﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  13 
  

  

  sponding 
  decrease 
  of 
  grouse 
  will 
  occur 
  upon 
  any 
  such 
  neglected 
  area 
  

   — 
  cause 
  and 
  effect 
  distinctly 
  traceable. 
  

  

  Corvus 
  frugilegus, 
  L. 
  Rook. 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  Rook 
  is 
  an 
  increasing 
  species 
  as 
  regards 
  its 
  breeding 
  

   localities 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  of 
  our 
  area, 
  still 
  there 
  are 
  parts 
  of 
  

   the 
  country 
  wholly 
  destitute 
  of 
  them, 
  and 
  these, 
  too, 
  that 
  would 
  

   appear 
  quite 
  suited 
  to 
  their 
  requirements. 
  Thus, 
  after 
  passing 
  

   Erchless 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  rookery 
  known 
  to 
  us 
  farther 
  up 
  Strathglass, 
  

   yet 
  Guisachan 
  would, 
  to 
  all 
  appearances, 
  be 
  an 
  excellent 
  situation 
  

   for 
  one. 
  Similarly 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  rookery 
  at 
  Invergarry, 
  nor, 
  indeed, 
  

   do 
  we 
  know 
  of 
  any, 
  after 
  passing 
  Dochfour, 
  all 
  along 
  Loch 
  Ness 
  

   and 
  its 
  surrounding 
  country. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Craig 
  remarks 
  also 
  that 
  Rooks 
  do 
  not 
  build 
  anywhere 
  in 
  

   Glen 
  Urquhart, 
  although 
  a 
  rookery 
  existed 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  in 
  a 
  fir 
  

   wood 
  near 
  Drumnadrochit, 
  but 
  he 
  was 
  unable 
  to 
  say 
  whether 
  the 
  

   birds 
  deserted 
  it 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  free 
  will, 
  or 
  whether 
  the 
  nests 
  were 
  

   pulled 
  down 
  by 
  the 
  people. 
  

  

  A 
  curious 
  place 
  for 
  a 
  colony 
  of 
  Rooks 
  is 
  on 
  an 
  island 
  on 
  Loch 
  

   Mhuilinn, 
  eight 
  miles 
  up 
  Glen 
  Strathfarrar 
  from 
  Stray. 
  

  

  Along 
  the 
  east 
  coast 
  of 
  Ross-shire 
  there 
  are 
  few 
  properties 
  of 
  

   any 
  importance 
  that 
  are 
  without 
  their 
  own 
  contingent 
  of 
  Rooks, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  unnecessary 
  to 
  enumerate 
  them. 
  In 
  autumn, 
  Rooks 
  are 
  

   to 
  be 
  seen 
  almost 
  everywhere, 
  scattered 
  over 
  the 
  hills, 
  in 
  places 
  far 
  

   remote 
  from 
  rookeries, 
  or 
  even 
  trees 
  j 
  probably 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  they 
  

   are 
  attracted 
  by 
  the 
  great 
  abundance 
  of 
  berries 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  cater- 
  

   pillars 
  that 
  are 
  then 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  clinging 
  to 
  the 
  heather 
  stalks. 
  In 
  

   severe 
  weather 
  they 
  often 
  take 
  to 
  the 
  sea-shore. 
  

  

  To 
  the 
  southward 
  of 
  Inverness 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  resident, 
  extremely 
  

   abundant, 
  ever 
  increasing, 
  and 
  becoming 
  decidedly 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  

   omnivorous 
  and 
  destructive, 
  and 
  feeding 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  on 
  food 
  

   found 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground. 
  The 
  following 
  is 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  

   rookeries, 
  which 
  is 
  simply 
  given 
  without 
  full 
  details 
  — 
  which 
  latter, 
  

   however, 
  we 
  possess 
  from 
  nearly 
  all 
  — 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  others 
  — 
  

   rookeries 
  of 
  smaller 
  population, 
  which 
  have 
  for 
  years 
  been 
  estab- 
  

   lished 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  Moray 
  Basin. 
  

  

  Commencing 
  in 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  our 
  district 
  and 
  valley 
  of 
  Deveron, 
  

   we 
  find 
  large 
  rookeries 
  at 
  Hatton 
  Castle 
  and 
  Gask, 
  near 
  Turriff 
  

   (Lower 
  Deveron), 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  former 
  place 
  both 
  Herons 
  and 
  Rooks 
  

  

  