PHYSICAL FEATURES. 



37 



distance out to sea a line of white breakers proclaims the situation 

 of the sandbank called the * Gizzing Brings.' 



At no great distance of time back the greater portion of this 

 country between Tain and Portmahomack was a wild waste 

 covered with heather and broom, but this is rapidly disappearing 

 before the plough. The coast-line is composed mostly of sandhills, 

 but inland, behind the Morrich Mhor and the Fendom the ground 

 is more marshy, and there are one or two lochs, that of Slynn being 

 the largest and a great resort of wild-fowl ; it contains no fish but 

 eels. About Ehynie the ground is marshy, and ducks breed there, 

 as also Snipe. 



From Tarbert Ness to the East Sutor ^ the land rises along the 

 coast, at one place to an altitude of 658 feet, but slopes back 

 rapidly inland to almost the sea-level. These higher slopes 

 contain a certain amount of heather, in which a few grouse are to 

 be found, and, besides, are covered with a great extent of whins, 

 especially in the neighbourhood of Castle Craig, and these are 

 the resort of innumerable Eabbits ; in former years Badgers were 

 not uncommon, and even Foxes were found there. In the lower 

 groimds. Partridges, and Hares of calf-like proportions (if we may 

 believe the natives' description !) are abundant. 



The coast-line westwards from Nigg terminates in that head- 

 land at the mouth of the Cromarty Firth called the East Sutor. 

 This is tenanted by a number of sea-fowl, and we are indebted to 

 Mr. J. G. Millais for the following notes, which he made during a 

 visit from Fort-George in May 1890 : — 



* Cormorants, in very large numbers, were breeding well up the 

 face of the cliffs, their nests being perfectly inaccessible.' 



Mr. Millais was much surprised at seeing the Green Cormorants 

 here, as it is much south of their limit on the east coast of Scotland. 

 Not a single adult bird was seen ; they were all in parties of from 

 ten to thirty, and were evidently not breeding in the cliffs. 



Eock Pigeons were very scarce, and only a very few pairs 

 seemed to be breeding ; they were said to come in numbers to the 

 caves in autumn. (A curious fact this — where could they come 



^ Always called East and West Sutors by the natives ; but then Highlanders 

 have no north or south ! The East is the North Sutor, and the West the South ! 



