NOTES FEOM SKYE. 359 



of Durinish ; but I could find no Stonechats this year, and only 

 saw a single male in 1882. The Pied Wagtail breeds in Glendale 

 but not numerously. 



Tbe Meadow Pipit is the commonest small bird in the district, 

 but the first young I found this year were hatched on June 2nd, 

 while in 1882 I found young at least four days old on May 22nd, 

 in Eigg. The Rock Pipit breeds all over the parish near the sea. 

 The Sky Lark is numerous, and sings from 1.30 a.m. in clear 

 weather. 



The Yellow Bunting is plentiful; in Skye it often omits the 

 final syllables of the song altogether. The Reed Bunting is 

 common, and the Corn Bunting also numerous ; the latter roosts 

 chiefly on the ground, but a large flock always gathers together 

 at dusk to roost in a small patch of firs. In these firs (the only 

 trees in Glendale) three pairs of Chaffinches breed ; this year the 

 first young were only hatched on May 30th. Two of the old 

 males sang in the firs the livelong day; the third insisted on 

 singing his lullaby from a small green knoll, always perching 

 on the bare sod — an idiosyncracy new to me. 



Twites are more numerous in Glendale than in 1882 ; even on 

 May 20th we found a flock of between twenty and thirty feeding 

 together on some broken ground. Their name is evidently due 

 to their cheery " twee, twee " on the wing. The House Sparrow 

 was present, but not numerous. The Hedge Warbler was not so 

 strongly represented with us as near Portree ; but one pair nested 

 this year in Glendale. The Starling is as numerous as ever. 



Three broods of Ravens were hatched out on our wild cliffs ; 

 our shooting tenant's keeper shot four, two of which he de- 

 capitated ; the others I saw shot myself, and sent them to Mr. 

 Aplin. Other broods were reared at Greshornish and Hosabost, 

 for the old birds are too acute to be often betrayed by keepers. 



Tbe House Swallow is present with us in small numbers, but 

 I cannot ascertain where it nests in Glendale ; perhaps it may do 

 so in the cliffs, for its usual haunts are scarce. The Goatsucker 

 I have not yet seen in Durinish, though it breeds in the south of 

 Skye. The Rock Dove is numerous; but our ground officer, 

 a fair observer, states that it is numerically less strong than 

 formerly. He ascribes its decrease to the fact that cattle are fed 

 less out of doors during the winter than formerly, and that the 

 Rock Doves, in consequence, now come off very badly at that 



