1911-1912.] The Birds of Nairn. 409 



Titmouse and the Long-tailed Titmouse are met with occasion- 

 ally, but are far from common. The crested species has been 

 found in the county, but cannot yet be regarded as a resident. 

 The Tree-creeper is not often seen, and I should say is less 

 common in our woods than I remember it many years ago ; 

 though no doubt the bird is more plentiful than it seems to 

 be, its instinct being to elude observation. Of the Wagtails, 

 the Pied species is plentiful and generally distributed through- 

 out the county. You may see it on the shore and about the 

 quarry-holes in considerable numbers, and you will also find 

 it frequenting farm-steadings or haunting the water-courses 

 far up among the hills. The other resident Wagtail, the 

 Grey (sometimes erroneously taken for the Yellow Wagtail), 

 is, in my experience, a scarce bird, to be seen only occasionally 

 in pairs in the beds of quiet streams, or on suitable meadows. 

 The British Swallows, the Chimney Swallow, the House 

 Martin, and the Sand Martin, all visit the county in fair 

 numbers, though I fancy they are not so numerous as I re- 

 member them many years ago. The Finches are most numer- 

 ously represented by the Chaffinch and Greenfinch. As far 

 as my observation goes, Eedpolls and Linnets are scarce. 

 The Bullfinch is another bird which I do not often see, but 

 Mr A. Bain, of Skerries Lighthouse, a young and reliable 

 observer who has given much attention to the birds of the 

 county, tells me that in his experience it is of common occur- 

 rence. Flocks of Siskins are occasionally seen in their pere- 

 grinations ; but the allied Goldfinch, which is said to have 

 been once fairly common in the county, seems to have 

 deserted us, though, one would fain hope, not for good. Mr 

 Bain tells me he has once or twice seen the bird in this 

 county, and I believe I saw one myself this year at Lethen. 

 Of Buntings, four are found in our county. The Yellow- 

 hammer and the Common Bunting are sufficiently numerous ; 

 the Eeed Bunting is rather a scarce bird, but a few pairs breed 

 each season in the lower levels of the county ; and the Snow 

 Bunting appears in small companies on our coast in winter. 

 In spring and summer Skylarks are plentiful everywhere, — 

 nowhere have I heard this songster more jubilant than on the 

 Old Bar ; but the bird thrives and nests equally well on the 

 edge of grouse moors — wherever, in fact, there is a stretch of 



