Birds. 505 



dent, and almost invariably the species found in the keeping of our 

 young bird-fanciers. 



Short-eared owl, O. brachyotos. " One killed between Elgin and 

 the Mannoch-hill in 1836," Mr. Foljambe. 



White owl, Strix Jlammea. " A live specimen taken at Pluscarden 

 in 1836," Mr. Foljambe. 



Tawny owl, Syrnium Aluco. "Killed near Elgin in 1837," Mr. 

 Foljambe. 



Snowy owl, Noctua nyctea. In the spring of 1833, after a severe 

 gale from the north-east, an individual of this rare and splendid spe- 

 cies of owl was wounded and caught among the sands of Culbin. 

 Supposed to have been driven by the storm from the Shetland or 

 Orkney Isles. Another specimen of this beautiful bird was found 

 about four years ago on the shore of the Moray-firth near Innes house 

 driven likely from the Northern Isles, also by stress of weather. 



Cinereous shrike, Lanius Excubitor. Of two specimens known to 

 have been seen north of the Grampians, one is now in the Elgin muse- 

 um, and was presented by the Rev. C. W. Barclay, of Easter Calcots, 

 where it was killed in December, 1830. " This shrike was also shot 

 at Glenmoriston in Lochness, in November, 1843, by Mr. Birkinshaw, 

 gamekeeper to Sir H. Meux, Bart." Mr. Snowie, Inverness. 



Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa grisola. Discovered by Mr. Fol- 

 jambe at Grant-lodge, Elgin, where it is a regular summer visitor. 

 Two pair hatched their young there in 1838. 



Water-ouzel, "Water-cock," Cinclus aqua tic us. Frequent on the 

 Lossie and other streams, where it remains all the year. The rocks 

 of Kellas on the Lossie is a favorite haunt of the ouzel : it was ob- 

 served there, by one of the water-bailiffs, to contend with the com- 

 mon trout in carrying off and eating the ova of the sea-trout (Salmo 

 Trutta), even at the very time that the latter (the sea-trout) was lying 

 and shedding its spawn on the " redds " or spawning-ground. From 

 its known partiality to, and destruction of the spawn of, the salmon 

 tribe, this bird has probably obtained no enviable place in the follow- 

 ing ancient distich : — 



" The Gordon, the guile, and the water-craw, 

 Are the three warst ills that Moray ever saw." 



The hooded crow is sometimes erroneously substituted for the water- 

 crow or ouzel in these lines. The former, it is believed, is a compa- 

 ratively late importation from the western shores of Scotland, and in 

 Moray has only increased in consequence of the extended plantations 

 •of fir which afford it shelter. The " guile" is Chrysanthemum sege- 

 ii K 



