Quadrupeds — Birds. 20 1 1 



amongst some boulders of conglomerate, and I afterwards learned that this is their fa- 

 vourite way of escaping pursuit from shepherds or their dogs. 



The herds of red deer are increasing all over the Highlands : Glen Affrick is a fa- 

 mous forest, but I had no time to spare for peeping into the corries, where they resort 

 during the day. The roebuck is very common in some glens where there is a little 

 cultivation. 



The Kev. G. Gordon, in his very instructive Fauna of Morayshire (Zool. 424), says, 

 under the head of Mus sylvaticus, " In July, 1836, on the top of Maam Soul, one of 

 the highest hills in Strath Glass, and about 3000 or 4000 feet above the level of the 

 sea, evident traces of a colony of some small animal were seen among withered grass, 

 rushes, &c, and debris." I kept this fact in view, and. would, have much liked to have 

 climbed the noble mountain, with a tall shepherd as my guide, but when I passed 

 that way his head was wrapt in a storm, the day was far spent, and angry night was 

 coming. The occurrence of the weasels in such a wild place as Aultbae is an inte- 

 resting fact, and I regret having no means of ascertaining its altitude. The geo- 

 graphical range of our smaller Mammalia is thus an interesting subject, and worthy 

 of the attention of the officers of the Royal Engineers, now engaged in the triangula- 

 tion of Scotland amongst these wild hills. 



Gamekeepers have waged such an exterminating warfare against the rapacious 

 birds, that eagles, especially, have become exceedingly scarce. A deer-forester showed 

 me the wings and claws of a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), which had been caught 

 in a trap placed on the margin of a pool, in which the carcase of an alpine hare had 

 been placed as bait, so that the bird had to stand on the fatal spring if he had no wish 

 to wet his feet. I thought it a hard case to have wandered so far amidst savage 

 mountains without meeting with an eagle, and by so many noble lochs without seeing 

 an osprey on the wing. The beautiful kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is very common 

 about Loch Ness, and up the Beauly and the Glass to Loch Bennavian. The swift 

 (Cypselus murarius) is common at Dingwall and Inverness : a solitary pair was seen 

 at Loch Bennavian. Our three British species of swallow are very generally distri- 

 buted. The nightjar (Caprimulgus europaus) is very common about Foyers, on Loch 

 Ness. The gray flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola) is more abundant on the banks of Loch 

 Ness, and up the Beauly river for several miles, than I have observed in any part of 

 Scotland. The raven (Corvus corax), a few were observed in the wilds of Glen 

 Affrick and between Loch Carron and Dingwall. The carrion crow (Corvus corone) 

 was never observed in the Highlands, until I reached Blair Atholl, Perthshire ; whilst 

 the hooded crow (Corvus comix) was very widely distributed on field and moor. 

 The jackdaw and rook were common in the cultivated grounds ; the latter is very 

 widely distributed over the moors and mountains, in the month of August. The mag- 

 pie (Pica caudata) seems to be a rare bird ; however, I met with a pair on the 

 Glass, near to Loch Bennavian. The starling was widely distributed over the culti- 

 vated grounds. I was greatly surprised at not meeting with the dipper (Cinclus aqua- 

 ticus), nor could I find any fresh-water Mollusca in my very hurried and seldom-re- 

 peated researches for them ; possibly this deficiency may account for the absence of 

 the dipper, which Professor Macgillivray says is very common in the Hebrides. 

 Blackbirds and song-thrushes were common in all the wooded parts, but the latter were 

 not so numerous as I had been led to expect. Family-parties of missel-thrushes be- 

 spoke the presence of this new and adventurous colonist. The ring-ouzel (Turdus 

 torquatus) was very common up Strath Glass, Glen Affrick, and on the shores of Lochs 



