﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  129 
  

  

  as 
  indicating 
  a 
  pressure 
  of 
  1 
  distributional 
  wave 
  moving 
  west 
  

   ward, 
  for 
  about 
  this 
  time 
  — 
  1887 
  — 
  great 
  increase 
  was 
  noticeable 
  

   to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  Findhorn 
  and 
  among 
  the 
  Culbin 
  Sands, 
  and 
  up 
  the 
  

   rugged 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  Findhorn. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Mackessack 
  places 
  his 
  first 
  observation 
  of 
  the 
  Stock 
  Doves 
  

   at 
  the 
  date 
  of 
  1879 
  or 
  thereabouts. 
  Up 
  to 
  the 
  date 
  of 
  1887 
  the 
  

   species 
  was 
  reported 
  at 
  all 
  hands 
  as 
  1 
  less 
  common 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  

   Findhorn 
  or 
  among 
  the 
  Culbins,' 
  although 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  nests 
  were 
  

   known 
  to 
  Brown 
  of 
  Forres. 
  Others 
  of 
  our 
  correspondents 
  and 
  

   friends 
  around 
  Forres 
  and 
  Elgin 
  relate 
  how 
  the 
  bird 
  came 
  from 
  

   the 
  eastward, 
  and 
  has 
  now 
  spread 
  over 
  all 
  the 
  likely 
  ground 
  which 
  

   fringes 
  the 
  south 
  6hore 
  of 
  the 
  Firth, 
  between 
  Covesea 
  and 
  Burg- 
  

   head, 
  Findhorn 
  and 
  Nairn. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  year 
  — 
  1887 
  — 
  0. 
  A. 
  J. 
  Lee 
  took 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  Stock 
  Dove 
  

   from 
  a 
  rabbit-hole 
  among 
  the 
  sandhills 
  of 
  Culbin, 
  close 
  down 
  to 
  

   the 
  sea-shore 
  and 
  opposite 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Findhorn. 
  The 
  eggs, 
  now 
  

   in 
  our 
  collection, 
  were 
  laid 
  about 
  four 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  entrance. 
  

  

  No 
  Stock 
  Doves 
  were 
  sent 
  in 
  to 
  Macleay 
  for 
  preservation 
  until 
  

   quite 
  recently, 
  when, 
  along 
  with 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  specimens 
  sent 
  by 
  

   ourselves 
  from 
  Sutherland, 
  others 
  were 
  sent 
  in 
  from 
  near 
  Nairn 
  by 
  

   Mr. 
  Hugh 
  F. 
  Rose. 
  At 
  a 
  house 
  near 
  Cawdor 
  we 
  saw, 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  

   aviary, 
  some 
  Wood 
  Pigeons 
  and 
  Stock 
  Doves, 
  which 
  latter 
  the 
  

   owner 
  called 
  Rock 
  Doves, 
  and 
  on 
  inquiry 
  we 
  found 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  

   been 
  taken 
  out 
  of 
  some 
  rocks 
  up 
  the 
  Cawdor 
  burn, 
  where 
  they 
  

   were 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  uncommon. 
  Both 
  they 
  and 
  the 
  Wood 
  Pigeons 
  

   were 
  quite 
  tame. 
  

  

  Of 
  its 
  inland 
  distribution 
  we 
  are 
  told 
  by 
  Hinxman 
  of 
  his 
  find 
  

   ing 
  two 
  nests 
  in 
  holes 
  amongst 
  rocks 
  and 
  heather 
  on 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  

   Carndregnie 
  and 
  Cam 
  Dubh 
  in 
  Glen 
  Livet 
  He 
  saw 
  the 
  birds 
  close 
  

   at 
  hand 
  and 
  identified 
  them, 
  and, 
  what 
  is 
  interesting, 
  if 
  correct. 
  

   Mr. 
  Petrie, 
  the 
  gamekeeper, 
  repeatedly 
  assured 
  us 
  personally, 
  

   when 
  staying 
  at 
  (Hen 
  Livet, 
  that 
  these 
  pairs 
  of 
  birds 
  had 
  bred 
  

   regularly 
  since 
  1885, 
  which 
  was 
  the 
  date 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Petrie's 
  taking 
  

   up 
  his 
  situation 
  there. 
  

  

  Again, 
  in 
  Strathspey, 
  William 
  Evans 
  had 
  a 
  good 
  view 
  of 
  a 
  

   Stock 
  Dove 
  flying 
  up 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Spey, 
  near 
  Kincraig, 
  on 
  

   August 
  20th, 
  1889, 
  so 
  we 
  may 
  probably 
  look 
  for 
  still 
  greater 
  

   expansion 
  along 
  the 
  great 
  highways 
  of 
  migration, 
  overflowing 
  in 
  

   time 
  into 
  the 
  lateral 
  valleys. 
  

  

  VOL. 
  II. 
  1 
  

  

  