266 



BIRDS. 



was a female Grey-headed Wagtail, which was procured about five 

 miles from Fort George on August 1st, 1891.] 



Motacilla raii {Bonap.). Yellow Wagtail. 



Booth mentions having met with the Yellow Wagtail both in the 

 Fendam district, east of Tain, and also near Inverness : we our- 

 selves have never seen this bird, alive or dead, north of the Great 

 Glen. 



St. John says that the Yellow Wagtail is much rarer than any 

 other species of Wagtail, and he has only seen it two or three 

 times in the county (of Moray). 



Edward considered this species as ' only occasional.' He speaks 

 of it, however, as breeding plentifully on the Aberdeenshire coast 

 of the ' Dee ' area between Don and Newburgh, and again between 

 Fraserburgh and Peterhead, and it is satisfactory to know that 

 Mr. George Sim has verified these observations. 



As early as 1835, Foljambe observed it at Grant Lodge. A 

 specimen is in the Banff" Museum, and another in the possession of 

 Mr. Lennox, birdstuff*er, Banff. 



Anthus pratensis (X.). Meadow Pipit. 



Local Names.— Titlui (Dr. J. 0. Wilson), Cheepert (J. G. PhiUips). 



This is an abundant species, widely distributed throughout the north 

 of our area, and mostly resident. Moors with a certain amount of 

 moisture are more frequented by the Meadow Pipit than the drier 

 ones; indeed, they seem to prefer moist ground of any kind to 

 very dry localities. On the hills beyond Invergarry it occurs 

 commonly, and also at Guisachan, especially high up the glen. 



South of the Great Glen the Meadow Pipit is resident, and 

 though in most places generally distributed and abundant, yet in 

 some tracts of country singularly absent or scarce — perhaps owing 

 to the want of water. They are very common along the river- 

 banks in May — no doubt owing to the dry nature of the hills 

 around. They are commoner on the middle reaches of Deveron 

 and about Dunbennan Hill above Huntly than elsewhere on the 

 upper and middle reaches, so far as we could judge. Not abundant 

 about Tomatin on Upper Findhorn, but common about Tomintoul 



