mole 

 from the same place whence I procured one some years ago : this one 

 was caught in the mole- catcher's traps. 



On the 27th of June I received a nest of five lesser redpole's eggs, 

 taken by a birdcatcher near here, who likewise caught the bird on the 

 nest. The lesser redpole does not breed abundantly in this county 

 that I am aware of, though large flocks arrive in winter. 



Nesting Tour in Sutherland. — It is not my purpose here to-give 

 any very extended notes of my nesting tour in Sutherland, as I have 

 already handed over to Mr. R. Gray, of Glasgow, most of my journal, 

 but shall just give a few extracts, in a curtailed form, which may be 

 of interest to the readers of the ' Zoologist.' 



April 25, 1868. Arrived at my old station in West Sutherland to- 

 day, after having spent a few days in Ross-shire. (Talking of Ross- 

 shire, I am not the person mentioned in ' Land and Water' of the 27th 

 of June, who it seems offers s£lO t for eagles' nests or eggs In the Gair 

 Loch district: I sincerely trust that such a system will speedily be 

 put a stop to.) Received one golden eagle's egg, which was taken 

 from the same nest that the young bird was procured from last 

 August: it had been in the nest since last season, and therefore is 

 rather a faded specimen. The young bird is now, I be.lieve, in the 

 possession of the Duchess of Sutherland. 



May 2. Saw no less than four greenshanks on the shores of one 

 loch to-day. 



