2644 Birds. 



The eggs of the plover and wild duck were partially covered with 

 snow, and they had evidently been abandoned by the birds : this 

 circumstance induced me to examine these eggs with great minute- 

 ness, and, having done so, I found in those of the wild duck perfectly 

 formed birds, while those of the plover were somewhat discoloured, 

 and were beginning to get what may be called miry. By this I was 

 enabled, from what I know of the habits of the wild duck and of the 

 plover, to come to the conclusion that the eggs of the former must 

 have been sat on from sixteen to twenty days, and those of the latter 

 for about five or six. These facts united leave no room to doubt that 

 they had all been laid and sat upon before the commencement of the 

 storm, which raged with such unexpected fury towards the end of 

 April, — which had at the time covered the nests completely over with 

 snow, and which had, in consequence, compelled the birds to abandon 

 them. It is quite evident that, upon these upland and exposed hills, 

 the breeding- season of many other birds must have been put an end 

 to in a similar manner. 



May 15th. Descending from the Tap o' Noth, where I had been 

 ranging about for the greater part of the day, I entered a narrow glen, 

 in which runs a burn or rivulet called Ness Bogie, separating Noth 

 from Kirknie. While going along the banks of this streamlet, I ob- 

 served three pairs of ' kittie-needies ' * and a few water ouzels 

 (Cinclus aquaticus), and my ears were, every now and then, greeted 

 with the well-known — and at all times the welcome — call of cuckoo, 

 while my eyes were not unfrequently gratified by a sight of the bird 

 itself. The cuckoo, indeed, appears to be very numerous in this part 

 of the country : this is especially the case among the small patches of 

 natural birch which here and there adorn the sides of the hills, at this 

 particular part of the glen. The ring pigeons {Columba Palumbus) 

 are also seen in great numbers ; and, as I passed on, the solitude of 

 the glen was often broken by the clap of their wings, as they arose 

 from the small plantations on my approach. An abrupt turn of the 

 rivulet brought me suddenly and unexpectedly within a few yards of 

 a beautiful heron {Ardea cinerea) : 1 immediately stood still : his up- 

 right and motionless attitude indicated plainly that he had been taken 

 by surprise ; and for the moment he seemed, as it were, stunned, and 

 incapable of flight : there he remained as if fastened to the spot, — 

 his bright yellow eye staring me full in the face, and with an expres- 



* ' Kittie-needie ' is the name given, in this part of the country, to the common 

 sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucos). It is formed in imitation of its peculiar cry. 



