360 Banffshire Fauna. [ APPENDIX. 
Trinea Temmincgnt [ Zemminck’s Stint]. 
Mr. Taylor, gamekeeper to the Earl of Fife, once shot a specimen 
on the Deveron bank. 7 
TRINGA VARIABILIS [Dunlin]. 
This bird breeds in a few of our marshy places, and.may now and 
then be met with along the coast. Toward autumn large flocks 
appear, but they do not remain long. Specimens may be picked 
up occasionally, during winter, almost pure white, except the bill, 
legs, and feet, which retain their usual color. This species ap- 
pears to differ considerably in size, the legs and bills included, 
the larger birds often having the shortest: bills. 
Trinca maritima [Purple Sandpiper]. 
A rock-loving species while with us, never leaving the rocks unless 
from necessity. They are gregarious, and huddle so closely to- 
gether that I have known as many as twenty-three killed at one 
shot. I have killed them occasionally during summer, their col- 
or being then of a rufous or rusty character, or more like that 
of the dunlin, the purple gloss and dark-gray plumage of winter 
having all but disappeared. 
GatiinuLa crex [Land-rail]. 
“Corn craig” or “crake.” Very sparingly distributed here. It ar- 
rives generally at the beginning of May, and departs usually in 
September ; but I have seen it as late as December. These birds 
often feign themselves dead when hard pressed, rather than fly— 
a fact that may seem incredible to those who have paid no atten- 
tion to such things. Is it possible that these birds remove their 
eggs on its coming to their knowledge that their nests have been 
discovered? I knew of a nest which contained seven eggs. I 
took one, and, wishing to get all that the hen would lay, left the 
remainder untouched; I also carefully obliterated all my foot- 
marks, to prevent others from suspecting any thing if the nest 
were found. I went back three days afterward, when, although 
there were no signs of human foot-prints, all the eggs were gone. 
GatiinuLa PusiLa [Little Crake]. 
Only one of this British rarity has been procured here, so far as I 
know. It occurred at a place called Thornton, on the banks of 
the Isla. 
GatuinuLa cHLoropus [Moor-hen]. 
The “water-hen.” In consequence of our having but few lochs, 
and those very small, we have not many of this species. As 
skulkers, they almost rival the land-rail. 
