BIRDS. 



273 



the Beauly river than he had observed elsewhere in Scotland. 

 Twenty years after that Booth considered it comparatively rare 

 in Inverness-shire and Ross-shire. Our own experience is that it 

 is a very common bird throughout the whole of the district under 

 consideration, old birch and alder trees being particularly affected 

 by it. One pair had their nest on a ledge in the porch of the 

 front door of a house occupied by us close to Inverness ; though 

 not disturbed, the birds did not return the next season. 



The Flycatcher is generally considered a very silent bird. 

 Mr. J. Young (London) has sent us the following note : — ' A 

 Spotted Flycatcher came and settled within three or four feet of 

 me ; it commenced a low inward warble, as if singing to itself. Its 

 head feathers were erect, and it moved its head about like a white- 

 throat. I listened to it for some ten minutes or more. Some- 

 times it would break off and catch a passing fly. The song was 

 so low that I don't think I should have heard it at a distance of 

 ten yards ' (J. Young, in lit. 24th September 1892). 



In the southern portion of our area this summer visitant is very 

 abundant, and has probably increased largely of late years. It is 

 subject to considerable variation in numbers according to the season. 



The earliest record from the Deveron valley is by Edward, who 

 claims to have met with it twice 'in wild rocky glens.' It is not 

 included in Smith's lists. It was discovered by Foljambe at Grant 

 Lodge, Elgin, where by 1844 it was *a regular summer visitor'; 

 two pairs hatched their young there in 1828. Brown of Forres 

 writes us of this species : — ' Arrives from the middle to the end 

 of May, and departs in the beginning of October. It is generally 

 distributed, frequenting plantations, low bushy hollows, orchards, 

 and gardens.' We ourselves have met with it commonly at Dal- 

 whinnie (1881), and Backhouse frequently found it in the wood 

 there in June and July 1885. But it is not accounted as common 

 by Mr. Stewart at Grantown, nor did we ourselves observe it there 

 in great numbers in 1891 or 1892. 



The Spotted Flycatcher certainly appears to be a spreading 

 species, or at all events appears to be commoner in some seasons 

 than others, at certain localities, which in our opinion is indicative 

 of progress or active dispersal. It must be remembered that this 

 and many other species are more conspicuous in the early autumn 

 months, but we speak here apart from that fact. 



S 



