83 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Scottish Solvvay district, the matter of Ptarmigan again came 

 under notice. Believing this hitherto ahnost overlooked subject 

 to be of more than local interest, and looking to the important 

 bearing it has on the former occurrence (disputed in the mean- 

 time) of Ptarmigan in the English Lake district, I have deemed 

 it advisable to lay the result of my enquiries before the readers 

 of tliis journal. 



There are four localities in which the former existence of 

 Ptarmigan can be traced, viz. — (1) The mountains of Minnj^gaff 

 parish ; (2) the mountains in the parishes of Kells and Carsphairn ; 

 (3) the district surmounted by the peak of the Lowtliers, on the 

 dividing ridge betwixt Dumfriesshire and Lanarkshire ; and (4) 

 the district around Hartfell, at the head of Moffatdale. The first 

 two localities are in Kirkcudbright, the last two are in Dumfries. 

 These various localities are so nearly connected that I separate 

 them only for the sake of treating the subject more clearly. 



Kirkcudbrightshire. Minnygaff. — The earliest notices of 

 the Ptarmigan that I have been able to find in local literature are 

 contained in Symson's ' Description of Galloway.' This work, 

 written in 1G84 at the request of Sir Eobert Sibbald and forming 

 part of the Sibbald MSS. deposited in the Advocate's Library in 

 Edinburgh, was not printed until 1823. At page 79 there is an 

 interesting paragraph, which I may be excused for quoting in 

 full. Enumerating the natural productions of Galloway, Symson 

 writes : — "As concerning animals I can say nothing save that in 

 this countrey, consisting both of moors and valley grounds along 

 the sea shore, we have such as are usualy found in the like 

 places ; as in the moors we have plenty of moor-fowles, partridges, 

 tarmakens, &c. In our hills and boggs, foxes, good store. Li 

 our lochs and bourns, otters ; near the sea severall sorts of wild 

 geese, wild ducks, ateales, small teales, seamaws, gormaws, and 

 an other fowl, which I know not the name of; it is about the 

 bigness of a pigeon; it is black, and hath a red bill. I have seen 

 it haunting about the Kirk of Mochrum." The bird which 

 Symson describes in the latter portion of the passage is of course 

 the Chough, which may still (though rapidly decreasing) be seen 

 about the locality named. Several old MSS. relating to Galloway 

 are printed as appendices to Symson's work. One of these is 

 entitled ' Description of Minnygaff,' and forms part of the Mac- 

 farlane MSS., also in the Advocate's Library. This MS. appears 



