272 



BIRDS. 



In 1844 it was reckoned a rare straggler. One was killed about 

 ten years previously at the Knock of Alves, by Mr. G. Taylor 

 {Zoologist, 1850, p. 2769), and another in Strathspey in December 

 1859 (v. Inverness Courier). 



There is evidence of their occasional occurrence as early as last 

 century, viz., about 1790. Sir A. Dunbar of Northfield — father 

 of Captain Dunbar-Brander of Pitgaveny — saw them occasionally, 

 or about once in two or three years (Captain Dunbar-Brander, 

 in lit. 1st September 1891), and Eev. W. Forsyth, D.D., has known 

 of their occurrence in the parish of Abernethy. 



In 1866 one was killed in the parish of Auchindoir, in the 

 Bogie valley, and sent to Mr. George Sim for preservation. In 

 the Scottish Ponltry Journal of March 17th, 1893, there is a record 

 of a specimen of the Bohemian Waxwing, which was picked up 

 on the shore at Pennan, by Mr. Robert Gault, Birnie, and sent 

 to Mr. Lennon, naturalist, Banff, for preservation, so that our area, 

 at least to that extent, participated in an invasion of this species, 

 of which various other records are given in the Annals of Scottish 

 Natural History for April 1893, q.v. 



Another was found dead in a small birch wood, well known to 

 us, close to Ardwell, and on the farm of our landlord, Mr. William 

 Watt. It was exhibited at a meeting of farmers at the school- 

 house the same day, and is now (July 1893) in the possession of 

 Mr. Archibald, farmer. Park of Brux, near Rhynie. Wm. Brown 

 of Forres has reported {in lit. May 1895) another which was shot 

 at Fochabers in January ; but it was too much destroyed by shot 

 to be worth preserving. 



Family MUSCICAPID^. 



Muscicapa grisola, L. Spotted Flycatcher. 



To Sutherland and E. Ross-shire the Spotted Flycatcher is a common 

 summer visitor, more especially frequenting the old birch woods 

 that line the middle banks of the Helmsdale and the Cassley. In 

 the latter locality they were abundant in 1886. 



Hepburn, writing in 1848, remarked of this species that it was 

 more abundant on the shores of Loch Ness and a few miles up 



