6848 Birds. 



seven or eight months of the year, you will seldom if ever fail to meet 

 a few, and when thus disturbed their wild scream sounds beautifully, 

 and accords well with these solitary places, especially where there is 

 a low, hollow murmuring from the ocean. This is another species, 

 which, lapwing-like, will flap about you when in the way of their nest, 

 and for noise they exceed them completely. They generally breed in 

 marshy and boggy places and about the grassy margins of lochs, &c., 

 but I have also found them amongst bents and dry sandy places by 

 the sea-shore. 



Common Sandpiper {T. hypoleucos). The common sandpiper (or 

 as we have it, " Kittie-wedie," from its cry) is one of our summer 

 birds ; there is scarcely one of our streams but has its " kittie-wedies" 

 in the season, and on the banks of which they breed. Single indi- 

 viduals may occasionally be met with along the shore. 



Greenshank {T. glottis). This is a rarity with us. I have one in 

 my possesion, out of two which were shot in the moss of Banff in 

 1849. 



Avocet (Recurvirostra avocetta). More rare than the preceding; 

 at least I know of only one having been seen near here, and it occurred 

 in March, 1847. 



Blacktailed God wit {Limosa melanura). Two specimens have been 

 taken here ; one in August, 1839, and the other in December, 1840. 



Bartailed Godwit [L. rufa). A few of these may generally be ob- 

 served every autumn, either by the sea-side or in our mosses. They 

 do not stop long with us, however, a few days at most sufficing ; I 

 suppose we have not suitable localities for them. 



Ruff [Machetes pugnax). Rare. Three, I think, have been ob- 

 tained, all birds of the year, and all in autumn. 



Woodcock {Scolopax rusticola). Though a pair or two have been 

 known to breed, the woodcock can hardly rank with us but as a winter 

 visitor. In some seasons they are more numerous than in others. 

 Does the snow effect the colouring of this species? My reason for 

 asking this question is because, in very severe and snowy weather, I 

 have seen many of them of a remarkably light colour ; but in easy 

 seasons, and when there were little or no storms or frost, I have never 

 seen any of them in the same gray-like coating. 



Common Snipe {S. gallinago). Though many of these breed and 

 remain with us all the year, still we receive great additions annually 

 from elsewhere, and generally towards the end of autumn ; but neither 

 during summer nor winter are they so plentiful as they were : drainage* 

 is said to be the cause. 



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