﻿34 
  

  

  BIRDS. 
  

  

  branch 
  has 
  fallen 
  from 
  a 
  living 
  trunk, 
  but 
  rarely 
  'so 
  where 
  the 
  birds 
  

   have 
  pierced 
  the 
  bark 
  of 
  a 
  dead 
  or 
  dying 
  tree, 
  even 
  though 
  resin 
  

   should 
  still 
  exude. 
  

  

  Such 
  holes 
  may 
  at 
  a 
  little 
  distance 
  at 
  times 
  be 
  easily 
  mistaken, 
  

   but 
  nearer 
  the 
  bark 
  rim 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  can 
  usually 
  be 
  easily 
  seen, 
  

   with 
  or 
  without 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  binoculars. 
  

  

  [Picus 
  minor 
  (L.). 
  Lesser 
  Spotted 
  Woodpecker. 
  

  

  Edward 
  notes 
  one 
  shot 
  at 
  Meyen 
  on 
  the 
  Deveron, 
  and 
  sent 
  to 
  him, 
  

   and 
  another 
  was 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  Lodge 
  Hills. 
  These 
  are 
  all 
  that 
  

   were 
  known 
  to 
  him 
  ; 
  and 
  we 
  cannot 
  find 
  another 
  record.] 
  

  

  Sub-family 
  IYNGIDJE. 
  

   lynx 
  torquilla, 
  L. 
  Wryneck. 
  

  

  A 
  rare 
  visitant 
  to 
  our 
  present 
  area. 
  A 
  specimen 
  was 
  sent 
  in 
  to 
  

   Macleay 
  of 
  Inverness 
  for 
  preservation 
  on 
  September 
  8th, 
  1884, 
  by 
  

   Sheriff 
  Mackenzie 
  of 
  Tain. 
  St. 
  John 
  mentions 
  having 
  seen 
  it 
  in 
  

   the 
  woods 
  of 
  Dulsie 
  ; 
  and 
  Captain 
  Stirling, 
  younger 
  of 
  Fairburn, 
  

   on 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  a 
  friend, 
  says 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  occurred 
  on 
  one 
  

   occasion 
  only 
  in 
  his 
  district. 
  

  

  The 
  0.8. 
  A. 
  is 
  silent 
  as 
  to 
  any 
  occurrence 
  of 
  the 
  Wryneck 
  in 
  

   Moray. 
  The 
  earliest 
  record 
  we 
  have 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  Mr. 
  Hoy's 
  MS., 
  

   as 
  follows 
  : 
  ' 
  One 
  shot 
  at 
  Gordon 
  Castle 
  by 
  the 
  Duke, 
  January 
  

   12th, 
  1814.' 
  The 
  late 
  Professor 
  MacGillivray 
  informed 
  Edward 
  of 
  

   one 
  taken 
  at 
  or 
  near 
  Portsoy 
  by 
  a 
  friend 
  of 
  his. 
  One, 
  now 
  in 
  the 
  

   Banff 
  Museum, 
  was 
  taken 
  six 
  years 
  ago, 
  about 
  fourteen 
  miles 
  from 
  

   the 
  town. 
  This 
  specimen, 
  or 
  another, 
  is 
  still 
  in 
  the 
  Museum. 
  In 
  

   1853 
  Edward 
  acknowledges 
  receipt, 
  amongst 
  other 
  things, 
  of 
  a 
  

   Wryneck 
  from 
  E. 
  Newton 
  (in 
  lit. 
  to 
  A. 
  N., 
  18th 
  July 
  1853). 
  We 
  

   are 
  indebted 
  to 
  Professor 
  A. 
  Newton 
  for 
  a 
  perusal 
  of 
  this 
  and 
  

   several 
  other 
  letters 
  of 
  the 
  late 
  Mr. 
  Edward. 
  

  

  Family 
  ALCEDINHXffi. 
  

  

  Alcedo 
  ispida, 
  L. 
  Kingfisher. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  Brora 
  to 
  the 
  Spey 
  we 
  have 
  notes 
  of 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  the 
  

   Kingfisher, 
  though 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  straggler. 
  It 
  has 
  occurred 
  several 
  

  

  