222 



BIRDS. 



pared in numbers with those of T. musicus.' It is decidedly most 

 numerous among the lower valleys, such as around Aberlour on 

 Spey (1884), and the Laigh of Moray, but becomes much rarer 

 or more difficult to observe by July. Thus in July 1891 we only 

 observed one bird during a week spent at Carr Bridge on the 

 Dulnan river, and at Dalwhinnie only one pair frequented the 

 plantation, which was constantly searched by Mr. J. Backhouse, 

 and other observers send us similar accounts of their scarcity as 

 compared with that of the Song-Thrush. 



Blackbirds have been accused of sucking eggs, and certain 

 notes in our possession relating to Fieldfares in colonies on the 

 High Fjeld birch- woods of Norway, lead us to suspect that there 

 may be truth in the accusation. When collecting there we had 

 good cause to believe that Fieldfares at all events were guilty of 

 destroying one another's property — or their own, if their nests had 

 been disturbed. 



Turdus torquatus, L. Ring-Ouzel. 



Local Name. — Black Chacker. 



In the extreme north of our area the Ring-Ouzel, although widely 

 distributed, is not common, and we do not remember having seen 

 it in the neighbourhood of Badenloch, though they inhabit the 

 lower parts of the Helmsdale strath. Jennings says it is common 

 about Tain, and it has a place in all our local lists. 



It is common in Strath Glass and Glen AfFric (Hepburn), 

 but we did not see nor hear it in the Guisachan neighbourhood. 

 There are few localities, however, that do not contain a pair or 

 two, if these are suited to their habits. In Glen Urquhart, where, 

 according to Mr. Craig,^ they are abundant, a pair of Eing-Ouzels 

 was seen as late (or as early 1) as January ; the winter in that year 

 (1881-82) was a very mild one. About Invergarry they occur in 

 fair numbers on the hills. 



The rough and stony slopes of Abriachan are a great haunt of 

 these birds, as is recorded by an anonymous writer in the Northern 

 Chronicle and also by Mr. Craig. 



1 A. Craig, Esq., wrote a paper on the ' Birds of Glen Urquhart,' in the Trans. 

 of the Royal Physical Soc. of Edinburgh for 1882 ; and also five papers in the 

 Northern Chronicle on the Scenery and Bird Life of the same district. 



