6964 Birds. 



the same years, showing that the same causes have caused diver- 

 gence from the usual routes in almost every case. 



John Robert Kinhahan. 



A List of the Birds of Banffshire, accompanied with Anecdotes. 

 By Thomas Edward. 



(Concluded from page 6849.) 



Curlew Sandpiper {Tringa suharquata). I have only met with one 

 specimen of which I can speak with certainty ; this was in Septem- 

 ber, 1852. 



Knot (7". canntus). A few generally visit us every autumn on their 

 southward passage. They are remarkably easy of approach. 



Little Stint {T. minuta). A very fine little fellow. I once had 

 a desperate hunt after one. Returning home one evening along our 

 links, I heard a strange cry, coming, as it seemed, from the shore. T 

 listened for some time, as I knew it was the season (September) for 

 many of our migratory species visiting us. Never having heard the 

 cry before, I was speedily on the beach. But it was dark, and I had 

 not cat's eyes ; the sound, too, ceased as soon as I gained the beach. 

 After groping about for some time I thought I espied a rather large 

 flock of birds at some distance along the shore. I approached 

 cautiously, and found that I was correct, the flock consisting chiefly 

 of ringed plovers, dunlins and sanderlings. From the latter circum- 

 stance, and from the fact that the cry was that of a sandpiper, I was 

 pretty sure that a stranger was amongst them. Although I could see 

 well enough that the birds were on the wet sand between me and the 

 water, I could not make them all out distinctly. Once or twice I 

 thought I could distinguish one considerably smaller than the others, 

 but directly felt that I had been mistaken. I was now in a state 

 of great excitement ; every limb shook like an aspen leaf, or a 

 cock's tail on a windy day. What was I to do ? True T might have 

 fired at them, but the odds were greatly against my being successful. 

 It was now fairly dark, and the birds had retired to rest on a ridge of 

 shingle which intervenes between the sands and links. Instead of 

 returning home, as any one else would have done, I laid in a hollow 

 till morning, to await their first appearance, in the hope of attaining 



